Good one!! Here's a question I've been pondering lately though.
I understand and agree with the need for strength training like you and others have outlined. I also think the best way to get in shape for carrying heavy packs in the mtns is to carry heavy packs in the mtns.
But most of us can't do that as much as we'd like, so we're stuck with the gym. So here's my question: shouldn't the workouts in the gym mimic (as closely as possible) the activity we're training for?
When I read about your workouts and Pointers, I know they're good for building and maintaining strength, but it seems that compared to humping loads in the mountains, they are higher intensity but shorter duration. Humping loads many times seems more like a multi-hour slog that's not as intense.
So my question is, are high-intensity, short duration strength training sessions the best way to train for hauling loads? Seems to me that every now and then, you'd want to work in some sessions that were lower intensity, but 2 hours or so long, to build endurance?
