Casaval's New Baby, The 8 Week Mountaineer
The last program I ran catered to people who were planning on climbing Mt Shasta. It was 12 weeks long and attracted a wide array of athletes. Most of those involved experienced a dramatic gain in fitness and confidence.
The program gave me the chance to fullfill a little dream I've had for a while. It was not only fulfilling it was eye opening. I learned a lot while running that program. I took what I learned and applied it to an even better program, "The 8 Week Mountaineer".
The 8 Week Mountaineer is a training program geared towards mountain people. During the last 12 week program it became obvious that mountaineers are a very diverse group. It includes climbers, backpackers, skiers, foresters, and hunters. This program has a lot to offer anyone who travels on foot in steep and mountainous terrain.
The 8 Week Mountaineer is for:
Backcountry skiers beginning early dry-land training
Mountaineers heading to the Sierras, Cascades, Rockies, and Tetons
Alpine climbers preparing for big late season objectives
Backpackers with long steep trips planned
Eight weeks is not a very long training program and this new program is by no means a short-cut. Many people will have the fitness to begin the program. Some will not. Athletes participating need to be able to move on foot for at least an hour at the time and pass a basic strength assessment.
In this earlier blog post, I wrote about why and how to train for mountaineering. Give it a read for more context but I'll share a few points that I think are valuable to consider when you're training for any uphill mountain sport.
A mountaineer needs an aerobic engine that’s tuned to run for hours at the time. Long and slow distance for the most part. This is the basis of any endurance athlete's abilities. The 8 Week Mountaineer uses MAF based heart rate training so that no time is wasted.
Muscular endurance is a necessary strength atribute for a mountaineer. More than half of a mountaineer's time is spent traveling uphill for extended durations and often under the load of a very heavy backpack. There are some bulletproof methods to train muscular endurance and The 8 Week Mountaineer, has a few options athletes can choose from.
Focused strength training helps you to crush the tasks ahead and resist injury. Without strength work an athlete risks developing deficiencies which could lead to injury. The strength program involved in The 8 Week Mountaineer is specifically designed to support the needs of the participants.
If you think you or someone you know could use this program head on over to the page for more info. https://www.casavalpt.com/the-8-week-mountaineer Check out the FAQs and get in touch to schedule a free assessment.