"The Pugilist," --how i'm getting into 'trail shape.'

As I was sitting on my couch watching the yanks , stretching my sore muscles, it occurred to me that I hadn't posted anything about the physical training I'm doing to prepare for this hike. Being in good physical shape for the challenges I'll likely encounter will be a large factor in how successful/enjoyable/safe this trip will be. Almost as important as good beta, gear and skills in my opinion. And, as we know, I have the luxury of spending 2-3 hrs a day at the gym, so... In past years, I've followed a general conditioning plan that I usually start in early March, which has always served to get me into acceptable trail shape for late April/May. That routine consisted of 3-5 days/wk of cardio (40-60min), and some basic core work. This always sufficed for my 3 day hikes in the spring, and by my annual July week-long backpack, I was in fine shape. Obviously, for this trip, I knew I couldn't follow this plan, then hit the trail head in Colorado and expect to climb 14,400' Long's Peak 5 days into the trip. So I began gathering information; researching training programs designed for hiking/mountaineering as well as general fitness plans. Once again, Backpacker magazine was a great resource; usually once or twice a year they run a good feature with advice/exercises/programs from a trainer who teaches hiking fitness. The May '08 and Oct '05 issues in particular had excellent articles.
In very broad terms, a good training program will incorporate each of the following; cardio, balance/joint strengthening, core exercise, and strength training. The exact composition of a good, personalized program will be determined by a few factors. These factors can be grouped into the following; your base level of fitness and expected backcountry conditions.
I'll go over what I considered in developing my program to illustrate.

Base Level of Fitness

Cardio--I had done a couple of winter hikes in Jan and Feb, and had been getting about 90 min of cardio a week. Typical winter... Not couch potato, but nowhere near peak.
Strength--I rarely do any upper body strength training. For my lower body, i rely on resistance while I do my cardio. My body type puts on and retains muscle easily, so I'm fortunate in that regard. Years of football, rugby, and hiking build my legs well, and I've got average upper body strength.
Balance/Joint--This is an area that I knew would require special attention. In addition to just being plain clumsy and off-balance, I'm prone to low ankle sprains, and I've had 4 knee surgeries. So yeah, I wanted to work on balance, coordination, and joint strengthening in a big way...
Core--I despise sit-ups, crunches, etc. Anyone who claims to enjoy core work is lying or a masochist. So I knew that i needed some work here.


Expected Backcountry Conditions
Cardio--Steep elevation gain/loss, rigorous planned daily mileage, and substantial overall trip length. Plus the added demands of altitude; 4 of my hikes go to peaks above 10,000' and in Colorado, I've planned four summits above 14,000'. So I knew I needed to be in incredible condition to haul my sea level self up to elevation and perform there with up to 33% less than my customary level of oxygen.
Strength--Bouldering, scrambling, and expected use of ice axe make upper body strength training a concern.
Balance/Joint--Above-treeline boulder and talus fields require demands on balance that I'm unaccustomed to, though in my experience on-trail travel out West is less demanding on the ankles and knees than the root and blue slate strewn trails of the Catskills.
Core--Again, boulder and talus fields make extraordinary demands on the stabilizing muscles of the core, with trying to keep a 50-60 lb pack centered while scrambling.

My Plan
Cardio--Based on the information above, I want to be in the best cardio shape possible when i hit the trail. Nothing beats just plain hiking to get into trail shape. However, there's not much elevation gain in Prospect Park, so I look to gym exercises that replicate the hiking motion. Treadmill--ok for getting the heart rate into the training zone, but not much in the way of incline, which you'll need to train the "climbing muscles." Ellipticals--very good, especially those that offer a steep incline and/or engage the arms (to train the muscles that make hiking poles effective.)
Stairmaster--very good, to train the "climbing muscles" in particular. If you have one at your gym, nothing beats the Summit Trainer by LifeCycle. Hard to describe, other than as a cross between a Stairmaster and an Elliptical w/arms. It's the only machine that comes close a working the same muscles that hiking and gaining elevation does.
Every 10 days I try to do the following:
3--hour long "hikes" on the Summit Trainer, on which I go all out. I try to "hike" 6 miles and "gain" 6,000,' increasing resistance as soon as I'm able to do that. Compressing this workout into a short time is one way to prepare your body for the number of steps in a hiking day. I'll soon be pushing this up to 75, then 90, minutes.
2--45 min varied inclination courses on the elliptical. The varied inclination is a good cross-train. I'll be looking to increase to 60, then 75, min.
2--45 min interval courses on the stairmaster. Again, looking to increase to 60, then 75, min. Adding the interval courses to my workouts has really helped build stamina. The research backs it up, too; by exerting 100% effort for an interval of a minute or so, followed by an equal interval of recovery before repeating, you boost your cardiovascular capacity. What it translates to on the trail is the ability to catch your breath after cresting a steep climb without stopping; as soon as your exertion drops, so does your heart rate, enabling you to keep going and recover simultaneously.
If you're curious about a good way to measure conditioning, I have one, but it involves calculations and such. I'd be happy to provide details to any interested party.
Strength--Because of the specific conditions i expect (e.g. bouldering,) as well as the desire to get my upper body to share more of the burden via my hiking poles, I've begun doing chin-ups, pull-ups, dips, shoulder raises, and chest dips once every 3-4 days. These are all done using, at the most, one's own body weight. For chin-ups, pull-ups, and dips, some gyms have machines that assist, as few (save pro athletes and military personnel) can do more than 12-15 reps of these exercises. I don't really believe in weight training for hiking. For the most part, weight training is designed to isolate muscles in a controlled, specific motion. Whereas the exercises described above engage lots of secondary, stabilizing muscles as an added benefit. I also believe that using your own body as resistance improves coordination and improves awareness of your body in space. It is important to maintain proper form when doing these exercises. If you can't maintain form, take a break, and continue. Soon, you'll be able to maintain form for more and more reps.
Balance/Joint--To meet the demands of the trail and to lessen the chances of ankle/knee problems, I've begun a program that incorporates a medicine ball on balance boards as well as a range of exercises that I culled from different sources, but again, I would highly recommend Backpacker issues mentioned above. Descriptions of these would be way too much here, but if anyone wants more info, please leave a post.
Core--Saving the best for last, of course. In a nutshell; crunches, bicycle and regular, 3 sets of 30 each, hanging leg raises, 3 sets of 30, oblique and back work on the roman chair, 3 sets of 30 to each oblique and the back, and work with a 6kg medicine ball on my back, replicating a crunch motion. As in the above strength exercises, good form is crucial. If you can't maintain form, take a break, and continue.
I've never worked my core like this before, and I have to say, I hiked last weekend, and the difference in my hips and posture was noticeable.
Some other things to consider:
Stretching--I have a 10 minute stretch routine that I do every day. Again, not something I can get into here, but there's plenty of good info out there. 2 good rules; don't bounce in your stretching, and don't over-stretch. Just to the point of initial discomfort, not past. If you gain no flexibility in a week, go a little further. During an impromptu split on a talus field, good flexibility can mean the difference between a graceful recovery and a pulled (or worse) groin.
Cross-training & Active Rest--Now that the weather is a little nicer, I get out up to CT when possible to canoe, and failing that, I may take a 3-4 mi walk around Brooklyn when I need a day of active rest. Because, really, it's all about getting out there.
And of course, hike whenever possible; just a little 13 mile jaunt this weekend, and I already saw an improvement at the gym today. Nothing like getting out there with the pack on...