Cardio for hiking while weight training

[geoffgc]

Hi. Been awhile since I posted here.

I have a cardio question, and yes, I did just read that long thread below.

Im 29, do a 4 day split routine, and normally do about 10 minutes of moderate walking on a treadmill pre-workout every time to warm up. I'm probably 12% bf and obviously still trying to pack on the lbs of lean muscle as always while hopefully gettin that bf down to ~8%.

Anyway, I'm someone that loves to backpack here in the Sierras in California, and since I haven't gone in awhile, I need to get back into shape with some aerobic training like the elliptical.

What do you all suggest for my diet/routine schedule so I can increase my cardio for high altitude hiking, without catabolizing myself down into some skinny granola looking backpacker?

Just bump up cals? Or do you think its more of a case of type/time/schedule of cardio?

...any other backpackers out there? Or sports guys that can keep their muscles ripped while increasing athletic endurance?

:confused:

[gopher]

Since increasing your aerobic endurance is your goal and you are not doing this to cut I would suggest that you increase your calories by about 500 on cardio days and do 3 or 4 cardio sessions per week. If at all possible separate your cardio seesions from your lifting. ie: do cardio on non lifting days or split things up into am/pm sessions. You could try alternating between HIIT and moderate intensity sessions. I would do a 20 minute HIIT session one day and then one or two days later do a 30 minute moderate session without the intervals. This should be more than sufficient to increase your aerobic endurance to a level that will allow you to enjoy hiking without sacraficing your lean mass. Just make sure you increase your calories enough to handle this increased work load.

[Tiare]

:withstupi
I would actually add a bit more to that though in that I would do quite a bit more HIIT since it does mimic what hiking is like and I would actually be consuming carbs while doing my cardio.

When I prep for hunting season, I actually take a backpack with me to the gym loaded with weight and use one of the treadmills that randomly increases and decreases the angle that I'm walking at so I can mimic more closely what I expect I'll be doing when in the field. Of course, I do it when pretty much nobody is in the little gym at my housing complex so I don't look too stupid!

[geoffgc]

Thx for the replies.

oh, and Tiare, I've definitely thought of using my backpack fully loaded to obviously best simulate what I'd be doing, BUT, my gym's fully crowded when I go with knuckleheads and little blond hotties :angel: , so I'd be feelin pretty dumb. I guess I should just do that sort of hiking in my neighborhood.

Speaking of consuming carbs while doing the cardio, any suggestions? I know there are like a gazillion drinks/bars out there.