Weight training

I had a bad 2008 (didn't everyone). I did not hike as much, and as a result I lost my conditioning. I did a new years resolution (doesn't everyone), to get back into shape. I am thinking about adding weight training. Should I be worried about adding muscle weight?

I know what you mean, who wants to carry those monster biceps and pecs up 3 or 4 thousand feet of mountain.

I think weight training is helpful for a number of reasons and in different ways. First and maybe most important to me is that when you start an exercise/weight loss program, as many of us do at this time of year, we run the risk of losing not only fat but muscle. Especially if we exercise in the aerobic training zones, our fat burning is too slow to fuel our muscles and we will burn lean body mass, i.e. muscle and the like. This is why you see the "weight loss zone" or "fat burning zone" at a lower heart rate level about 60% of Max Heart Rate. You don't really burn more fat but a higher percentage of the calories used come from fat. Therefore to burn more fat you have to exercise longer.


Healthwise, fat (especially inside the abdomen fat) is far more detrimental to us than lean body tissue. Lean body mass increases your metabolism and helps other health paramaters vs. fat like lipids and glucose (cho/triglycerides and sugar). Over the years these cycles of weight gain and weight loss cause us to build fat and then lose fat and muscle, over and over again. That's one reason yo-yo dieting is bad for us. But one way to overcome or at least partially compensate is to preserve our LBM with weight training. Don't forget to train other important areas as well - the "core muscles." All of this will help your endurance and ability on the trail.

In order to preserve your lean body mass (LBM) it is a good idea to do at least some reistance/weight training. Relatively light weights and sets of at least 10 reps will tone and keep your muscles from being used for fuel, so long as adequate calories are available. Some studies even show weight training is helpful for fat burning and weight loss as the calorie utilization continues for a longer period after exercise than aerobic training alone.


So if you're a thin person to begin with it is important to preserve your LBM with resistance/weight training and adequate calorie intake to build muscle. If like most of us there is an excess of stored energy available around the midriff, adding weight training to aerobic exercise will preserve the LBM while allowing you to use up the less desirable portions.

The concern is mostly about POWER to WEIGHT (a ratio). Weight that doesn't increase your power (aka fat) doesn't help. Having raced bicycles for many years, adding muscle to the legs always helped, even if my total weight went up. I tend to focus primarily on the legs and the core and not worry too much about having vanity pecs or biceps -- neither one is especially important for cycling, skiing or hiking. I don't neglect them either, mind you.

Concentrate on multi-joint exercises rather than isolation exercises. These are far more applicable to performance fitness as opposed to competition fitness.

See also:

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15110
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15845
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18392
http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15110

#include "StandardDisclaimer.h"

Tim

Age Dependent and Resistance vs Weights

Another factor to consider in weight training is age. As we get older weight training is a very good addition to remaining healthy. Weight training benefits our joints, tendons and bone density. The last post referencing multi-joint is good advice.

I like to view weight training in a more broader term - "resistance" training. The difference is that resistance training can be done without weights; the simple example is calisthenics i.e. push-ups, pull-ups, etc. A stability ball routine is also a great form of resistance training to consider.

Turkish Stand Up

I have a pretty neat whole body exercise I was taught by a physical therapist. He called it the "Turkish Stand Up". Lie on your back with a dumbbell in one hand on your chest. Extend your arm with the dumbell straight up and keep it there while you get up to a standing position using your other arm for stabilization. Then get back down to the starting position. Do 5 reps and switch hands. Increase the weight and the number of reps in succeeding workouts. Gets the heart rate up fast, good for the core muscles, the legs, the arms, and balance.

IMHO, there is no need for barbells, dumbells are great for just about everything.

You've already gotten some good advice in this thread; I'll just chime in since I do a lot of weight training. There are basically two approaches to weight lifting. One, is to build muscular strength which is generally a high amount of weight done with a low number of reps. The other is to build muscular endurance which is a relatively low amount of weight done with a high number of reps. During my years I've done both, depending on the sport or activity that I was training for. For hiking I would suggest going the muscular endurance route.

Best wishes with this.

I like to mix in 30 minutes or so of cardio a day and 30 minutes of weight lifting in each work out. I have found that my body burns the most fat this way since the cardio burns calories during the workout and the muscles eat the fat after the workout is done to sustain themselves. I am pre-destined to weigh about 220 pounds no matter what I do, so it is a matter of carrying the weight in muscles or in beer gut. I don't lift weights with my lower body, instead I ski, bike ride, or do cardio machines. I have found the spinning classes in the gym to be the best cardio workout that can translate to hiking longer/stronger.

Paradox said:

He called it the "Turkish Stand Up".

Click to expand...

Well, that conversation could've gone in a different direction.

Whatever you do, start off slow and build up very gradually. For the past 10 years or so I've been in a, probably, 12 to 18 month cycle of getting out of shape, starting to getting back into shape, feeling good, over doing it and getting some sort of injury, repeat.

FWIW: The best exercise I found for hiking was hiking up and down a short, steep hill at our high school. 20, 30, 40 "laps" up and down. Before Rainier I was doing 50 laps with a 50lb pack. It was convenient and I could stop when I started to tire, so I never over-did it.

Here's a book worth reading.

I am fortunate in that my weight "never changes". Moreover there is usually enough physical activity in my work, not to mention preparing all my firewood starting with the standing trees, to work all the muscles in the body.
My wife , however, (now that she has lost most of the weight she wanted to) uses hiking to maintain that loss.
When we can't get out to hike, we use the stairmaster at the gym, and various machines to round it out.
I will say that I believe the use of poles when hiking distributes some of the muscle building in a more even manner, than hiking without them.
I also believe nothing builds endurance more than going past your comfort zone into that second or third "wind".

I'll let you know how my rehab goes......

Now that I have your attention, For the last few years I've been keeping a weekly activity log, monitoring how much I walk, jog, hike, bike & spend on a treadmill. In 04, 05 & 07 I average a weekly total of 12.5 to 14 miles. (roughly 4 on treadmill & the rest walking hiking, jogging - hike once a month unless I sneak out for another day)

In 2006 & 2008 I averaged between 21 & 22 miles a week (8+ miles on the treadmill, 7 walking 3.5 hiking & a 1.5 or so jogging, biking (biking is at 1/2 actual distance to try & equate the effort to the other activities) etc.

In 2006 & in November 2008, I developed knee pain. In 2006, taking it easy in December, January & much of 2007 helped. This time I saw the MD's. (My volleyball team has moved up & we are trying to move to the A league so taking time off is not an option. VB is my other passion & knee most troublesome walking uphill & jumping) I did not want to push through a tendon or ligament injury & end up off my feet for months.

Diagnosis, muscles around knee are not of equal strength & therefore, knee is being pulled off it's normal tract. To make up for some free space in the knee, I've developed a bone spur that's digging into the cartidge when aggravated. Cure - more stretching & rehab to learn exercises to build up muscles so knee gets back to normal. (I report back on exercies but suspect some light weight training. My history, 37 years of playing, hoop, VB, soccer, hiking, a gym class jock, some school sports, CYO BB but never a star now a 225 lb weekend & lunch time (treadmill) warrior - & Dad - denying I'm closer to 50 than 40.

Or not much different, weight aside maybe, then many of us.

I suspect weight training, especially legs (& some shoulders & back) will help. You don't have to squat 400 pounds or lift the entire weight stack on the leg extension machine. In fact form is better than weight - as opposed to some people you see in the gym jerking large weights with all their body instead of isolating the intended muscle groups. if that was benefical I'd quit the gyn & push my car up the driveway