Yeah, I am aware of the Training Mask stuff. But as was mentioned, unless you wore it 24/7, it's value is questionable in my mind. If it makes me work harder to workout, I guess there's some value in that, but my body won't adjust to less O2 because the other 23 hours of the day will be at normal 500' elevation oxygen levels.
I monitor my heart rate during exercise and I check it periodically when idle. I try to every few days check my resting heart rate as well, and watch how fast my HR recovers after exercise. The faster my HR drops after exercise, the better...the lower my RHR is, the better. These metrics point to overall heart health and cardiovascular ability to recover from an O2 deficit state. I figure that's what I'm gonna need the most at altitude, so that's where my attention is.
Then my lifting and hiking is more to sort myself out for how I want my packs rigged under weight, my boots, my gear, etc....my general strength and stability (muscular strength helps with joint stability), etc. I do some mobility/flexibility work as well to be sure I'm not strong but immobile, too. Trying to keep things in balance and not overtrain or undertrain anything. A lot of plates to keep spinning.....but doing my best around work, kids, life, etc.
