RMI Expeditions Blog
On The Map
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
A well crafted training plan is one that comprises multiple phases of training. Commonly called Periodized Training, this is the method of dividing your training program into phases in order to focus on different aspects of your training while effectively incorporating the needed rest and recovery. Periodized training is effective because it is a strategic approach to training. If you try to focus on every aspects of your training all at once, you're likely to get injured or burn out. Much like building a house, the foundation must be laid before the walls can be put up and the interior finished. In the same manner, periodized training is focusing on different aspects of your training in a complementary manner, where each phase makes you stronger and more prepared for the next.
Basic Training Phases
Phase 1: Building Base Fitness
Your goal in this phase is to build your overall "base fitness." This entails improving your aerobic endurance, increasing strength and flexibility, and incorporating occasional interval work. This critical training phase focuses primarily on aerobic fitness. Aerobic training increases the amount of oxygen carried to the muscles, lowers the rate at which lactic acid is created and helps the body remove it more effectively, and increases the overall metabolic rate (1). Put simply, you are getting into good overall shape in order to prepare your body for the stresses of more intense and specific mountaineering training.
Phase 2: Introduce Mountaineering Specific Training
This phase focuses on maintaining endurance and aerobic fitness while improving speed and strength by introducing more interval training and mountaineering specific training. Begin incorporating interval sessions into your training to increase your aerobic capacity and and broaden your range of comfort at various effort levels. Make your workouts more mountaineering specific with hikes and climbs with moderate weight in your pack. This phase is beginning to hone your fitness to the demands of mountaineering.
Phase 3: Tailor Training Specifically for the Climb Ahead
In the final phase you are training specifically for the climb ahead. Try and train on terrain similar in steepness and difficulty to the mountain in terms of vertical change, weight in your pack, and length of days. Find training hikes with the vertical change that is similar to the amount of vertical change on your climb. Stack long workout days back to back to mimic the challenges of multi-day climbs. Train and with a pack weight mimicking what you will be carrying on the mountain and incorporate interval sessions to boost your anaerobic threshold. Remember to dramatically dial down your training in the final week or so before the climb. This process, called "tapering", gives you the needed time to rest and recover from your final training push. The last thing you want to do is show up at the base of a mountain exhausted and worn out.
Applying Phased Training
Pull out a calendar and mark down the date of your upcoming climb. You have every day between today and the start of your climb to build your fitness. Divide this time into three phases. Your current fitness level and the amount of time between now and your next climb will determine the length and focus of each phase. As you hone in on your different phases, also reflect back on your past climbs and training to determine what areas of focus (flexibility, balance, speed, etc.) to incorporate into the more mountaineering specific training phases. Find out more about specific training routines with RMI's Mountaineering Fitness and Training resources. We strongly encourage you to work with a trainer or fitness coach to help you map out this process and provided the specific routines and exercises for you.
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(1: "Train Smart This Winter: Base Training Basics", Active.com)
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Be safe team!!! “Hi” to Liz!!!
Posted by: Gina on 9/17/2013 at 5:09 am
Have a great trip! Love you lots.
Posted by: Joan on 9/16/2013 at 6:45 pm
Posted by: Seth Waterfall, Solveig Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
WTFIT!!! yeah!!
Posted by: aferrer on 9/16/2013 at 1:11 pm
Congratulations Sean!
Never had a doubt you wouldn’t reach the summit.
Love,
Stacy & Carter
Posted by: Stacy Ragiel on 9/16/2013 at 9:34 am
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Thanks for taking such good care of everyone. :)
Posted by: Mara on 9/15/2013 at 4:31 pm
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
WOW! Looking forward to your return and the narration of these pictures!
Safe travels home!
Posted by: Tracy O. on 9/15/2013 at 9:23 am
Posted by: Geoff Schellens, Leon Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
March 29th climbers. 2014. Wishing you a safe and fun trip.!! You are rare birds and we are ALL waiting anxiously to hear your adventures. Be safe, be kind, be happy.
Love you all,
Burdee
Posted by: Rosemary -burdee on 3/31/2014 at 8:01 am
One of the finest groups of people that I have ever met. Great job team, proud of all of you!!
Posted by: Rob on 9/17/2013 at 9:30 am
Thanks RMI guides for getting the team safely to the summit! Congratulations Jason and the whole team! We are so PROUD of you Jay for Hiking for the Hungry.
Linda Friedman
Ps.
Would you bring us some snow? We haven’t seen any here in NJ since the 2013-14 winter from hell!
Posted by: Linda Friedman on 9/14/2014 at 9:30 am
Ajaz I am soo sooo proud of you!!!! love you
Posted by: sadaf on 9/15/2013 at 11:49 pm
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Words cannot describe my envy, but so happy at the same time for these experiences for you. Love and miss you (and Gig ‘Em)!
Posted by: Tasha on 9/14/2013 at 7:34 am
WOW. Just like on Wild Kingdom. “Jim, jump down and get that lion”. ( showing my age here). Waiting on giraffe pictures.
Posted by: Tracy O. on 9/13/2013 at 8:44 pm
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Incredible. What an experience…but come home now. Can’t wait to see pictures.
Posted by: Tiff on 9/12/2013 at 4:07 pm
WOW!! What an awesome day! Thanks for putting up the pictures. Can’t wait for the stories..
Posted by: Tracy O. on 9/12/2013 at 3:34 pm
Happy and safe trails. Looking forward to reading about your progress.
Posted by: rachael c lujan on 9/18/2013 at 3:35 pm
Happy and safe climbing. Looking forward to your updates. ABQ Uptown/RS 985 NM/CO
Rachael
Posted by: rachael c lujan on 9/18/2013 at 3:33 pm
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