Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting 2020 Fitness-Workout thread

Best advice yet re a sports medicine ortho. In addition what can be thought of as an ITBS issue, can often caused by a bulging disk. Have had the same issue. Serious PT therapy solved the problem.

Sorry, my original post I mentioned that I get the pain when hiking but I neglected to mention it in the post about 4-7 miles.

I'll try my best to describe the situation. I was a runner until I was in a bad accident in my mid-20s. I ended up having three abdominal surgeries over the course of 5 years. I gave up running and bulked up. I am 6'1" and probably 210ish right now but usually 195 or so in summer (slacking off in the late fall). Ideally, I would be around 180-185. I am not built to be really skinny, I weighed about 175-180 when I graduated high school and was a competitive runner (400 meter through cross country 5ks). I was never a guy that would go out and run 10 miles but I was running 52 seconds in the 400 meter as a 10th grader. Some charts put my ideal weight in the 160s but that is not going to happen.

After being physically limited for several years, I got back into training about 7 years ago. I do some weight training (lame stuff in my basement) but don't get too intense. I started doing squats a few years ago (3.5 yrs or so) but not really pushing it like a power lifter would. I never exceeded 300 lbs and usually stayed around 250. I would do reps anywhere from 8 to 20 depending on weight. I don't do it religiously and even when I am on a schedule, it is only once per week. I am not doing it for cosmetic reasons or to put on mass but just to maintain strength in my back and lower body as I age. I just want to be able to drag deer and carry a heavy pack through the mountains. I never really feel knee pain while squatting. Sometimes I get a little bit of discomfort below my knee cap after or a day later. It subsides quickly and is no big deal.

What started to become a problem was the outside of my knees. About 3 years ago, I was tracking a shot bear through the woods along a steep mountain side. After covering at least 10 miles and side-hilling several of them over rock slide, I started to get serious pain in the outside of my knees. After a couple days of rest, it went away. I figured that it was the boots that I was wearing in combination with the uneven ground. I had never had pain of any kind in my knees before. Since then, I find that it comes back whenever I walk a fair distance in the woods. When grouse hunting, it seems to start anywhere from 4 to 7 miles and I have to wind things down over the next mile or so. I do notice that it starts earlier when I have recently done squats. As a result, I rarely if ever squat during hunting season. Given the timing of the first occurrence (about 6 months after starting to squat) I assume that the squatting is tightening something up that is putting strain on my knee. I have read about IT Band syndrome and the description seems to fit exactly with my symptoms. I recently started some home PT that was recommended online.

I am too cheap to go to a orthopedic doctor unless it is my last resort. I have a $1,000 annual deductible. My sister in law is an orthopedic surgeon and she gave me some suggestions but mostly said that I need x-rays.

as the article I posted suggested- icing/massage (roller)/specific stretches/specific strength exercises would all be good steps; I think backing off the weight of the squats initially wouldn't hurt either

if it still doesn't go away, try eliminating squats entirely and see if you still get the pain when you hit 4-7 miles hiking- you may find it's not the squats or definitively that it is

Frankly, the article is BS. You can't stretch the IT band - it's mostly fascia. Since ITBS is hard to resolve it has become a topic for YouTube quacks that continually regurgitate the same food.

If an exercise causes pain - do less of it or none at all. The modern approach to resolve ITBS is to attempt cross-training or wait for it to go away by itself.

I think the research on IT band pain is still developing. I have been looking for cures for a couple years now. I tried rolling it with only small improvement. This article seems to cove the most current approach, although I could be wrong. The advice in it is part of what I am trying. https://squatuniversity.com/2017/05/30/how-to-fix-it-band-pain/

squats and bench 5/5/5+ @ 65/75/85% of 1RM
pullups 5x11
dips 3x30
core

Obviously I am only getting the thinnest of slices of what you're doing in real life, but based on the above your knees get sore after side-hilling for 10 miles. No schIt.

Also, you're trying to address an high end endurance issue with once/week strength training (squats). Good luck with that.

If you want to hunt for miles and hours you have to be willing to put the miles and hours in. Look at at what Mtwarden does and do that.

Take pictures of your legs, front view, side view each leg, and rear view. I have a very close friend that is a PT she has her Phd and is a very highly regarded PT among her peers. I can show her and see what she says. I am willing to bet you have a major muscle imbalance.

made the mistake of doing my hill day AFTER I did squats this morning- ouch; steep SOB- ~1100' in a mile (the other 3 miles we were just cruising :)). had a little company up top, Tiny E very interested!

That is not the only thing that I do. I was just mentioning one thing that gives me a problem.

Did a 10 mile up and back "gut check" hike on Wednesday. 2100' of elevation gain w/ 26 lbs of gear and water on the way up w/ the last 1/2 mile of up being about 40* w/ 120' of 3rd class fractured limestone as a capper. I was ruined at the top. Dumped 16 lbs. of water for the descent and did the "ranger shuffle" back to the truck. The up took 2 hrs and 46 minutes, rested for 15 minutes and then took 1 hour 41minutes on the downhill. Terrain was mostly rocky 2 track w/ about a mile of firm snow at the top. It was a perfect day w/ temps of 42* at the start and 44* at the end.

That is my hardest push since Thanksgiving and overall I was happy to get the time and miles on my feet. Old age is a state of mind that must be resisted vigorously and this forum gives me a lot of inspiration and useful advice. Altra Lone Peak 4.0s are the tits! My feet were tired and sore but no bruising or blisters w/ a light pair of Smart Wool sox.

Hint: lots of stretching and 60mg of Benadry help prevent cramps when taken w/ several G & Ts post hike.


mike r

"Old age is a state of mind that must be resisted vigorously"

couldn't agree more!

Hiking in mountains after squats?

Ouch lol

yup- user error

Treadmill intervals:




Stairmaster:





Added in some high rep weights for arms, back, legs.

got up to 30 degrees here today, feels like Spring! 5 miles on the trails w/ Tiny E

mtwarden,

With your 10.9,8,7,6.....1, lifting routine. Do you go thru the entire sequence with one type of lift, or do you do 10 of that one and then 10 of another, and then go back and do 9, 9, 8, 8, etc.

Also, usual wait time before moving on to the next set number....


Tried it the other day going thru one lift type before moving on to another. Around 45 second wait time before the next drop down. Good workout....

the way I've been doing it is 10 reps one exercise, 10 reps the next and then 10 pull-ups (or chins depending on which one I do)- no breaks between these three exercise, once I complete a full round I have to take a short breather, usually walk over get a drink, gulp some air and then head back for the next round. when I get down to 3 or 4 rounds left, I try to do them all unbroken

as it's done for time, it's possible someone could do the entire thing unbroken- I definitely can NOT

I've been keeping track of time and I am usually right in the 25 minute range, the deadlift/overhead press/chins goes a little quicker (couple of minutes) than the squat/bench/pullup one- my time hasn't improved much, but my 70% of 1 rep max goes up roughly every one month, so while my time hasn't decreased the weight I'm pushing has gone up

I might have to try going back to the weights of 4-5 months ago and see what time is there, I'm guessing quicker now

it is a grueling workout I have to admit, I always am a little sore after lifting, but this high volume workout- I'm really sore!

Thanks,

I think it is a good routine and yes I’m definitely more sore than when doing things my old way.

Hiked a few miles in the hills above Park Ciry yesterday on packed trails. Gonna do some cross-country skiing today.