12 Week Alpine Fitness Program

Hello everyone! Here's a little training to get you high and deep into those mountain adventures <3.

12 Week Training Program:

Program prepares you for at least 2 days with a heavy pack and 5000ft of elevation gain  each day. This is enough to train for Mt. Reinier, Mt. Blanc and such.

Each workout should start with a 10 minute warm up routine and dynamic stretching. It should end with another stretching session.

Each week  there should be preventive injury exercises added with plenty of stability and activation exercises. (resistance bands, bosu ball, etc…)

Yoga is a good replacement for cardio if you are too exhausted to continue the cardio.

Indoor rock climbing with 20 min cardio can substitute strength training days.

Diet:

Limit alcohol and refined sugar consumption.  

Focus on eating as natural and as balanced as possible. Don’t restrict calorie intake.

Protein powder and recovery supplements are encouraged.

Week No. 1 (9/4-9/10)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

30 min @ 60% Avg MHR Run, Bike, Swim, or other.

1 Set of 10 reps of the following:

Step ups front

Step ups side

Step downs

Push Ups

Crunches

Plank

Mountain climbers

Tuesday

REST

Wednesday

20 min Cardio @ 70% MHR

3 sets of following:

Squats (15)

Step ups front (40)

Step ups side Left and right (40)

Step downs (40)

Push Ups (10)

Crunches (50)

Plank (60 seconds)

Mountain climbers (50)

Thursday

30 min Stairs @ 70% MHR

YOGA

Friday

30 min Cardio @ 70%

3 sets of following:

Squats (15)

Step ups front (40)

Step ups side Left and right (40)

Step downs (40)

Push Ups (10)

Crunches (50)

Plank (60 seconds)

Mountain climbers (50)

Saturday

Mt. Baden-Powell

Elevation: 9,350’

Distance: 8.3 miles

Elev. Gain: 2,620’

Pack Weight: 10-15 lbs

Sunday

REST

Week No. 2 (9/11-9/17)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

30 min Cardio @ 70% Avg MHR Run, Bike, Swim

20 min walk

Tuesday

20 min cardio @ 70% Avg MHR

YOGA

Wednesday

40 min stairs @ 70% Avg MHR

3 sets of following:

Squats (15)

Step ups front (40)

Step ups side Left and right (40)

Step downs (40)

Push Ups (10)

Crunches (50)

Plank (60 seconds)

Mountain climbers (50)

Thursday

30 min Cardio @ 75%MHR

Friday

30 Min cardio @ 60-75% Avg MHR

3 sets of following:

Squats (15)

Step ups front (40)

Step ups side Left and right (40)

Step downs (40)

Push Ups (10)

Crunches (50)

Plank (60 seconds)

Mountain climbers (50)

Saturday

Mt. Wilson

Elevation: 5,710’

Distance: 17 mi

Elev. Gain: 4,200’’

Pack Weight: 15-20 lbs

Sunday

REST

Week No. 3  (9/18-9/24)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

30 min @ 60% Avg MHR Run, Bike, Swim, or other.

YOGA

Tuesday

75 min stairs @ 75% Avg MHR

Wednesday

4 sets of following:

Squats (15)

Step ups front (40)

Step ups side Left and right (40)

Step downs (40)

Push Ups (10)

Crunches (50)

Plank (60 seconds)

Mountain climbers (40)

Thursday

1 hr 15 min of stairs with 15-20 lb pack. Aim for 1800 steps up and 1800 steps down.

Friday

REST

Saturday

Hike 3-5hrs with 15-20lb Pack

Santa Monica Mountains peak. Maybe Sandstone?

Sunday

REST

Week No. 4  (9/25-10/1)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

1 hr 30 min Cardio @ 65% Avg MHRRun, Bike, Swim

Tuesday

REST

Wednesday

4 mile run alternating between 70 MHR and 80MHR every mile. Aim for 10 minute miles or faster.

Thursday

1 hr Cardio @ 75% Avg MHR Run, Bike, Swim

Friday

20 min stairs @ 80% Avg MHR

YOGA

Saturday

Mt Baldy

Elevation: 10,064’

Distance: 10.2 mi

Elev. Gain: 3,900’

Pack Weight: 20-30lbs

Sunday

REST

Week No. 5 (10/2-10/8)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

1 hr Cardio @ 85% Avg MHR Run, Bike, Swim

Tuesday

YOGA

Wednesday

45 min cardio @ 85% MHR run, Bike, Swim

4 sets of following:

Squats (30)

Step ups front (100)

Step ups side Left and right (100)

Step downs (100)

Push Ups (25)

Crunches (100)

Plank (60 seconds hold)

Mountain climbers (70)

Plate pushes

Thursday

1 hr Cardio @ 75% Avg MHR Run, Bike, Swim

Friday

30 min stairs @ 85% Avg MHR

Saturday

San Bernardino Peak

Elevation: 10,649’’

Distance: 16.5 mi

Elev. Gain: 4,702’’

Pack Weight: 25lbs

Sunday

Week No. 6 (10/9-10/15)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

REST

Tuesday

50 min stairs @ 70% Avg MHR

Wednesday

1 hr 15 min Cardio @ 75% MHR Run, Bike, Swim

Thursday

30 min walk

YOGA

Friday

REST

Saturday

San Jacinto Peak

Elevation: 10,834’’

Distance: 11.4 mi

Elev. Gain: 4,690’’

Pack Weight: 35-45lbs

Sunday

REST

Week No. 7 (10/16-10/22)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

YOGA

Tuesday

60 min stairs @ 70% Avg MHR

Wednesday

4 sets of following:

Squats (30)

Step ups front (100)

Step ups side Left and right (100)

Step downs (100)

Push Ups (25)

Crunches (100)

Plank (60 seconds hold)

Mountain climbers (70)

Plate pushes

Thursday

90 min walk

Friday

REST

Saturday

Mt. Whitney

Elevation: 14,505’’

Distance: 22 mi

Elev. Gain: 6,100’’

Class I trail

Sunday

2 mile day hike from camp with day pack. Return to camp and hike out with full pack.

Pack-25-30lbs

Week No. 8 (10/23-10/29)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

REST

Tuesday

60 min Cardio @ 85% Avg MHR

Wednesday

4 sets of following:

Squats (30)

Step ups front (100)

Step ups side Left and right (100)

Step downs (100)

Push Ups (25)

Pull ups (as many as you can do)

Crunches (100)

Plank (60 seconds hold)

Mountain climbers (70)

Thursday

90 min walk

Friday

60 min Cardio @ 85% Avg MHR

Saturday

REST

Sunday

REST

Week No. 9 (10/30-11/5)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

60-80 min Cardio @ 85% Avg MHR

Tuesday

20 min Cardio @ 85% Avg MHR

3 sets of following:

Squats (30)

Step ups front (100)

Step ups side Left and right (100)

Step downs (100)

Push Ups (25)

Pull ups (as many as you can do)

Crunches (100)

Plank (60 seconds hold)

Mountain climbers (70)

Wednesday

REST

Thursday

30 min aerobic activity at 85% MHR.

Friday

6-8 mile run aim for a 10 minute pace.

Saturday

REST

Sunday

45 min cardio at 85% of MHR.

Week No. 10 (11/6-11/12)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

REST

Tuesday

1 hr 45 min Cardio @ 70% MHR Run, Bike, Swim

Wednesday

1 hr 45 min Cardio @ 70% MHR Run, Bike, Swim

Thursday

2- 2.5 hr brisk walk.

Friday

REST

Saturday

Mt. Whitney

Elevation: 14,505’’

Distance: 22 mi

Elev. Gain: 6,100’’

Class 3: Mountaineer’s Route.

Sunday

Mt. Whitney

Pack Weight: 40lbs

Week No. 11  (11/13-11/19)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

30 min walk

REST

Tuesday

REST

Wednesday

45 min Cardio @ 75%MHR Run, Bike, Swim

3 sets of following:

Squats (30)

Step ups front (100)

Step ups side Left and right (100)

Step downs (100)

Push Ups (25)

Pull ups (as many as you can do)

Crunches (100)

Plank (60 seconds hold)

Mountain climbers (70)

Thursday

60 min cardio at 75-85% of MHR

Friday

60 min cardio at 75-85% of MHR

Saturday

90 minute walk

YOGA

Sunday

REST

Week No. 12  (11/19-11/26)

Cardio

Workout

Notes

Monday

90 min cardio at 70-75% MHR run, bike, swim, etc

Tuesday

45 min stairs @ 75% Avg MHR

Wednesday

30 minute walk

REST

Thursday

30 minute walk

REST

Friday

EXPEDITION

Saturday

EXPEDITION

Sunday

EXPEDITION