Get Fit Fast!

OK, so you blew off your preseason training plan. 

Now what? 

Start summer right with this 10-minute-a-day workout, and you’ll be ready for the trail in no time.  

 The 10-Minute Circuit Rob Shaul, founder of the Mountain Tactical Institute in Jackson, Wyoming, designed this workout for time-pressed hikers. Do it daily* and complete as many sets of the circuit as you can in 10 minutes. 

 1. SCOTTY BOBS
Hikers know leg strength is important, but a strong upper body helps with pack comfort and stability on tricky terrain. Shaul stresses total-body fitness as the key to success in the mountains, and this exercise works your arms, chest, back, and core simultaneously. 

STEP 1 Start in plank position with a dumbbell in each hand (25 pounds for men, 15 for women). 

STEP 2 Do a pushup. 

STEP 3 Pause in the up position and do one dumbbell row with the right arm. Repeat steps 1 to 3, using the left arm. This is 1 rep. Repeat for 3 reps 

2. STEP-UPS
This exercise mimics hiking uphill under a load, building power in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Whether you’re dayhiking or grinding out hundreds of miles, these muscles are the engines driving you.  

 STEP 1 Stand facing a 20-inch box. Leading with your right leg and driving off your left, step up onto the box with both feet. 2. STEP-UPS This exercise mimics hiking uphill under a load, building power in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Whether you’re dayhiking or grinding out hundreds of miles, these muscles are the engines driving you. 

STEP 2 Step backward off the box into your original position. This is 1 rep. 

STEP 3 Repeat, leading with the left leg and driving off the right. Step down. Repeat for 12 reps, alternating the leading leg. 

3. SHUTTLE RUNS
Hikers need aerobic fitness for steep hills and long days. This simple cardio workout gets you mountain-ready without having to spend hours on a treadmill. It also elevates your heart rate as you cycle back to the first two exercises, says Shaul, turning the whole circuit into a cardio challenge. 

 STEP 1 Set up two cones or (other objects) 40 feet apart. 3. SHUTTLE RUNS Hikers need aerobic fitness for steep hills and long days. This simple cardio workout gets you mountain-ready without having to spend hours on a treadmill. It also elevates your heart rate as you cycle back to the first two exercises, says Shaul, turning the whole circuit into a cardio challenge. 

STEP 2 Starting at one end, run from one cone to the other, going around them. 

STEP 3 Complete 3 laps (cone to cone and back is one lap). 

*DAILY INTENSITY
Alternate intensity each day using this guide. 

DAY 1 Maximum effort (do as many rounds as possible) 

DAY 2 Moderate effort (moderate = comfortable but not easy)