Thanks Tom -- yeah it took us a few years and a few injuries to learn what you already know, which is that functional core strength is everything! ❤️

Thank you -- that's a perfect summary!

Thanks Mugdha! We hope these will be helpful!! ❤️

Yes, you are totally right! Of course we still do lots of running and biking too, but really rely on the weight training when it comes to carrying heavy packs up steep hills! ❤️

It's our pleasure, Lance! We love trading workout tips with like-minded folks!! ❤

Steve we are STOKED to hear that!!! Remember to do them nice and slow both on the way down and on the way up -- that slow, strong pull is what you need up there on the mountain, and after a few weeks doing those your back will be jacked!!

Thanks Todd, happy Thursday! Ya we're definitely going to be hitting the gym harder the next couple of months because some of the mountaineering we want to do in early spring is going to require carrying a lot of gear!

Absolutely! It's a total classic -- glad to hear you're rocking it. Now you gotta try that two-minute pushup! ❤️

Wow watching while weight training! How cool is that? We’re so happy you like these vids because we really enjoy making them and would love to be able to incorporate them more. And 200 mile trips? That is so fierce, now we’ve got to get on your level! 🙌🏻

So happy to hear that, Nakia! Focusing on those things is going to take your hiking to the next level for sure. One that we didn't include here but really love for winter hiking training is walking lunges with weight -- great preparation for snowshoeing or walking in crampons through snow. Sounds like the kind of thing you might already be doing in your peak conditioning class, but if not try adding it in -- it will definitely work well with the other stuff you're doing. ❤️

Thanks guys! Wow that is so cool that you're training in AZ -- right there with Lionel Sanders and lots of other amazing triathletes! We've been doing a bit of swimming and biking here and there just as a cross train -- thinking of just making our own 70.3 and trying it just for the heck of it one weekend this winter. Will probably get crushed, but you know we like to suffer. Hope your training goes well and please keep us updated!!

Thank you! We've definitely been grateful for that weight training at various times over the years. Most especially when Adam had to carry Elise up part of North Kaibab trail -- those deadlifts really came in handy!!! ❤️

Awesome! Well we hope this inspires you to get into the gym at least a little -- it's a great way to stay fit during the week, and really does help your performance in the mountains as well! ❤️

Nothing like your splat points pops!

Hahaha you're probably right about that, but they should consider it a wake-up call to come up and join us! 😂

We're so happy to hear that! Just take it slow and careful as you build up your strength, and you're going to love what it does for your hiking abilities!! ❤️

Thanks so much, Steve -- that's the fuel we need to keep us going! Hope the workout is helpful for you!! ❤️

Thanks Larry! So glad you're enjoying the site, and hope the workout advice will be helpful! ❤️

Wait Arielle, you're pretty darn strong especially for being so light. I'm going to bet you can get pretty close to a 2-minute pushup yourself. Let us know!! --A

So happy to hear that -- we LOVE being useful!!❤️

Thanks Christian! We hope some of these exercises will be helpful for you! ❤️

That's all we need to hear to keep us going! Love the idea that you're getting stoked watching it. Now you gotta try the 1 or 2-minute pushup! ❤️

Thank you so much! Wow, 50 miles is a crazy and inspiring goal. We dream of doing that as well one day. Hope your training goes well and that you crush it -- and please let us know how it goes!! ❤

Thanks Nigel! Those long timed pushups are really becoming a staple -- so good for core and upper body strength and stability! ❤️

Heck yes, Neil! A lot of times the old school exercises really are the best, and we totally love them. The one thing we do differently than the old-school guys is go slower on a lot of exercises -- there's so much data now that says slower is better both for joint health and also for muscle building, so we try to incorporate slow-reps whenever we can. But yeah, that time does go by slow when you're 1:30 into a 2-minute pushup!!!

Thanks Paul! Those are great suggestions for additional exercises -- in fact, we just did 3 BRUTAL sets of weighted lunges today. Will prob be sore tomorrow! ❤️

Thanks Charles! We definitely try to stay fit, especially for the big adventures when we're miles from any help -- it's so important to have strength, agility, and endurance in order not just to reach the goal but also to get all the way back safely! ❤️

Glad you liked it, Carol -- hope it's helpful!! ❤️

Thanks so much, April! Yes we will be delighted to do a Q and A, and have even been talking about what form it should take. Like, should we announce it and give people a couple of weeks to send in questions and then answer them in a video, or should we try to do a live version (but then it would be awkward if not that many people could tune in at the time with questions!). But we will def do some kind of Q and A format for sure.

@@LiveHardxLoveHard if you put it out there on your KZfaq community tab it should pop up on subscribers feed just like a video would and that would give you a central location to check back for the questions. Or of course on Instagram!

Yes! This is the perfect time to start training for it. And you're right to be incorporating strength because backpacking that far (and with that much vertical gain and loss) is going to require power as well as endurance. Seriously excited to hear how it goes!! ❤️

Our pleasure, Marc! Hope it is useful!!❤️

That's awesome -- we did much the same as you w/ Corona, and have really come to enjoy watching other people's workout ideas on KZfaq and then incorporating some of them into our own routines. MTN biking is fabulous, and must give the dogs a good run!!

Haha well there are all different kinds of views, but these exercises should help with access to all of them 😂

Thanks Debbie! It was an enjoyable one to make, just bringing the camera to the gym on a regular workout day and having some fun with it. ❤️

Haha love it! Lifting the right way has been critical to the success of some of our recent adventures, especially the El Cap traverse in the snow which required a ton of leg and core strength. Hope you'll enjoy some of the past adventures -- and lots more coming up this season!! ❤️

That sounds like a great program, Michele! Looking forward to doing some running ourselves in Italy this summer!! ❤️

@@LiveHardxLoveHard I remember 😄 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hptzqMuZtM_Tcqs.html

Our pleasure, Carlos! Hope it will be useful!! ❤️

You're so, so right about how often people just go for the number of reps, like checking off a list. It's really much better to go slowly and by feel, and there's no better way to learn that than trying a 1 or 2 minute push-up. It will get you ripped! We don't do a ton of weightlifting these days outside of the ones you see here and in our outdoor training video, and no weight belts because we mostly prefer body weight exercises (Adam's arms come mostly from dips and pull-ups, for example).

Yes Anna! So happy to hear you are doing weight training. It is really essential not just for increasing hiking and climbing ability, but also for preventing injury in the case of slips and falls or awkward movements. It strengthens not just muscles, but ligaments and other connections too, and all are so important to maintaining full health. Love thinking about you hitting the gym as well as the trails! ❤️

Haha go get it Phyllis! We're betting you've got a 1-minute pushup in you! ❤️

Fantastic! Congratulations!! Hope you will add that in as a part of your routine at least once or twice a month -- it's a great way to switch up the challenge on those upper body muscles. ❤

Absolutely. The nutrition video is coming soon!

Great questions, Peter! So assuming we do a longer hike or run on the weekend, our week will usually include 3 weight training days and 3-4 walks or runs, depending on our recovery and what we're training for. For example, if we just did a 26 mile sufferfest on Sunday and have another one coming up the following Saturday, we might not run at all during the week. Instead, we would just take a few 3-5 mile walks for active recovery and light cardio maintenance in between the big efforts. On the other hand, if we did just a lighter hike on the weekend then it is likely we would do at least 2 trail runs or hard hilly bike rides during the week to maintain a high level of cardio fitness. And for the weight training, we generally try to hit each body part at least once a week, and divide up the workouts accordingly.

Wow you are on it! 😂 Hope it's helpful!

Thanks Luis -- they've definitely helped our climbing performance, and we hope they'll be useful for you too! ❤️

@@LiveHardxLoveHard Yes very helpful thank you so much

Haha stability for sure, Ed! And when it comes to the really sketchy slab climbing, we've become big fans of approach shoes too -- getting that little be of extra grip has proved invaluable a few times recently. ❤️

Thanks Petr!! It's definitely weight training season for us, because we've got some adventures coming up in the spring where we'll need to carry some heavy gear! ❤️

That's a good question, Don. I've always been pretty slender around the calves and also above the knee area, which makes my legs look almost undertrained when I'm wearing shorts. My upper thighs, where most of my climbing and jumping power comes from, are more muscled, but it would be hard to see unless I worked out in underwear-type shorts -- and no one wants to see that! 😂 You can prob see the difference between upper and lower thighs in the videos where I'm just wearing running tights. But as for increasing leg size, it's ultimately it's really about what you're training for. If you want to add more muscle to legs the best thing to do would prob be heavy squats and deadlifts. I bet some heavy squats with multiple sets in the 6-8 rep range would bulk your legs up a bit. But if you're into training for marathon-length stuff like we do, you really don't want size. You want strength with lightness, so might just have to accept that your legs will be a bit thinner looking. But that's okay, you'll still look great standing on those summits while the heavy legged guys are turning around from exhaustion!

I just had that same experience going back into a gym after 6 weeks traveling and mountaineering. Lost some serious muscle in the upper body, but it'll come back for both of us. --A

This is a great idea, Manoj! So many of us have a hard time descending. We will research this issue and see what we can find, plus incorporate a couple of things that we already do, and try to make a video around this idea in the winter! ❤

@@LiveHardxLoveHard awesome thanks!

Wow Teddie no wonder you’ve been able to crush so many intensely challenging hikes in such a short time! A lot of people assume doing long hard hikes just requires tons of cardio training, but we’ve found that we definitely see better results when we incorporate a good amount of strength training too. Now you’ve got to try that one minute push up! 😜

@@LiveHardxLoveHard challenge accepted! 😁 I did 1 min, but it took everything I had! 🥵 I'll throw these in at the end of my workouts and work towards spending more time hovering at the bottom of the pushup. 🙂 I 100% agree with you, I'm only able to hike this much thanks to resistance training, so I'm a believer in your method!

@@6MTGirl Teddie way to rock the 1-minute push up! That was Elise who challenged you to do it -- I would have told you to go for two, because you're super strong! --A

@@LiveHardxLoveHard I just love you guys! 😁 1 min was plenty! Tall people problems that I'm sure you can relate to - long levers, lots of weight to push up or pull up and we have to work extra hard. But we're lucky because height comes in so handy when you need the reach! 🙂

@@6MTGirl Haha for sure -- but I still bet you could get to two with a few weeks or training if you wanted to!

Ya John!! We're all about the long push ups now. Now that Adam did the 2 minute he says he's going to work on trying for 3!!!! ❤️

Just did it Omygoodness burning abs

1:30 seconds Omygoodness very challenging

@@justrione Freaking awesome, John!!! You'll be sore tomorrow but it's gonna feel good!!! 💪❤

@@justrione Whoa 1:30 your first time? You're a beast!!!! Seriously impressed!

You sure do. Those are all great for hiking and climbing. And one-arm chin-ups are badass!!! Not many people can do that, especially for multiple reps. 💪

@@LiveHardxLoveHard I figure if I'm in a situation where I need to lift myself up with 1 arm, I don't want to be relying on adrenaline. I've recently switched to mostly stretching as my lower back is always in pain.

Haha that's ok it made us feel overweight too -- that pic was taken during a summer trail running trip. Now that we're in the middle of winter mountaineering season we're def carrying a bit more fluff to protect us from the cold! 😂

Heck yeah, Thomas! The hex bar is where it's at. I refused to even do dead lifts due to back concerns until discovering the hex bar, and now it's my favorite exercise! --A

Thanks Michele! We're hoping to be over there in the Italian Alps and Dolomites this July!! ❤️

@@LiveHardxLoveHard Remember: Val Gardena and Val Badia! Mandatory!😍

@@micheleferrelli8603 Thank you!

Yes that belief is SO common among women! But it's a total myth, and as you say E is a good example. That is a yes to the watch -- it's an Explorer II, the same model Edmund Hilary wore up Everest, and I wear it always -- but a no to the shirtless. I just do that for the benefit of the video so you guys can see the form perfectly.

@@LiveHardxLoveHard Working out with a $15K watch on is alpha AF!!

@@LosZetasUno Haha wait til you see that thing dangling off some Alps this summer!

So glad you found them helpful! Ever since Covid started we've been really benefiting from seeing other people's weight training workouts on KZfaq, so figured it's only right we pay it forward and share what we know about our own little workout domain. ❤️

Love it!!! How awesome that you're leading your colleagues in workouts -- that must make for some fun workplace conversation!

That's what we love to hear, Christine!!! If we can inspire a kick-butt workout then the whole enterprise feels worth doing. My body fat might be a bit higher than you'd think. Typically it's between about 5 and 8%, and I'd guess closer to about 8% right now. Part of the reason for that is that we do such long endurance adventures that we need a higher-carb diet and a slightly higher BF percentage for energy storage. If I ever wanted to be really ripped, I would cut carbs and focus on lifting heavier weights with less cardio. But for peak performance in the kind of adventures we do, 8% is probably a good target number for most guys (it would be higher for women because of the different body composition).

Yes Thaddee, the one-leg deadlift is good for ankles, and so too are ultra-slow calf raises, where you push up slow and then come down slow. Also, you can do negative calf raises on a stair where you start in the up position and then just come down really slow. That's pretty much all we do for ankles other than lots and lots of hiking!

Hope some of these tips are useful!

Haha that's a good question, and we are already sketching out a nutrition video. But the short version is that we eat primarily plant-based whole foods when we're not out adventuring. Many days, Adam will also add in some salmon, tuna, or even steak for extra protein it he feels he needs it. Elise keeps it mostly plant based. However, when we're doing a sufferfest that definitely changes. We might carb up the day before with french fries, and then eat pop tarts, granola bars, and peanut butter burritos out on the trail. Basically, whatever we can eat comfortably that will convert quickly into glycogen. ❤

@@LiveHardxLoveHard yeah I take Jerky and some high calorie stuff out on the trail itself. I also eat somewhat similarly to Adam but my failing is too much soda. If I cut that out and start working out I'd slim down I know it. I eat a fair bit of chicken, steak, and salmon too actually usually with some mushrooms or asparagus in some olive oil pretty commonly. I can definitely be better though. I look forward to that video when it drops!

@@DarkLightGaming117 That all sounds really good but yeah, you just gotta bite the bullet and cut the soda (except right after a long hard sufferfest when you need to replenish glycogen).

That’s so exciting to hear about your upcoming plans! What trails are you thinking of doing? And recovery is a good question. The biggest thing for us is active recovery. We always try to take a 3-4 mile walk the day after a long hard hike. E loves massage but we also use the massage gun and that at least helps. Ice baths are also crucial for us in helping to reduce soreness and inflammation!

@@LiveHardxLoveHard Thanks, great suggestions also I had been thinking about getting a massage gun. We're planning on doing the Routeburn and Hollyford tracks here in NZ.

Yes Chloe, those are all great ideas, and we're already outlining a nutrition video! Also, we're planning to do a Q and A video in the next couple months, so def send us those questions for that as well because they're definitely the kind of thing that others would want to know too. And for right now, the most important thing for you is this: get out there for a walk. Not tomorrow, not the next day. Today. Even if it's just for 5 minutes, that's fine. But just start building the habit right now of walking every day, which will then naturally lead to longer walks, hill walks, hikes, etc. But when you're getting back on the fitness bus, the most important thing is starting to build the habit RIGHT NOW! So please do that walk, and then send us a message that you did it. You got this!!! 💪❤️

@@LiveHardxLoveHard took my dog on a 15 minute walk yesterday and went on a 3.5 mile hike today.

@@chloeelise1626 Oh heck yes, Chloe! You are on it!! Now the trick is every day -- doesn't matter if it's raining or snowing or anything else. Just the habit, every day, a little bit further and/or a tiny bit faster. It won't be more than a few weeks before you are fully back on the fitness bus!!❤

Yes! We are planning out a nutrition video, and will definitely do one soon -- that's probably our most requested video, other than climbing Mt. Shasta! ❤️

Thank you, it’s a random brand on Amazon! I think I linked them in our gear list - www.livehardxlovehard.com/gear-list 😘

Haha thank you for your support of my Bambi technique Jay! 😂 we are planning to do a whole breakdown of our diet very soon. We’ve been making some major changes lately and wanted to really see how it affected our performance, but things have been going well and we should be able to make a vid about this soon :) you may be surprised by the diet, definitely lots of carbs and definitely not keto!

@@LiveHardxLoveHard Very cool, I'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks for sharing. I hike all the time and definitely interested in being more fit. Hope to see you guys on the trail 😎👍

That's a great question, Steve, and we've got all the answers. Check out our altitude training video! It's in the How We Train section of the channel.

I am new to your channel, thanks you!

That's a great question, Danielle. Elise likes to keep the time between sets pretty short, a minute or less, so it's a bit like HIIT training in terms of keeping pulse rate high. Adam is totally different. He likes to take 2-3 minutes between sets, because for him the weight training is more about building strength and he wants to get the most out of each set.

No, but we would love to hike in Indonesia and definitely plan to do it in the next few years! ❤

Thanks Corey!

Yeah I find this form of deadlift to be a good substitute for squatting. My back doesn’t like the weight near my shoulders. I’m mostly going for a combo of strength and endurance so I don’t go much above 275, but as I get older I will consider going even heavier with fewer reps for the testosterone boost.

Thanks John! We gotta keep it LA fit!! ❤️

John! I've been thinking about you recently because we've been doing a lot of mountaineering practice lately -- ice axes, crampons, the whole works. It always reminds me of your ice-climbing days! --A

Yes Piet -- it's a wonderful way to cross train. We don't have much time for it with all our hiking, but we both love it as a workout when we get a chance. How about you? ❤️

@@LiveHardxLoveHard I've got a pool at home and a multigym. Crosstrain also by cycling a bit. But,I'm more an ultrarunner than anything else. My biggeat challenge is not to overtrain, especially as I age (64years). But, keeping in shape since highschool definitely helps. Most people do relatively ok till they strike 60, but then the wheels come off fast. Except for getting slower, my general health and physical abilities exceed those of my sons-all in their thirties-all very lazy.

We gotta keep it tight, Lawrence! 💪❤️

Haha that's certainly true, David. Though one could argue that without the workouts I might never have ended up with Elise, so in the end her cuteness could also be included in my results! --A

I am now inspired to workout soon, but I live in MinneSnowta! So, I gotta include 40 lb dumbbell chest presses using a bench. 3 sets of 20 reps

@@LiveHardxLoveHard you seem cool and unique, Adam! Your KZfaq segments show a flexibility and happiness that must have attracted Elise as much as lean muscle from working out!