Success stories are fun to hear. Steven Graves, a member of our Lifetime Athlete community, and now a true mountain badass, just got back from an amazing adventure. He checked off a bucket list item at 53 years young, scaling mountains and battling extreme weather in Southeast Alaska. This resulted in him taking a trophy mountain goat at 44 yards…
At this time last year, I did a feature on “Building the Backpacking Athlete,” which included an article, podcast, and video. That information was utilized in a presentation I had the opportunity to give in the Backpacking Light Trail Days Online seminar. This year I’ll be providing another presentation at TDO24. Building on last year’s content, the current edition will…
Today I had the pleasure of visiting with Steve Speck and Mark Huelsing of Exo Mountain Gear. Instead of talking about backpacks and training, we dove into the subjects of mindset, relationships, and life enrichment through shared experiences hunting in the backcountry. This was a great episode. Steve and Mark offered some great perspectives that any Lifetime Athlete will appreciate.…
Whatever your sport or passion pursuit, doing “the thing” is the most-specific activity you can do. But in many situations we don’t get to do said “thing” quite as much as we’d like. That’s when doing exercises that have a high degree of transfer becomes exceptionally useful. Mountain athletes such as hunters, hikers, backpackers, skiers (when boot-packing), and others need…
Tragedy can strike anytime…and when tragedy appears in the backcountry, your attitude and ability to stay level-headed and optimistic is critical. If you are a backcountry hunter, a mountain athlete, or an outdoor adventurer, you are definitely going to want to listen to this episode. But really, any human and Lifetime Athlete needs to hear Matt Josten’s story to appreciate…
In today’s episode I report on some recent elk hunting trips and discuss the finer aspects of training for the sport. If you are a backcountry hunter or a mountain athlete, you’ll find this show interesting. Thanks for joining me today! This podcast was brought to you by The Lifetime Athlete Coaching and Training Services. Our focus is helping you…
To be honest, I don’t love endurance training. My jam in the workout sense is interval training and circuits. To each his/her own of course. But I’m glad I incorporate some endurance training into my conditioning plans. My favorite sport, or pastime – really a passion, is elk hunting. I love almost everything about it. The nature experience. The quest.…
The title says a lot. You can and should train for any sport or activity that is important to you. And you should make your training work over your lifespan — to give you as many years of high performance as possible. I train as a Lifetime Athlete and I train to hunt, among a few other things. I’ve been…
Hey there! I hope your summer is going well. It’s already mid-July and the days are literally flying by. I’ve got a list of items (work assignments, house projects, workouts, trips, etc.) that I’m hustling to check off. I imagine it’s the same for you. As part of the Fit for the Field backcountry hunter conditioning system, this summer I…
As part of the Fit for the Field backcountry hunter conditioning system, this summer I offered the first webinar of what appears (based on its popularity) to be a regular event…the Lifetime Hunter Summit. The FftF program is an online course available now and while it is a great training program for practically any person, at any time of year,…
Fit for the Field is Live! The ultimate conditioning system for the backcountry hunter and mountain athlete is live on the website. Fit for the Field has been upgraded and this online course can be previewed under the Education menu item. Simple, safe, effective, and affordable! FftF is awesome. Registration for this 12-week course is now open. Summer 2022 participants…
In today’s episode I visit with Joseph von Benedikt and we discuss many aspects of backcountry hunting. Joseph is a prolific writer, the host of The Backcountry Hunting Podcast, and one of the foremost authorities on shooting, hunting, and backcountry performance. Joseph and I covered many topics including: Stories of adventures in the backcountry. The adventurer’s mindset. Physical preparation for…
[also available on the Podcast!] Let’s say you are headed into the backcountry. Or maybe it’s an adventure anywhere that gets you on some natural terrain. This could be the mountains, woods, swamps, or even the local recreational trail. Here are some common questions. What kind of shoes should I wear? How can I prepare my feet for the journey?…
This is an interesting story that describes a personal journey…shooting with a recoil-sensitive shoulder. This is Part 1 of perhaps several, and in this episode I discuss how I acquired a shoulder which is now extremely sensitive to recoil and how I’ll progress in my shooting endeavors. If you are a hunter or shooter, you’ll really appreciate this, especially if…
In this third part of the Hunter Performance Series, I’m going to discuss a variety of tactics and strategies that can enhance your effectiveness and enjoyment as a backcountry hunter. Many of these concepts will be useful for any mountain athlete or wilderness traveler. In Part 1 we covered conditioning and in Part 2 our focus was gear. Now we…
In this episode I combine tips and techniques relating to the conditioning and gear we discussed in Parts 1 and 2, while telling a few stories of great adventures in the field. I hope you find this show to be equal parts informative and entertaining! Remember, backcountry hunters are the original athletes, you can and should train for your sport,…
In this episode I have the privilege of discussing the Backpacking Athlete with engineer, data scientist and BackpackingLight.com founder, Ryan Jordan. Ryan and I cover physical preparation, gear, ethics, and life enrichment as it revolves around ultralight backcountry travel. This is an episode you won’t want to miss! This podcast was brought to you by The Lifetime Athlete Coaching and…
One of the great things about being a modern backcountry hunter is all the cool gear we have at our disposal. Of course, the outdoor experience itself is king, but quality gear can make you a more safe, comfortable, and effective backcountry hunter. The athletic mountain hunter benefits greatly from the wise use of technology. This article is not going…
One of the great things about being a modern backcountry hunter is all the cool gear we have at our disposal. Of course, the outdoor experience itself is king, but quality gear can make you more safe, comfortable, and effective as a backcountry hunter. The athletic mountain hunter benefits greatly from the wise use of technology. This episode is not…
The backcountry hunter is the original athlete in human history. A modern mountain (or plains, prairie, woods, canyon, tundra, etc.) athlete can and should train for peak performance in the field. In this episode I discuss some of the conditioning considerations of ultimate hunter performance. These are elements that I use when coaching backcountry hunters for seasons and expeditions, and…
Hunters are the original athletes. Hunting the backcountry is my favorite thing. It is a natural, evolutionarily-appropriate sport in many ways. But in reality, backcountry hunting is much more than an athletic endeavor. It’s a way of life and an amazing source of connection, enrichment, and renewal. This is the first time in many, many years that I’m not heading…
Let’s say you like to get outdoors and do your thing, whatever that may be. Perhaps you consider yourself a mountain athlete…who runs, bikes, climbs and skis in the backcountry. Or maybe you are an avid hunter who pursues game in the hinterlands. You’re a backpacker, a fisherman, or someone who likes to hike to the top of the local…
If you are a hunter or an outdoor athlete who takes his/her sport seriously, Fit for the Field is the Ultimate Training Program for you! This Lifetime Body Program is a time-tested conditioning system that employs biomechanical analysis and specific programming for the ultimate warrior and athlete…the hunter. Ancestral fitness meets modern science in magnificent beastliness! Get more out of…
