Maintain Leg Strength for Mountains with Home Step Exercises

15/7/2021 At home exercises with box/step-stool?
: Mountaineering
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Publicado por u/CherchezLaVache hace 1 año 
At home exercises with box/step-stool?

I, like most, am more or less stuck at home, unable to access
mountains. In the hopes of being able to return to the mountains as
quick as possible, I want to maintain my leg fitness, so that I can get
right back into more challenging outings without being held back
from being out of shape.
I’m not a gym person nor do I own exercise equipment. I do (did)

some kind of mountain climbing, backpacking, snowshoeing or
   At
hiking nearly
23 ho…weekend so, that was more or less my exercise
every  Cerrar
and fitness training.
I didn’t want to buy any equipment and I don’t have easy access to
stairs. So I was thinking, having seen it recommended, of going with
a box/step-stool, for maintaining leg strength and handling
elevation gain.
For those who use a box/step-stool for exercise, what does that
normally look like?
How high of a step should I aim for?
What pace should I aim for, how long, how often?
Is it just stepping up, both feet, and then stepping back down
backwards, alternating the lead foot?
Is it a 1:1 exercise? What I mean is, If I want to climb 1,000’ in an

hour, do I step up on a 1ft box 1,000x in an hour while wearing a
weighted backpack? If I can do 5-6k’ a day is that the same as 5-6k’
step-ups in a day (disregarding distance traveled, mountain
elevation, etc)?
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cheetofoot · 1año(s)
Don't discount strength + agility. Like, doing lunges, squats,

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mountaineering/comments/ftchgv/at_home_exercises_with_boxstepstool/ 1/20
15/7/2021 At home exercises with box/step-stool? : Mountaineering
g g y g g q
and getting an agility ladder out (even masking tape on the
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floor) and running some drills. I really like amping up cardio
& strength training and then focusing on agility and balance
and mix it up.
I also do step-ups on chairs, too. But, it's just part of my

routine (for me, it's too boring to do solely). I also love a
good wall sit (burn baby burn!)
My usual routine is a 500-750' elevation gain hike (or ski, in

season) 4-6 times a week (timed, so I hoof it), and then
indoor cardio and strength training 2-3 times a week, and an
expedition (of sorts) on any weekend (or weekday,
sometimes) that I can get out. And I must say, working on
strength and agility specifically -- makes me feel a lot more
nimble on an ascent. For me, I can keep doing my hikes, but
if I were you, I'd be coming up with a strength and agility
training routine.
Signed,
Not strictly a mountaineer, but a telemark powder

hound that loves conditioning so he can go enjoy some
solid turns.
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Brantliveson · 1año(s)
Yeah I agree with this. Lunges and squats combined with

box steps is actually a good workout, if they are all
weighted. If you don't have any dumbbells you can just
put some heavy stuff in your pack and strap it on (less for
the lunges and as much weight as the pack will hold for
squats). I'd say a good routine would be 3 times a week -
30 to 60 minutes (but don't take more than 1 minutes
breaks between sets). Also, don't discount upper body
strength, which can be very important in mountaineering
- especially core and back.
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gofastcodehard · 1año(s)
Training for the new alpinism actually uses 1000' gained on

box step ups with a 20% bodyweight pack on as one of their
core assessments of fitness and for training if you don't have
access to good hills/mountains locally.
Height should be about 3/4 of the way up to your knee, no

higher than your knee. For most that's 12-18 inches. I've
been using my yeti cooler for this in my apartment as leaving
been using my yeti cooler for this in my apartment as leaving
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town is not smart right now and most of the trails near
Seattle are closed anyways.
You should aim to do similar gain to what you'd do outside.

That can be easier said than done. A 5,000' day outdoors is
an interesting sufferfest. Done in place on a box it's a very
dull sufferfest. I've been doing about 1,000' and then
running.
Be warned though, it's brutally boring. Get a good movie

going.
Long, easy runs will also go a long way towards keeping your
fitness up.
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CherchezLaVache PO · 1año(s)
yeah, movies, shows, and podcasts, will keep me

marginally entertained doing this. It's not like I have
anything more interesting to be doing at the moment... at
least I can be motivated by the fact it'll get me back to
where I left off when we have some freedom again.
jmkoll · 1año(s)
check out alexia clark - she does at home workouts every day
with minimal to no weight. she also does a 30 or 60 min
variation. lots of box/step things. good for beginner or
advanced. great for cross training
SteepHiker · 1año(s) · editado 1año(s)
I built a plyobox a few years ago, 16, 18, and 24" depending
on the side. Works well, but is brutally boring.
Height- I've seen recommendations for 3/4 the distance from

the floor to your kneecap and that's what I use.
Frequency - 2 or 3x a week. One is about an hour of

threshhold pace intervals unloaded- 5 min slow, 10 min fast.
The other is a long day that approximates the height I'd be
hiking that day with 35lb pack weight.. Before they closed
the trails, I was targeting hikes with a specific elevation gain
every weekend. Now, I target that elevation gain using box
steps. Sometimes I'll throw in a 1000' aerobic pace with no
pack.
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Pace - on the long day, I shoot for 1000' per hour on the 16"
side. This translates to 12.5 steps per min, or, 50 bpm if you
use a metronome at 4/4 time. On the short day, its 68 bpm
slow, 108 bpm fast.
Mechanics- something like, left up, right up, left down, right
down. That's one rep. Then right up, left up, right down, left
down. That's another rep. Don't put your hands on your
knees to assist. Plant your foot firmly on the box and stand
straight up before going down, no half reps here.
Is it 1:1? I dont know. I think it is harder than on an actual

trail. Example, on a nearby trail, if I go at aerobic easy pace
w/ 35 lb pack, it takes me around 2 hrs to climb 2800 ft in 3.4
miles. My average hr is 130 bpm. If I shoot for 2500 ft in 2.5
hrs on the box, my average HR is 150 bpm and I've lost 2 lbs
in sweat and my legs are cramping.
I think stepups are a very good tool if you dont have access
to the real thing or cant get to a trail during the work week. I
use a metronome app which really helps to keep consistent
pacing.
Yeah, it'll likely be pretty boring even at 1hr.

(un)Fortunately the bar for a fun way to pass the time has
been lowered a good bit...
Thanks for the details and specifics, it'll be a good point to

start at and I can adjust accordingly from there.
[deleted] · 1año(s)
I’ve used staircases and hills varying time. My best option is a

slope that’s about 100 feet in gain. That’s closed now. I’ve
been just using the short stairs in front of my house. 40lb
pack. Up and down for 45-90 minutes depending on the day.
Steady pace. Nice and easy. Body weight exercises since I
can’t get to the gym.
The beauty of box steps/stairs is the simplicity. Hope you like

podcasts...
I ditched running because it’s messed my feet up. I love

cycling but due to unfortunate COVID related circumstances,
my bike and I are separated for the indefinite future
my bike and I are separated for the indefinite future...
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Also, check out training for the new Alpinism.
Thanks for the info. The city I live in is completely flat, I

don't even think I could find a 50' hill to climb... Otherwise
an outdoor option would be preferred.
I have more podcasts than I had (until now) time for, so

that'll spare me some boredom.
[deleted] · 1año(s)
Idk about you guys but i find box steps a lot more physically
challenging than hiking. I cant go more than an hour but i
can ascend 4k in 2 hours without breaks
howtojake · 1año(s)
The higher steps could be a greater ratio of strength to

endurance, if box steps are hard it could also mean that
training them will kind of fill in a weak link and could help
a lot
Cougsfan3406 · 1año(s)
I've found that the best exercise for me when Im stuck at

home (sick, weekday, dont feel like going out) is
walking/running up stairs and also doing single leg squats.
The leg squats I feel are ones that really target and build leg
strength while also working on stabilizer muscles too. But I
am interested to read what others do too!
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15/7/2021 At home exercises with box/step-stool?

Publicado por u/CherchezLaVache hace 1 año 

At home exercises with box/step-stool?

I’m not a gym person nor do I own exercise equipment. I do (did)

How high of a step should I aim for?

What pace should I aim for, how long, how often?

Is it a 1:1 exercise? What I mean is, If I want to climb 1,000’ in an

Esta conversación está archivada

Ordenar Por: Mejor

Don't discount strength + agility. Like, doing lunges, squats,

I also do step-ups on chairs, too. But, it's just part of my

My usual routine is a 500-750' elevation gain hike (or ski, in

Not strictly a mountaineer, but a telemark powder

Yeah I agree with this. Lunges and squats combined with

Training for the new alpinism actually uses 1000' gained on

Height should be about 3/4 of the way up to your knee, no

You should aim to do similar gain to what you'd do outside.

Be warned though, it's brutally boring. Get a good movie

yeah, movies, shows, and podcasts, will keep me

SteepHiker · 1año(s) · editado 1año(s)

Height- I've seen recommendations for 3/4 the distance from

Frequency - 2 or 3x a week. One is about an hour of

Is it 1:1? I dont know. I think it is harder than on an actual

Yeah, it'll likely be pretty boring even at 1hr.

Thanks for the details and specifics, it'll be a good point to

I’ve used staircases and hills varying time. My best option is a

The beauty of box steps/stairs is the simplicity. Hope you like

I ditched running because it’s messed my feet up. I love

Thanks for the info. The city I live in is completely flat, I

I have more podcasts than I had (until now) time for, so

The higher steps could be a greater ratio of strength to

I've found that the best exercise for me when Im stuck at

Más publicaciones de la comunidad Mountaineering

Continuar navegando en r/Mountaineering

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