Whitetail Workout

[Rackaddict]

I'm curious to know how many of you have an exercise program as part of your preparation for the hunting season.

I know we all shoot our bows to death during the off season in order to be ready when the opportunity presents itself. I discovered a few years ago that a good cardio workout with some weight training was one of the most important things to do before a trip out west. The benefits of it were also felt during the Whitetail season.

I have a very sedentary job and I've had a bodacious gut my whole life. I fight it constantly. Many years I've found myself huffing and puffing on the way to the stand and when I got there I had a hard time getting up the tree.

In the past 10 years I've managed to lose 60 lbs. and it has made a huge difference in my hunting. I bike some, walk some and even jog some. I hate, and I mean hate to jog, but I do it for the cardio workout. I have a dumbbell set that I use moderately and should use more, that helps with drawing and holding the bow as well as the tree climbing. I find it easier to workout if I tell myself it will make me a better hunter. The older I get I see it as a much more important issue. If your under 25, you won't understand what I'm talking about, but you will in a few years.

I'm curious to know if you do some kind of workout to prepare for your hunting, and if so what do you do?

 

[alaskanwhtail]

Run and exercise, does the trick for me,

 

[Ogz]

Good question Rack. I USED to be a running fool, 40-60 miles a week, before beer and chasing women got in the way. Some several years and waist sizes later, I realized how much more enjoyable it used to be in the woods. Getting to that out of the way stand without huffing and puffing and having sweat dripping off my head made it a lot more fun. I've since dropped 35 pounds and started running again, although not like I used to, and it's helping. I'm steadier when I shoot, and shed hunting went much better than in the past. It doesn't take much to make a noticable difference.

 

[ironwood]

I completely agree with the statement, the older you get the more important it is to exercise. I have had more and more trouble with knees, back, arms and neck. At some point in life men start to loose muscle mass. If you do not add weight training of some kind to your workout you'll not be able to counter the loss. We age like it or not.

I like jogging but have had trouble with knees of last and I think we'll try one of those modern ecliptic trainers, or what ever they're called. Zero impact. I can do that with a hunting video on.

 

[Kat]

I’ve always worked out because I like how I look and feel when I do, but unlike most of you guys I HAVE to work out in order to be strong enough to bowhunt deer. Plus it helps with walking up and down the loess hill terrain where I hunt. I weight train and hike but I also just started doing this combat endurance training where after 15 minutes of brisk walking you run as fast as you can for 90 seconds then walk for 90 seconds, run 90 walk 90 etc for 4 times then walk 5 minutes. That’s for the first two weeks. It goes like this:

Phase 1:
Weeks 1 & 2: 4 X 90 seconds work + 90 seconds recovery.
Weeks 3 & 4: 5 X 60 seconds work + 60 seconds recovery.

Phase 2:
Weeks 1 & 2: 6 X 45 seconds work + 30 seconds recovery.
Weeks 3 & 4: 7 X 30 Seconds work + 20 seconds recovery.

Phase 3:
Weeks 1 & 2: 8 X 20 seconds work + 10 seconds recovery.
Weeks 3 & 4: 10 X 20 seconds work + 10 seconds recovery.

I’m still on phase one, but I already notice a difference.

 

[Bingo529]

Well Kat,we all like how you look too,but just reading that workout made me tired.I work with a guy who went on a moose hunt last year and didn't prepare for it and said he about killed over and this Sept. he is going on a grizzly hunt and has dropped some weight and been working on his cardio for it.Even if you just got out and walked every night to get the blood pumping good it would help with the walking during deer season.For me it is not the walk,but the dragging out if you have to that makes you realize how bad of shape you are in....

 

[bushman]

I've elk hunted in Montana for the last few years and you want a work out try hiking at 10,000 feet with a pack and gun. Anyway I ussually train by walking with a pack and have hear that you should carry a piece of pipe to simulate a rifle. I just quit smoking, maybe that will halp this year to.

 

[Kat]

I also forgot to add that you're supposed to do that training routine 3 - 5 times a week.
Dragging deer is killer, even though I always get help (that's hubbys job.) I got lucky last year beause two of my three deer died in the field where we could drive right up to them.

 

[sddietz]

Treadmill in front of a t.v. with the outdoor channel on works for me. I try to lift throughout the year, the older I get the more I realize how important stretching is before and after a work out! I found doing some crunches really help also, a strong midsection and stretching relieves back problems.

 

[simplesimon]

I don't do any thing fancy or complex. I try to run 12-14 miles a week. Noticed a big difference this past season getting up and down the huge ridges here in TN. Thats makes a big difference for me and helps make the hunt more enjoyable not being dead by the time you get to your treestand or destination that you plan on hunting.

 

[Bowhunt]

I lift weights 3 to 4 times a week and run about another three year around. I can tell you that it is a great help when hunting. I like to be able to climb a hill without getting out of breath and also not having to fight hard breathing when trying to make a shot after walking and those are the ways cardio helps me out. As far as weight training goes, I can draw a higher weight with my bow and most importantly when climbing into my stand I do not feel muscles getting fatigued which could cause a fall or a mistake from being tired. Those are the way that working out helps me out in the woods.

 

[River1]

I have to stay in shape for work, but really do it just for how good I feel when I'm fit. More energy, ambition, overall just feel great. My usual workout is just running every other day. 5k is my goal, usually don't go any further than that. We just got a "Versa Climber" at work, wow that thing will give you an incredible cardio workout.

I guess I don't work to hard at it, but it sure makes a difference in how I feel day to day. I know it helps me be a better hunter. Hanging stands and scouting can wear a guy out.