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hips, thighs, and calves, plus your hamstrings and abdominal muscles. You’ll also need to work your shoulder and chest muscles. These basic exercises will get those muscles in high gear, so add them to your regimen three times a week, beginning 6 to 8 weeks before your trip. Do two or three sets, performing the most repetitions and using the heaviest weights in the first set, then decreasing reps and weight for each following set. LUNGES WITH BICEPS CURLS A: Stand with your feet apart and in line with your hips while holding a weight in each hand with your arms hanging at your sides. B: Step forward with one foot, letting your knee bend when the foot lands. Make sure that when you land, your bent knee remains over your foot, not in front of it. At the same time, flex the opposite arm so that your palm lifts toward your shoulder. Push back to a standing position by straightening your knee and stepping back as you lower your hand. Repeat on the opposite side. SQUATS Stand with your feet apart and in line with your hips. Bend your knees and lower your buttocks, as if you are going to sit on a chair. Keep your back straight, your abs tight, and your knees behind your toes. Squat as low as you can while keeping your torso upright and your heels on the floor. Return to a standing position. Holding a ball behind your head with both hands will help you maintain a straight posture, or push it above your head, toward the ceiling, when you squat. ASSISTED DIPS A: Stand between two chairs with their backs toward you. Put your hands on the backs of the chairs and, moving your feet behind you and bending your knees, balance on your toes. B: Then lower your weight between the chairs by using your chest and arm muscles. If your arms feel stressed, put more weight on your toes. Keep your back upright. Push up with your chest and arms to return to a standing position. STEP-UPS Stand facing a curb or low platform. Step up onto it with your right foot, lifting your left foot off the ground as you straighten your right knee. Place your left foot on the step to finish. Return to the starting position by placing your left foot on the ground, then bringing the right foot down. You can complete the set’s repetitions with the right foot and then switch to the left, or you can alternate sides. For the less fit: Start with two strength-training sessions a week, and use lighter weights or eliminate them. Add a few more repetitions to compensate for less weight. For safety, do squats with a bench or chair in front of you, or use ski or trekking poles to support yourself. For step-ups, choose a very low curb. For assisted dips, let more of your body weight rest on your toes. For the super-fit: Lift more weight or add challenges such as stepping onto a curb with your front foot for lunges or speeding up the reps. Wear a weighted pack. Try unassisted dips by taking your feet off the ground as you lower yourself. Balance Training Imagine gliding along a narrow, ridgeline trail with 60-foot drop-offs, or springing from rock to rock in a river crossing, wearing a heavy pack all the while. Now imagine tumbling down the mountainside or splashing through the river. That’s why you need to work on balance. Here’s the secret: Keep your abdominal muscles tight. Complete a selection of these exercises two or three times a week in as little as 5 minutes total. MULTIDIRECTIONAL LUNGES Do lunges as described for muscle strengthening (see facing page), but without the handheld weights; keep your hands on your hips instead. This time, you’ll step not only forward to lunge, but also to each side (pointing your toes in the direction of the lunge) and backward (lowering your buttocks as if to squat). Try this on a soft surface like a mat, sand, or thick grass; the unstable footing will make your abs work harder. CLOCK LEG REACH Pretend there’s a clock face drawn on the ground and stand at the center of it. Lift one foot off the ground and, without changing the direction you’re facing, point with your toes to all of the hours on the clock. Alternate directions as you get better, pointing first, for example, at the 10, then the 5, then the 2, and finally the 12. Having a partner call numbers randomly to catch you off-guard will increase the difficulty. SINGLE-LEG STANCE WITH CHOP A: Stand on your left leg with your knee slightly bent. Clasp your hands and hold them above your right shoulder. B: Move your clasped hands quickly from right shoulder to left hip. Then change sides, standing on your right leg and moving your clasped hands from your left shoulder to your right hip. You can rotate your torso to the right and left as your balance improves. A B 26 GET OUT MORE! WWW.BACKPACKER.COM 27
BALL TOSS Stand on one foot with your knee slightly bent and face a partner who also is standing on one foot. Toss a ball back and forth, catching it in both hands. For balance novices: Skip the ball toss and don’t add spinal rotation to the single-leg stance with chop. Keep both feet flat on the floor for the clock leg reach and single-leg stance with chop. Stop if you start to feel uncomfortable. For balance pros: Try lifting yourself onto your toes during the leg reach, single-leg stance, and ball toss exercises. Stand on a less firm surface, like foam or sand. Hold a child’s ball, medicine ball, or hand weights. Or, if you aren’t holding anything, flap your arms to try to unbalance yourself. Flexibility Training Whether they’re used to hoist your bear bag or pull you over a boulder, flexible muscles will do the job, without pulling or straining. All hikers, no matter what their level of experience, should stretch at least three times a week at home and daily on the trail. Save your flexibility training for the end of a workout, when your muscles are warm. Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat two to five times. ACHILLES TENDONS/ CALVES (RIGHT) A: Stand facing a wall, and press your hands against the wall so that your arms are straight and at shoulder height. Extend one foot behind you, with your heel on the ground and your toes facing forward. B: Bend your front leg while keeping your back leg straight. Hold. Then, with your front leg still bent, bend your back leg, keeping your heel on the ground (Tip: Move your back foot a little forward). Hold. Relax and repeat on the other side. BACK A B <strong>Get</strong> down on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Inhale slowly, then tuck in your chin, arch your back, and tuck your hips under slightly. Hold. If you’re stretching correctly, your back will be in an asymmetrical arch, like a Halloween cat. Then exhale and relax your back without relaxing your abs; at the same time, lift your chin to look ahead of you (not up) and lift your buttocks slightly. Repeat, moving slowly and carefully. HAMSTRINGS Stand in front of a knee-high, sturdy object. Place the heel of one foot on the object, standing tall and keeping both knees straight. If you feel any discomfort, look for a lower object. Lean your torso forward (not down!) and hold. Switch legs and repeat. QUADRICEPS Stand a foot or two away from and with your back to a chair back or desk. Using your right leg, bend your knee and lift your leg behind you so that you can place the top of your foot on the chair back or desk. Tighten your buttocks and extend your pelvis slightly forward. Hold, then do the same with your left leg. Troubleshooting Move slowly until you know the limits of your comfortable and pain-free range of motion. If something hurts, don’t do it, or modify the routine. Dr. Musnick also advises: If you have knee problems: Stick to flat surfaces and avoid stepping downhill when doing lunges or other stepping exercises. Don’t run downhill or descend stairs as a part of a workout. Both lunges and squats will strengthen the fronts of your thighs and your buttocks, which can help take pressure off your knees. If you have back problems: Avoid rotational movements unless your doctor has approved them. Take extra care not to twist your back if you use a cross-country ski machine. Lift your backpack safely by lowering yourself to one knee to swing the pack onto your back; better yet, have a hiking partner hoist the pack onto your back. Always keep your abdominal muscles tightened for support. Do plenty of balance training to develop strong abs, since they support your back muscles. If you have ankle problems: Strengthen them with one-leg balances, gradually moving to softer surfaces to add to the challenge. If you have shoulder problems: Add strengtheners such as assisted dips, assisted pull-ups (standing on a chair or having a friend support your lower body), and modified push-ups on your knees (supporting your weight on your hands and knees instead of on your hands and toes). 28 GET OUT MORE! WWW.BACKPACKER.COM 29
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Page 6 and 7: 6. Consider your trails. If you pla
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Page 10 and 11: EATING WELL EATING WELL ON THE TRAI
Page 12 and 13: A d v e r t o r i a l The 3-Day, Tw
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Page 18 and 19: ■ Tell your altitude within 30 fe
Page 20 and 21: Stove: Field-repairable stoves, typ
Page 22 and 23: Ultimate Gear List - what to take f
Page 24: PRINCIPLESOF LEAVE NOTRACE 1. PLAN

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