In today’s age we have no shortage of options. At the click of a button or the flick of a thumb we can browse a near endless array of sources and information on any given topic. In the fitness realm in particular, the availability and accessibility of advice and programming is at an unprecedented level. Whether it’s through Facebook, Instagram or a simple Google search you do not have to look far to find “the” program that professes to help you lose weight, gain muscle or get fit. Unfortunately in many cases, these programs apply primarily to the demands of “gym fitness” and although many claim to have “real world transferability” in reality this is simply not the case. If you’re training for extended trips into the unforgiving and often unknown terrain of the mountains, as they say over at Gym Jones, true fitness not the appearance of fitness is paramount.

And despite the fact that all the technology surrounding us was supposed to make life easier and more efficient, most of us have never been more strapped for time and energy between jobs, family and a life outside of hunting. As we outlined in Expect the Unexpected, it is integral to find a balance between your objectives, your enjoyment and your real life if you are to spend a lifetime enjoying all that the mountains have to offer. The exciting thing about the strength and conditioning world today is there are a growing number of professionals and organizations challenging the status quo and finding more effective ways to get maximal results.

In short, we started asking better questions and with better questions have come better answers.

Mountain Fitness - March 2015 - Feature ImageAs an example, CrossFit and CrossFit Endurance, although polarizing within the fitness community, have challenged the way we approach and program strength and cardiovascular conditioning with surprisingly effective results. But in our opinion both CF and CFE are too gym and endurance specific respectively and therefore have their limitations in regards to true transferability to the mountains. At the other end of the spectrum we have groups like StrongFirst, a company we profiled in this month’s Blazing Trail column that look at strength and conditioning as serving a “greater purpose” in regards to one’s job, sport, or in the case of the military, one’s life.

So before diving headfirst into any sort of program, it is essential to determine the purpose of your training program and doubly essential that whatever program or method you choose both serves your purpose but is also enjoyable and realistic to undertake, whether that be due to your time constraints, injury history or access to training facilities or tools. The perfect plan that does not get implemented is worthless. The imperfect plan that is implemented with consistency will always produce better results.

Below you will find a short self-assessment questionnaire that will only take a few minutes to answer and will help you ask the right questions, drill down to your core purpose for training, and help you set realistic goals and expectations for the year no matter where you are, how much time you have to train and what your life outside of hunting entails.

After you fill out the questionnaire we will send you your individual MTNFIT “profile” with recommendations on how best to approach your training goals this year. Expect your profile within 1 week of submitting the questionnaire.

Adam Janke
Editor in Chief, FMS 1 & 2

Matt Thompson
Field Editor, FMS 1

 

Posted by JOMH Editor