Getting into Sheep Shape
 

i'm beginning my workout routine for Montana sheep season 2011.

i'm 26, will be 27 years old, 190 pounds and 5'10. i have a solid and muscular frame.

so far, i'm planning mostly cardio work. i hope to get to about 175-180 pounds. i've been running 2 miles 5 days a week, i will increase to 4 miles, 5 days and am lifting very lightly so i don't build muscle (if i even look at free weights, i'll bulk up like arnold swartzenager) so let's just avoid that.

i've been thinking about p90x, but i don't know anything about it. do you guys use it? if not, what do you use.

i will lose a couple pounds, and gain muscle in the right places, but how do i make the elevation changes less damaging to my system?

i won't be walking through the hills after sheep, i may want to run!

I'm certainly not an expert at it but I've been getting ready for elk hunts over the years and will tell you what has worked for me. Main thing is that your upper body won't carry you over the mountain. The legs would be the main focus. I try to maximize my training by finding steep hills and walking or running them. The steeper the better and add weight in a pack as the weeks go on. Don't overdo it when it comes to training or the weights. At your age you probably don't have to worry but as you get older the muscles and joints don't work as well and I for one have hurt myself by pushing it too hard too early. I now try to make it a year long thing. You'll get alot more positive alot quicker by running hills then flat ground. In the weight room, work on lunges, pullups, abs, dips, etc. plus if you run the treadmill work on bumping up the incline a little each week until you are doing 10 to 15%. Is it fun running/walking hills?? Maybe not so much but the work you put in now will pay when you get there...

you have a sheep tag? unlimited unit?

I'd say cardio cardio cardio, but what I need and what you need may be 2 different things.

p90x, heard good things, heard yea it works if you can do it/keep up, but good luck at that! I'm sure you could if you can push yourself.


and what do you mean elevation changes hurting your body? altitude sickness? coming from low altitude? eat your fruits/veges at altitude! no booze/caffeine. plenty of water, relax recover, day 1 I wouldn't plan on running up and down mountains, or at all unless you have to! slow and steady wins the race.

No offense, but unless youre seriously jacked, you might wanna drop about 20lbs, running wont do it, you might wanna change your diet, cut out breads, cakes,dairy, chips ,pasta, white rice and wt potatoes cut down on your sugars too and no fruit juice. eat Bfast as soon as you wake up and eat a meal with about 10-20grms of protein every 2-3 hours. dont believe the myth about eating late either. try to eat more all natural foods too, as they tend to contain less sugar, preservatives and other stuff that causes the body to store fat.

For cardio training, switch to 2-3minutes sprints on inclines.

Yep get into the natural foods for sure. Drink lots of water. I don't know what type terrain you have where you live, but where I do I very rarely hit the gym. When I was that age it was waterskiing swimming biking, or just hiking with my hunting pack on.I was lucky to grow up with parents that invested in a Home on lake front proerty. I got a little more invested I bought a kayak. Runnng doesn't do a heck of alot to help out.Now with famlly and work in the way of everything and don't have alot of time to train, a P90X an hour a day 7 days a week or bootcamp an hour a day 5 days a week will get you there.Especially bootcamp.This works you out huge and it's amazing the results you get in a month, over anything else.My wife is an instructor, it ain't just for fat folks. LOL . This training is alot of the same training pro athletes use in their dryland, but modified to suit their
conditioning. But if you are fit , their is no excuse, go high impact. You will have to change your diet increase your callorie intake but you will notice a difference fast.You will be able to ascend and descend with a 80 lbs pack forever.

But don't just exercise in good weather. I'm out in 20 below and 40 above rain blizzard sleet and snow and heat. It doesn't matter how good of shape your in, if your defeated mentally you will be defeated physically.It's been minus 10-15 not including the wind chill for the last week and a half where I live,even though it limits what can do cause of family and work, I was out for 2 hour every evening pitch black darkness, freezing cold weather hiking this tower on top of this mountain in gusting winds, ice covered pathway hiking with 3 dogs.
Wouldn't get home till 10:30pm but dogs have to get waked everyday reguardless of weather, and you never know what weather you may encounter in the mountains,so I use that to my pets to my advantage as well.Hunting high country isn't all about physical fitness there is way more mental toughness involved that alot if hunters think there is. Don't under estimate mental state.

i got back into working out in a gym last year, and i was really surprised how much the science has changed in strength and conditioning. In a lot of circles, cardio is getting really frowned upon....basically you burn calories but youre really just breaking down your system. You may want to look into tabata protocol training......its hard but i did have a lot of success in a short amount of time with it as far as conditioning goes. With my limited knowledge i think id recommend tabata, sprint training and some weights......and not so much the long drawn out cardio unless youre just trying to burn calories for the sake of burning them.

Sheep hunting is all about burning calories and living off the bare min
food to get it.You are breaking down your system hunting sheep.Mental training and meditation are good things to practice no doubt. But this hunting is hunting lifting packing carrying moving climbing, packing heavy weight, bending crawling, all in adverse weather conditions, using different muscles from different loaction of your body.Its cardio fitness to the extreme. Limited amount of food limited amount of water and combined with an endless body workout.Your body has to get used to min calorie intake and extreme phyical workout.You have to train your body to do this.
Not sure if this Tabata thing you suggest does this but it's required.

Sounds like DBH is reccomending a diet simular to the Zone Diet by Dr. Barry Sears, you could google zone diet something should popup

Nathaniel, my weight and height are almost identical. I'm too am in good shape but I will soon be 60 years old so muscle is a bit harder to develop. Since I have a Colorado elk hunt planned for later this year (altitudes from 7,500 to 9,500 ft.), I too am interested in the responses you will get. Myself and a couple of guys I hunt with are planning a several backpacking hikes to a rocky, hilly area near by to help get in shape.