MODULE 3 - PHYSICAL CONDITIONING

CHAPTER 2: GETTING IN "ELKSHAPE"

If Chapter 1 was the motivational fluff, consider Chapter 2 to be the Meat and Potatoes. It’s easy to talk about all the things we need to be doing to be better elk hunters, but it can be difficult sometimes to know where to really start. By the time you make it to the end of this Chapter, you won’t have an excuse not to do something.

I mentioned previously that there are certain activities – and muscle groups associated with those activities – that are important to focus on when training for elk season. Ultimately, hiking long distances and carrying heavy loads sum up an elk hunt. And while throwing on a heavy pack and hitting the hills is a GREAT workout, it isn’t always a regular possibility based upon location and free time.

Let’s throw location and free time out the window for the sake of this discussion. It is completely possible to get in better shape at home in just a few hours per week. If you want to look like a bodybuilder, it’s going to take more time than that obviously, but my goal isn’t to motivate you to live in a gym all week. If you simply want to be healthier and stronger than you currently are, you can do it without a major sacrifice.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO START?

Now. Right now. I have been very active all my life. My parents wisely sheltered me from video games and TV, and it led to me spending every free minute of my childhood roaming the mountains outside my backdoor. I enjoyed sports in high school and college, but even through all of that, I never stepped foot into a gym.

However, once I graduated from college and got a real job sitting at a computer desk all day, things started changing. Not overly fast, but things did change. Fortunately, I was still young enough that I could get out on the weekends and hike hard, and basketball a couple nights a week kept my cardiovascular system running pretty smoothly. Then, I got married.

Don’t get me wrong, getting married to my beautiful, supportive, and understanding wife was – and still is – one of the greatest blessings in my life. But life changes when we get married. My “selfish” free time was somewhat reduced, as was my physical activity. And then we had a baby. And another. And one more. Again, three of my most cherished blessings, but children definitely changed my schedule.

I hit that next elk season as a late-twenties athlete who was still relying on my youthful energies and suddenly thought something was wrong with my lungs. The mountains were suddenly steeper and the air was mysteriously thinner. The next year, I decided I would be prepared. In fact, I hit the gym a full two months before elk season that summer…

How much is enough? That is totally up to you. If you’re doing something to better yourself physically 3 times a week, it’s going to make a huge difference during elk season. And realistically, an hour on those three days is sufficient. It really depends on what you set as your personal goals, but my message is this: DO SOMETHING! And do something that will benefit you as an elk hunter.

‘ELK SHAPE’ WORKOUTS

As I mentioned, each one of us are at different points in our lives, and have different goals and limitations when it comes to Physical Conditioning. I tapped into the fitness minds of several of my good friends and fellow members of the Elk101.com Pro Staff, and have come up with several different workout programs that they recommend to get you into ‘ELK SHAPE’. If you don’t currently have a program that you are implementing, you can choose one of these, or combine them into a workout that you like.

In a nutshell, the following workout programs will help you work on the key areas of fitness for elk hunting, and improve your endurance, strength, and cardio.

For the first video, I tapped into the fitness minds of my good friends Brian Call and Anthony Spencer. In the video below, Brian and Anthony share a very basic, free-weight/body-weight program that focuses on simple lifts aimed at increasing the strength and mobility of your muscles, tendons, and joints.

The second video below details a higher energy, cross-fit style workout that my good buddies – and twin brothers – Mark and Jeff Skousen utilize to maintain their year-round conditioning. Their program incorporates cardio into the exercises, and mixes things up to keep you from burning out or getting bored. Be sure to check out their supplemental video at the end showing several additional cardio and alternate exercises you can mix into your workout.

The third workout is an awesome home-based workout that allows you to utilize equipment you already have to get a full body workout that will make you “mountain strong”. I teamed up with one of the most successful bowhunters I know, Russ Meyer, and followed him through one of his backpack workouts.

Again, these videos and workouts aren’t designed to work for everyone, but if you need some inspiration and direction, you have some excellent choices here. Brian, Anthony, Mark, Jeff, and Russ all take their physical conditioning for elk season very seriously. I am confident that if you apply any of these programs, you will be a better prepared elk hunter this fall. Personally, I have adapted my own workout using pieces from each of these workouts, and couldn’t be happier with the results. Pay particular attention to the 4 core lifts that are used in both of the first 2 videos – overhead presses, squats, dead lifts, and pull-ups. My back and core have never been stronger!

SUPPLEMENT YOUR EFFORTS

It is true that much of my motivation to begin working out several years ago revolved around my desire to continue eating a bowl of ice cream each night. A good workout and bowl of ice cream seemed to keep me in a well-balanced routine. However, when a good friend suggested counting my protein/carb/fat intake and adjusting my diet as needed, I noticed immediate improvements and gains in my efforts, albeit at the sacrifice of nightly ice cream.

In addition to putting good food into my body, I’ve also noticed serious improvements and gains by utilizing supplements. I’m not talking about steroids or anything like that. What I’m talking about are healthy, natural supplements that support your activities and assist your body’s natural abilities to improve.

I think it’s safe to say that no one wants to waste time preparing for elk hunting. We all want to be as efficient and as effective as possible, both before and during elk season. When it comes to elk hunting fitness, there are a couple of things you can do to maximize the efforts you are putting into your conditioning.

First, eat clean. Your body needs certain nutrients to operate at a high level. Processed foods, refined sugars, etc., impede your body’s ability to function, and will minimize the efforts you put into getting ready for elk season. Stay away from bad foods as much as possible, and eat good, healthy, whole foods (protein, vegetables, nuts, etc.) that don’t have labels filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Secondly, replenish your body with the fuels it’s expending when you work out. As you push your body, it uses fuel, and you will likely need to supplement those fuels to make sure your body can keep up with your level of conditioning.

PUT IT TO THE TEST

Similar to what I discussed in the Scouting Module, the best laid plans are only valuable if they are actually work in the field. You should find ways to put your Physical Conditioning to a simulate test a few times well in advance of elk season. i've found a handful of ways to evaluate where I am and spend some quality time doing things slightly more enjoyable than hanging out in the gym.  

First, shoot your bow or rifle. Proficiency with your weapon will be a large part of your recipe for success. Go for a run, or jog back and forth between the target and your weapon, or do some burpees in between shots. You’ll get your heartrate up and be able to better simulate a real shot experience, which usually involves a sudden jolt of adrenaline and shortness of breath.

Bivy trips are great as they not only test your physical conditioning, but also give you a chance to prove your gear. In both cases, it’s a great way to evaluate where your weaknesses are, and then work to improve those weaknesses over the next several weeks. If you can combine these trips with Scouting, even better!

SUMMARY

Physical Conditioning is one of the elements of Elk Hunting that could realistically be a full course all by itself. Getting in – and staying in – shape will bring benefits and satisfaction into your life well beyond elk hunting, and the fitness market is exploding right now as more and more people are realizing those benefits. And, while I fully agree that you don’t have to be in shape to kill elk, I would absolutely argue that you are a better elk hunter when you are in shape than you are when you aren’t in shape.

The advantages of maintaining a higher level of physical conditioning are far reaching, and will assist the efforts you make in other areas as well. You don’t have to be a world-class athlete or gym rat to be a better elk hunter, and if spending hours upon hours in the gym isn’t for you, I get it. But do something! The investment you make in your physical conditioning right now is going to pay off in huge ways in elk season. Set a goal to be in better shape in September than you are in right now, and then go and conquer.

OK, it’s time to switch gears and go from motivational to mechanical.

Click ‘Next Module’ Below to Continue to Module 4: Elk Hunting Gear