HIKING
...e muscle gets shorter · Eccentric. The muscle gets longer For hiking, you should concentrate on the eccentric type as this produces the fastest gains and can better prepare you for any difficult hiking. Do these exercises in the standing position. Most of the strength work required for hiking is done in an upright or standing position. Simple is better. Working against your body weight as the source of resistance is one of the most effective and efficient methods of exercise. Techniques For larger and stronger muscles you have to work against resistance. For hiking you should probably work on the calves, thighs-hips, and lower back. The whole process will take you about 10 minutes. Adequate rest between repetitions may lengthen the process, but you will inevitably perform better. While exercising, hold the contraction and then repeat often enough so that at the end of the set, the muscle feels near exhaustion. For otherwise healthy people, this means one set of eight repetitions at over 80 percent of maximum strength twice weekly. Adjust the amount of resistance and duration of each repetition so that the muscles are near exhaustion after eight repetitions. Try this approach for larger and stronger muscles that may bring you to new heights! These exercises can increase strength when done against firm resistance. You can also use them against light resistance to simply stretch the muscles and help relieve muscle and tension soreness. Relieving muscle tightness requires only one to three light repetitions, done after a period of rest and just enough to feel a stretch. Increasing the amount to three sets of 10 repetitions helps improve blood flow to tendons and helps relieve tendonitis. Areas of concentration for the hiker Calves: Stand with your toes on the edge of a step. Hold onto something for support and rise up as far as possible with both feet. Then, bend one knee puffing all your weight on the opposite foot, and slowly let your ankle bend down as far as is comfortable over the course of approximately 6 to 10 seconds. Next, put both feet on the step, relax for a few seconds, then rise up again this time coming down with the opposite foot working the other calf muscle. Thighs and hips: Using a nearby table, stand on one leg. With the table for balance, slowly bend the thigh and hip. Go down as far as is comfortable over approximately the next 6 to 10 seconds. Then, with the knee bent bring the non-supporting foot to the side of the supporting foot, place and weight both, and rise up to the starting position, Again, down on one leg and up on two with the emphasis on maintaining tension in the thigh and hip on the way down. Lower back: Using a nearby table, lift a large book or object directly in front of you with arms fully extended. Then step back and while holding the book above the table, slowly bend forward towards t...