[tanvirsalman]

Hi all,
I am reading training for the new alpinism and and trying to follow the weighted pack hill training plan. I am carrying around 20% of my body weight and trying to keep in the aerobic zone. Additionally I am using trekking poles. As I live in a flat area I am using a 85m stair case. The problem is I get very sore calves that last for a week. The pain is worse on my right leg. I try to stretch, hydrate and use elctrolytes but the problem is still there. I have a hunch its caused by the stress induced while descending. Maybe its cuy my legs arent strong enough yet. The artificial hill i train at also has sloped roads so I was wondering if it would be less stressfull decending on the slope instead of the trails. I still want to use the stairs for ascent to save time. I would appreciate some help on this. Thanks

Br,
Salman

Topic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on August 15, 2019 at 2:45 pm #26831

Salman:

Normally for optimal results you want to use at least a 20% gradient hill for the weighted pack carries. If you calves are getting very sore that does indicate muscular weakness and you might consider doing weighted calf raises for a few weeks to build some strength there. For those living in flat places we recommend the use of stair machines for these extended pack carries. They are steep and the workout will be continuous without going up and down. Much more time efficient.

Good luck,
Scott

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on August 20, 2019 at 9:47 am #27007

One more thought: When climbing the stairs, are you putting your whole foot on each stair? Or just the ball of your foot and forward?

The former will be easier on your calves, and by pushing through your heels, you’ll get more engagement out of your posterior chain. The latter will load your calves more, and lessen the posterior engagement.