Atlas Mountains of Morocco Workout
Mountaineering Workout for Atlas Mountains of Morocco
February 2019
Start with a minimum 3 workouts per week
Week of December 31 - Three days described below. Get your lungs and legs in shape. Work your core with twisting techniques to develop stability and balance. Do straight line lunge steps for balance and leg strength. Listen to French while you work out every day.
Week of January 7 - On upper body day, pick up weights off the floor with a swinging motion similar to putting on a backpack. Want to break the routine for a day with something different? Click here for a great dumbbell workout for hamstrings.
Week of January 14 - Focus on balance this week. Your pack will make you top heavy and each step on the mountain requires balance and finesse. Increase to a minimum 4 workouts per week. Push harder. You're 3 weeks away from North Africa's highest mountain. Two hikes this week instead of one. And increase your cardio time in the gym. Keep listening to French in the gym.
Week of January 21 - Hikes are getting longer now. Your fitness level should be far higher than it was when you began. Add push ups to your upper body routine. Keep forcing your body to new levels of fitness; don't let it rest.
Week of January 28 - Focus this week on endurance. Grind it out. Be unstoppable. Tax your body badly and force it to rebuild. This is where the focus switches to outdoor hiking. Make the time to hike outside in spite of the cold. Force your lungs to acclimate to cold air.
Week of February 4 - This is the last push. Timing is critical. Your four-hour hike must be on Feb 9. Your body will rest for 5 days during travel and you will reach a physical peak when we depart for the mountain on Feb 15.
NOW YOU'RE READY TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN.
February 2019
Start with a minimum 3 workouts per week
Week of December 31 - Three days described below. Get your lungs and legs in shape. Work your core with twisting techniques to develop stability and balance. Do straight line lunge steps for balance and leg strength. Listen to French while you work out every day.
- Core and cardio day
3 planks, 30 seconds each
50 crunches
One legged squats, 3x5 each side (close eyes to improve balance)
Walking lunges, 3x20 steps (close eyes to improve balance)
20 minutes on stair stepper machine
50 jumping jacks Upper body day - Upper body day
Medicine ball chop, 60 seconds each side
Push ups, 3 sets to failure
Supermans, 3x30 seconds
50 crunches
Lat pull downs, 3x12 (or wide grip pull ups)
Side planks, 2x15 each side
50 jumping jacks
10 minutes hard jogging - Hiking day, hike 1 hour (always on broken ground, and uphill as much as possible)
Week of January 7 - On upper body day, pick up weights off the floor with a swinging motion similar to putting on a backpack. Want to break the routine for a day with something different? Click here for a great dumbbell workout for hamstrings.
- Core and cardio day
3 planks, 45 seconds each
100 crunches
One legged squats, 4x6 each side (close eyes to improve balance)
Walking lunges, 4x20 steps (close eyes to improve balance)
30 minutes on stair stepper machine
100 jumping jacks Upper body day - Upper body day
Medicine ball chop, 90 seconds each side
Push ups, 4 sets to failure
Supermans, 3x45 seconds
100 crunches
Lat pull downs, 3x12 (or wide grip pull ups)
Side planks, 2x20 each side
100 jumping jacks
12 minutes hard jogging - Hiking day, hike 1 hour (always on broken ground, and uphill as much as possible)
Week of January 14 - Focus on balance this week. Your pack will make you top heavy and each step on the mountain requires balance and finesse. Increase to a minimum 4 workouts per week. Push harder. You're 3 weeks away from North Africa's highest mountain. Two hikes this week instead of one. And increase your cardio time in the gym. Keep listening to French in the gym.
- Core and cardio
- Hike 1 hour
- Upper body workout
- Hike 90 minutes
Week of January 21 - Hikes are getting longer now. Your fitness level should be far higher than it was when you began. Add push ups to your upper body routine. Keep forcing your body to new levels of fitness; don't let it rest.
- Core and cardio day
4 planks, 60 seconds each
200 crunches
One legged squats, 5x8 each side (close eyes to improve balance)
Walking lunges, 6x20 steps (close eyes to improve balance)
40 minutes on stair stepper machine
150 jumping jacks - Upper body day
Medicine ball chop, 90 seconds each side
Push ups, 4 sets to failure
Supermans, 3x60 seconds
200 crunches
Lat pull downs, 3x12 (or wide grip pull ups)
Side planks, 3x30 each side
150 jumping jacks
20 minutes hard jogging - Hiking day, hike 90 minutes in full gear (always on broken ground, and uphill as much as possible)
Week of January 28 - Focus this week on endurance. Grind it out. Be unstoppable. Tax your body badly and force it to rebuild. This is where the focus switches to outdoor hiking. Make the time to hike outside in spite of the cold. Force your lungs to acclimate to cold air.
- Core and cardio day
ADD mountain climbers, 30 seconds
5 planks, 60 seconds each
250 crunches
One legged squats, 5x10 each side (close eyes to improve balance)
Walking lunges, 6x20 steps (close eyes to improve balance)
45 minutes on stair stepper machine
150 jumping jacks - Upper body day
ADD 30 burpees
Medicine ball chop, 90 seconds each side
Push ups, 4 sets to failure - should be more than last week!
Supermans, 3x60 seconds
250 crunches
Lat pull downs, 3x12 (or wide grip pull ups)
Side planks, 3x30 each side
150 jumping jacks
22 minutes hard jogging - Hiking day, hike 2 hours in full gear (always on broken ground, and uphill as much as possible)
Week of February 4 - This is the last push. Timing is critical. Your four-hour hike must be on Feb 9. Your body will rest for 5 days during travel and you will reach a physical peak when we depart for the mountain on Feb 15.
- Core and cardio
Mountain climbers, 30 seconds
5 planks, 60 seconds each
250 crunches
One legged squats, 5x10 each side (close eyes to improve balance)
Walking lunges, 6x20 steps (close eyes to improve balance)
45 minutes on stair stepper machine
150 jumping jacks - Hike 2 hours, add more weight to pack
- Hike 2 hours
- SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 - Hike 4 hours on worst ground possible, uphill, full gear, extra weight
NOW YOU'RE READY TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN.