Week Eleven: Get in at least one 3-4 mile walk or hike. Continue with your cardio and strength training 3-5 days a week. Keep it up!
This week is about maintaining strength. You’ve worked hard and built up your endurance. Keep exercising at a similar pace to what you have already been doing. Don’t try to push it too hard, because you don’t want to get injured right before the trek.
Continue to hydrate well. If you are well hydrated before you go on trek, then you are much less likely to have problems on the trial. You will also find that your body gets used to the water and you don’t have to go to the bathroom as much.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Week Ten - Consecutive workouts
Week Ten: Consecutive 1 hour workouts.
By now you should be able to handle two days in a row of strenuous activity. By this I mean 2 days in a row of at least a 1 hour (intense) workout. Feel free to make one of those workouts a bike ride or aerobics class. I want you to get used to working out two days in a row. You can even do two workouts in one day.
Also, it isn’t too late to get your hiking boots or running shoes broken in for the trek – start wearing them for all your activities so that they will be ready for the trek!
By now you should be able to handle two days in a row of strenuous activity. By this I mean 2 days in a row of at least a 1 hour (intense) workout. Feel free to make one of those workouts a bike ride or aerobics class. I want you to get used to working out two days in a row. You can even do two workouts in one day.
Also, it isn’t too late to get your hiking boots or running shoes broken in for the trek – start wearing them for all your activities so that they will be ready for the trek!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Week Nine - Fitness Plan
Week Nine: Take the time this week to get outdoors and complete at least one 4-5 mile hike (or longer if you want). It’s very hot outside so it would be best to get out early in the morning and get hiking. Be sure to take plenty of water and snacks. Hydration and nutrition are vital when you are hiking.
Continue with cardio and strength training 4-5 days a week. Each workout session should be over 40 minutes long. By now you should be seeing some very positive results, from weight loss, to shrinking waistlines and increased strength and stamina.
How did last week go? If you did a longer hike and want to do a little more, than go for it! If you didn’t get the chance, then this is your week to catch up and try that longer walk or hike. Remember to stay hydrated!
Continue with cardio and strength training 4-5 days a week. Each workout session should be over 40 minutes long. By now you should be seeing some very positive results, from weight loss, to shrinking waistlines and increased strength and stamina.
How did last week go? If you did a longer hike and want to do a little more, than go for it! If you didn’t get the chance, then this is your week to catch up and try that longer walk or hike. Remember to stay hydrated!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Week Eight - Fitness Plan
Do at least one 5-6 mile walk or hike this week (if you think you can handle it go for 8-10). This is a good test of your shoes and fitness. Continue with cardio and strength training 3-5 days a week.
We have been hanging out at the 3-4 mile walk range for a while now. It’s time to find a hike or walk that will push that up to 5-6 miles (2-3 hours). On our trek we will be walking at least that much every day, so it is a good idea to see how this feels. Since this will be a longer hike, remember to take a snack, use sunscreen and of course, your water! Staying hydrated is vital!
Don’t ever neglect good hydration.
We have been hanging out at the 3-4 mile walk range for a while now. It’s time to find a hike or walk that will push that up to 5-6 miles (2-3 hours). On our trek we will be walking at least that much every day, so it is a good idea to see how this feels. Since this will be a longer hike, remember to take a snack, use sunscreen and of course, your water! Staying hydrated is vital!
Don’t ever neglect good hydration.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Week Seven - HILL TRAINING!!!
Week Seven: Hill training!!!
Do at least one 4-5 mile walk or hike. Keep doing your cardio and/or strength training 4-5 days a week. By now you should be exercising with relative ease. (if it’s easy then you aren’t working hard enough…so if your old routine is pretty easy, then up the intensity!)
Your challenge for this week is to incorporate some hill training! During your walk, hike or during one of your cardio workouts, exercise on a steep incline. Find a hill and try to run or at least walk quickly up the hill. (the kiddie walk behind Burton Elementary is a great place to do this). Catch your breath as you walk back down. Do this at least 3 times in a row, and more if you are feeling up to it! (if you are on a treadmill…my first question is “what are you doing inside when it’s beautiful out!?!?!?) Now if you insist on sticking with the treadmill, then incline the belt. If the belt doesn’t incline, then I guess you’ll just have to get outside.
Do at least one 4-5 mile walk or hike. Keep doing your cardio and/or strength training 4-5 days a week. By now you should be exercising with relative ease. (if it’s easy then you aren’t working hard enough…so if your old routine is pretty easy, then up the intensity!)
Your challenge for this week is to incorporate some hill training! During your walk, hike or during one of your cardio workouts, exercise on a steep incline. Find a hill and try to run or at least walk quickly up the hill. (the kiddie walk behind Burton Elementary is a great place to do this). Catch your breath as you walk back down. Do this at least 3 times in a row, and more if you are feeling up to it! (if you are on a treadmill…my first question is “what are you doing inside when it’s beautiful out!?!?!?) Now if you insist on sticking with the treadmill, then incline the belt. If the belt doesn’t incline, then I guess you’ll just have to get outside.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Week Six - Fitness Plan
Week Six: If you have not already done so, go out and buy some good hiking shoes (hopefully you’ve already done this and you are breaking your shoes in nicely).
Do at least one 3-4 mile walk or hike this week. Go farther if you can. One great idea I’ve seen is that the 5th Ward has organized a hike from Ensign Peak to the Bountiful temple this Saturday (the 15th). It will take most of the Saturday to do it, but what a great way to get in shape together.
Continue with your Cardio and/or strength training 3-5 days a week. Make sure that it is intense. Your heart rate should be going over 140 beats per minute and you need to sustain that for at least 30 minutes.
We are halfway there to the trek since we started our training. Keep it up! And if you haven’t started, it isn’t too late! This week it is important to decide what shoes you are going to wear to the trek (or buy some new ones) and make sure you are using them for some of your activities. See this post on choosing good shoes.
Keep working hard and if you have input or encouragement for others please comment here!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Week 5 - Fitness Plan
Get in one more 3-4 mile walk or hike this week. Continue your cardio 3-5 times a week. Now we are going to add some strength training in. Pioneer trek uses all of your muscles – arms, back & core strength to push and pull the handcarts and legs for all of the hiking and walking. This is the time to start adding strength training to your workouts. It is best if you can do strength training 2-3 days per week. One rule for strength training is the 7/11 rule. Choose a weight where you can do at least 7 repetitions, but it isn’t easy for you to do more than 11 (3 sets of 10 reps). If you don’t have weights try sit-ups or crunches, dips, push-ups, pull-ups, leg raises and lunges.
If you want to get some weights, plan on spending about $1 per pound of weights. Purchasing weights is never a bad investment for your health.
If you have not worked out with weights before, be prepared to be sore for a few days BUT DON’T LET THAT DETER YOU FROM CONTINUING. Sore is a GOOD thing when you are doing strength training. It means that your muscles are growing and working.
One other rule of thumb with strength training. You must always allow time for recovery. Usually about 24 hours. So if you work your upper body really hard on Monday, then don’t do that again until Wednesday. Your muscles need that time to recover, heal and get stronger.
If you want to get some weights, plan on spending about $1 per pound of weights. Purchasing weights is never a bad investment for your health.
If you have not worked out with weights before, be prepared to be sore for a few days BUT DON’T LET THAT DETER YOU FROM CONTINUING. Sore is a GOOD thing when you are doing strength training. It means that your muscles are growing and working.
One other rule of thumb with strength training. You must always allow time for recovery. Usually about 24 hours. So if you work your upper body really hard on Monday, then don’t do that again until Wednesday. Your muscles need that time to recover, heal and get stronger.
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