Mark is joined by Scott Johnston, author of Training for the Uphill Athlete, owner of Evoke Endurance, and a dedicated outdoorsman and athlete with decades of experience. They discuss the physical demands of backcountry or mountain hunting, what hunters can learn from other outdoor athletes, and the best way to train for extended hunts in difficult terrain.
Whether you are coming off the couch and starting a fitness journey, or you are an experienced athlete who already trains seriously, this conversation will help equip you with the knowledge and tools to physically prepare for adventurous hunts in the mountains.
Listen Now — Hit play in the header above, access the podcast on Spotify, or download the episode from SoundCloud.
Topics Discussed
- How the physical demands of mountain hunting are similar to the military, mountaineers, and alpinists
- The reason backcountry hunters need more than aerobic endurance and how to train accordingly
- What is “muscular endurance” and why it is needed for the mountain hunter
- The difference between the aerobic and anaerobic systems and why they cannot be trained the same way
- Training should be specific towards your goal; identify the demands and work backward to develop your training needs
- The physical priorities required for peak performance on mountain hunts
- Why you can’t judge the effectiveness of your workout based on the intensity of the effort
- The best ways to judge whether you are training aerobically or anaerobically during a workout
- The value and inaccuracies of using heart rate as a tool for training
- Specific training advice for the untrained or unfit hunter
- Specific training advice for the procrastinating hunter
- Specific training advice for the endurance-focused hunter
- Specific training advice for the strength-focused hunter
- The best ways to train muscular endurance, with and without access to a mountain
Additional Resources
- Scott’s Books
- Muscular Endurance: All You Need to Know
- Free Articles at Evoke Endurance
- Mark’s At-Home Workout
- Free Backcountry Hunting Training Plan
Header Photo: Mark on a 15-mile Dale Sheep packout in Alaska
