Why should you train?

The reasons are numerous, as doing things like adding resistance and strength workouts into your training will benefit all your hillwalks, but here are a few of the main ones.

1 Expand strength reserves

Your strength reserve is the difference between the maximum force you can exert and the amount of force needed to complete a task, eg: If on a scale of 1-10 (min-max), it takes you a 6 to walk up a flight of stairs, then your strength reserve is 4. With training we can reduce each step up to a 2 or a 3, so you can go for longer, go faster, or carry heavier loads.

2 Get muscles on board

In basic terms, strength training helps make your muscle fibres more effective. Better neurological pathways are formed, so each movement you make becomes much more efficient.

3 Prevent injury

A combination of factors 1 and 2 (increased capability and more efficient muscles), plus the increased bone density, tissue and fascia strength you will gain through training, means that you are less prone to injury.

4 Safe environment

You will get strong by hiking in the hills, but you can fast-track your way to this strength in the gym or at home, all without having to put your body through the same rigors as it would endure in a full day on the hill – such as impact through the knees, possible sprains etc.

5 Convenience

Getting yourself into the swing of training at home or the gym will not only bolster your fitness for when you do get out on the hill, but it also gives you an option for when you can’t get to the hills. Or when your hill day may get called off due to things like poor weather.

6 Targeted improvements

Training provides the ideal opportunity for you to identify and improve any weaknesses, as well as level out any imbalances you may have in your body.