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Ask most people what they do to prepare for a mountain expedition and they'll tell you about their long walks, their stair climber sessions, their weekend hikes. Cardio gets all the attention, and don't get me wrong, it absolutely matters but strength training is the piece most people either skip entirely or get completely wrong. People who do cardio based sports and activities like hiking, running and cycling are pretty good at ignoring strength training.
I've coached hundreds of clients through expeditions across the world, from Kilimanjaro to K2 Base Camp, and the clients who struggle most on the mountain are rarely the ones who are unfit. They're the ones who are cardiovascularly capable but physically unprepared. Knees giving out on long descents, backs aching from a loaded pack, legs cramping on technical sections.
Strength training is an important physical building block, if it's not there. The cracks start to show on the mountain. Increasing your strength fixes all of that. Here's exactly what you need and why 👇
Why Strength Training Matters On The Mountain
Expeditions are physically demanding in ways that cardio training alone doesn't prepare you for. Consider what a typical expedition day actually involves:
- 6 to 10 hours on your feet across varied, uneven terrain
- Carrying a pack weighing anywhere from 8 to 20kg
- Steep ascents that demand real leg power
- Long descents that load the knees heavily with every step
- Scrambling, stepping up, crossing streams, navigating scree
A strong cardiovascular system gets you up the hill. Strength is what keeps your body intact across the long days of doing it back to back.
What To Focus On
You don't need to become a powerlifter or bodybuilder. Expedition strength training is about building functional, resilient, endurance based strength across the movements that matter most on the mountain.
Quads, hamstrings & glutes: Your legs are doing the vast majority of the work. Squats, lunges, step-ups, and split squats build the quad and glute strength needed for sustained uphill effort. Single-leg work is particularly important, on uneven terrain you're constantly balancing and stabilising on one leg at a time.
Key exercises: goblet squats, walking lunges, bulgarian split squats, box step-ups, lateral lunges
Knees: The descent is where most expedition injuries happen. Tired legs, a heavy pack, and steep ground put enormous load through the knee joint. Strengthening the muscles around the knee (particularly the quads, hamstrings, and glutes) is the single best thing you can do to protect yourself on the way down.
Key exercises: slow eccentric squats, machine single leg extensions, hamstring curls, romanian deadlifts, forward down steps
Core: A strong core isn't just about aesthetics, it's about posture, stability, and load transfer. When you're carrying a heavy pack for eight hours, a weak core means your back takes the strain instead. A strong core keeps you upright, efficient, and injury free.
Key exercises: dead bugs, alternating leg raises, plank variations, suitcase carries, cable core twists
Back & shoulders: Your pack isn't light and the longer the day, the heavier it feels. Building strength through the upper back and shoulders means the pack sits better, causes less fatigue, and reduces the risk of neck and shoulder pain that plagues so many trekkers by day three.
Key exercises: bent-over rows, single-arm rows, face pulls, rear delt fly, farmer carries, shrugs
Calf strength & ankle stability: Often overlooked but genuinely important. Your calves work constantly on the mountain during every uphill step, every uneven surface, every scramble. Strong calves and stable ankles reduce fatigue and significantly lower the risk of rolled ankles on technical ground. Spraining your ankle is game over for your adventure.
Key exercises: calf raises (single leg, step), bosu ball work, weighted step-ups
How To Structure Your Strength Training
For most hikers and trekkers, two to three strength sessions per week is plenty. You don't need to spend hours in the gym. 45 to 60 minutes is sufficient if you're focused.
As your expedition gets closer, the emphasis should shift:
12+ months out: Build a strength base. Focus on the fundamental movement patterns with progressive overload. Get comfortable with the lifts and build consistency.
3-6 months out: Move towards muscular endurance. Higher reps, moderate weight, shorter rest periods. Your body needs to sustain effort over long periods, not produce short bursts of maximum force.
Final 6-8 weeks: Maintain what you've built. Reduce volume slightly, keep intensity, and prioritise recovery. Arriving strong and fresh beats arriving strong and fatigued.
Cardio should increase in priority as you get closer to your expedition.
The Backpack Workout
If you don't have access to a gym or you're short on time, a weighted backpack is one of the best training tools you can use. It's free, it's specific, and it works. I've put together a full-body backpack workout with squats, rows, lunges, step-ups, calf raises and more which you can access for free inside the Trek & Climb Fitness app as part of Base Camp membership.
[Start your free 14-day trial here ➡️] - no payment required during the trial.
Getting The Balance Right
The best expedition training programmes combine cardio and strength in the right proportions for your timeline, your fitness level, and your specific expedition. That's exactly what my summit coaching service is built around. A fully personalised plan that takes both into account and builds towards your mountain.
If you'd like to talk through your training and what the right balance looks like for you, book a free 30-minute consultation call by filling out an enquiry form with the link below. There's no obligation just honest advice from someone who has been on the mountain.
[Fill out an enquiry form ➡️]
Every expedition is different, but the strength work is always part of the plan. Start building it now.
Stuart RitchieExpedition Fitness Coach (Trek & Climb Fitness)
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