Whether you’re training for a long-distance trek or just want to make the most of your Saturday morning hikes, strength training for hiking can help.

Any mountain-based fitness activity like hiking, backpacking, or rucking requires a high level of strength and endurance. Like any athletic endeavor, strength and endurance can be improved through training.

Though hiking may seem like a leisure activity, it can also be dangerous. Wildlife, inclement weather, steep terrain, and natural obstacles can turn easy day hikes into life-or-death situations.  Strength training can save your life if you have to climb to safety. Or, worse, carry an injured friend or pet.

Strength Training for Hiking

The good news is strength training can benefit any athlete in any sport, including hiking. You may not think of hikers as traditional athletes. However, hiking requires a high degree of athletic ability. You need endurance to make it to the peak of the mountain. Strength to carry a heavy backpack. Speed to make it to waypoints before dark. Balance and agility to navigate uneven terrain. Hiking is no joke. That’s why every hiker should increase their strength.

Weight training makes us more vital for the things we love to do. It can reduce the risk of injury and strengthen our tendons, bones, and joints, allowing us to do what we love for the long haul.

What Are The Best Strength Training Exercises for Hikers?

Hiking and backpacking tax the entire body. Any strength training program for hikers should incorporate full-body movements focusing on leg and back strength.

Exercises for hikers should also mimic the single-leg movements of hiking. Single-leg power is more critical in hiking steep inclines than in other sports. Core and lower back strength can help prevent common injuries.

Lower body movements should focus on the quads, glutes, calves, and hamstrings to prevent muscular imbalances.

The 5 Exercises for Hikers to Build Your Routine Around

It can help to establish a handful of movements to build your routine around. Start with the five movements below. Then, add one or two exercises for the lower body, upper body, and core strength.

• Walking Lunges
• Kettlebell Swing
• Farmer’s Carry
• Pull-Up with Leg Raise
• Step-Up with Calf Raise

Walking Lunges

The walking lunge is one of the best exercises for hikers. Walking lunges develop single-leg strength while stabilizing the rest of the body, much like hiking up a mountain.

Walking lunges are an excellent exercise for increasing lower-body muscular endurance. Using your body weight, carrying dumbbells, or carrying a barbell across your upper back, you can walk and lunge until you simply can’t anymore. Each time you perform the exercise, try to take a few more steps on each leg than you did the previous week.

How to Do Walking Lunges

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your back straight and your eyes forward.
• Take a long step forward with your right foot, leaving your left facing forward behind you.
• Bend your left knee down to the ground, keeping both feet facing forward.
• Stand up, bringing your left foot forward to your right foot so your feet are next to each other.
• Take a long step forward with your left foot. Bend your right knee down to the ground.
• Stand up and repeat.

Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is a full-body exercise. It allows you to build muscular strength and endurance in your legs, lower back, and shoulders. A long round of swings is a great way to increase your heart rate and lower body power.

How to Do the Kettlebell Swing

• Place your feet shoulder-width apart in a squat position. Place the kettlebell on the floor about a foot in front of you.
• Chop your hips back. Keep your spine neutral until you feel a slight tension in your hamstrings. Engage your lats by dropping them down (packed).
• Grip the kettlebell in a pronated grip (palms facing your body). Tip it toward you so it is no longer flat on the ground.
• Hike the kettlebell back like you are hiking a football.
• Drive upward using your hips (hinge). Keep your elbows at a slight bend. Once the kettlebell reaches chest level on the upswing, let it briefly float before the downswing.
• Hinge forward on the downswing. Allow the kettlebell to swing through your legs. As the kettlebell swings forward, drive your hips forward. Keep your lower back straight and flex your glutes as you reach the top of the motion.

Farmer’s Carry

Like hiking, the farmer’s carry (also called the Farmer’s Walk) involves the coordination of multiple body regions. It is a fantastic exercise for hikers because it improves the ability to conduct heavy carries, which can help save your life or someone else’s if things go south on the mountain.

How to do the Famer’s Carry

• Hold a weight in each hand. Adjust your posture as you would when trying to stand up straight. Keep your eyes forward and chin up. 
• Then, walk at a comfortable pace.
• Keep your core tight as you move forward and your shoulders back. Let your arms, shoulders, core, and legs do the work.
• If your neck tightens, put the weight down and give yourself a break. If your neck tightens in the first few steps, consider reducing your weight in each arm.

Choose a distance from which you will carry the weight. Walk at a moderate-to-quick pace from a starting point to an endpoint.

Pull Up with Hanging Leg Raise

As a hiker, you should have a strong back. You need to be able to carry a pack and maintain your posture while walking at an incline. The pull-up is a great back exercise. And all you need is a bar!

How to Do the Pull-Up/Hanging Leg Raise

• The pull-up involves using a pronated grip in which your palms face away from you. A standard pull-up uses a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
• After completing a set of pull-ups, continue hanging from the bar.
• Perform a set of leg raises. Keep your feet together. Lift your legs so that your body forms an L shape and your legs are perpendicular to your torso.

This is a great way to train your back and core in the same movement while building grip strength.

Step-Up with Calf Raise

We don’t always give our calves enough attention. But for hikers, strong calves are a must. The step-up part of this exercise will help build quad and glute strength. The added calf raise at the end of the step-ups will ensure your calves get the work they need.

How to Do the Step-Up/Calf Raise

• Holding a dumbbell in each hand, face an elevated surface (plyobox, stairs, bench, etc.)
• Step up with one leg, lifting your body off the ground. In the same motion, explode upward with your calf, extending it as far as possible.
• Lower your calf and return the trailing leg to the ground, followed by the lead leg. Alternate lead legs with each rep.

Additional Exercises for Hikers – Lower Body

Now that you have five primary exercises add 1-2 lower body strength movements to round out your routine. Here are some great options to choose from.

• Goblet Squats
• Reverse Lunges
• Single-Leg Glute Bridge
• Dumbbell RDLs
• Bulgarian Split Squats

Goblet Squats

Goblet squats are easy to master and only require a single dumbbell or kettlebell. They also make for strong leg muscles that can handle those longer hikes.

How to Do Goblet Squats

• Start in a squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell vertically by the plate or a kettlebell by the horns at chest level.
• Set the dumbbell/kettlebell in front of you and squat down. Allow the weight to pull you deep into the squat, keeping your back straight. Explode upward through your heels to return to the top of the movement.

Reverse Lunges

Reverse lunges are similar to walking lunges. They put more emphasis on the glutes and hamstring and require less space to perform.

How to Do Reverse Lunges

• Start in a standing position with your legs shoulder-width apart. You can do this exercise with your body weight, dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbell.
• Step back with one leg. Bend that leg to the ground, keeping your spine neutral.
• As you step up, bring your leg back to the starting position. Repeat on the other leg, alternating legs with each rep.

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

The glute bridge isolates the glutes. It is an excellent exercise to include if you are a quad-dominant hiker to help correct the muscular imbalance.

How to Do the Glute Bridge

• Lay flat on the floor with your knees bent.
• Drive your hip upward using one leg. Squeeze the glute of that leg at the top of the range of motion. Lower your hips back to the ground.
• Perform all reps on one side before switching to the other leg.

Dumbbell RDLs

Dumbbell RDLs isolate the hamstring and lower back. They also develop core stability and balance – everything you need for challenging hikes.

How to Do the Dumbbell RDLs

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand.
• Keep your spine neutral. Lower the dumbbells toward the ground in front of you by driving your hips back until the dumbbells are just below your knees.
• Keep the dumbbell close to your legs as you lower them toward the ground.
• Stand back up to the starting position and repeat all reps on one side before moving to the other.

Bulgarian Split Squats

Bulgarian split squats are a more advanced form of the forward lunge. They target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. It’s a challenging but rewarding movement that will make your next hiking trip a breeze.

How to Do Bulgarian Split Squats

• Find a bench, box, rock, or even a high curb. Place one foot on the elevated surface, with the sole of your foot facing upward.
• Place your front foot far enough away from the elevated surface to lower your body at a natural angle and not so far away that you can’t lower yourself. And not so close that you have to hinge forward to lower yourself.
• Keep your back straight and your body balanced on your front foot. Keep your chin up. Keep your eyes lowered to a place 10-20 feet away on the ground. Lower your body, bending your knee until you reach a comfortable depth. Then, drive upward through your heel until you reach the top of the movement.
• Keep your core tight and pause at the top. Don’t lower yourself again until you have regained your balance.

Additional Exercises for Hikers – Upper Body

Though lower body strength is the top concern for hikers, it’s important to avoid neglecting your upper body. Choose 1-2 movements from the list below to ensure you develop your upper body strength in tandem with your lower body.

• Single-Arm Rows
• Bench Dips
• Dumbbell Curls
• Dumbbell Press
• Dumbbell Bench Press

Single-Arm Rows

You can do single-arm rows in addition to pull-ups or as an alternative back exercise if you struggle with pull-ups. You can do these with a dumbbell or a kettlebell.

How to Do Single-Arm Rows

• Use a bench or chair to stabilize yourself by placing your left knee and left hand on the bench. Pick up a dumbbell in your right hand.
• Keeping your spine neutral, pull the weight up to your rib cage in a smooth, controlled motion. Don’t jerk the weight.
• Squeeze your right lat at the top of the movement, then lower the weight back down. Perform all reps on the right side before switching to the left.

Bench Dips

Dips strengthen the chest, triceps, and deltoids. You can perform dips on any elevated surface.

How to Do Bench Dips

• Place the palms of your hands on a bench, chair, or plyo box so that your elbows are extended. Place your heels on the ground in front of you so your legs are extended.
• Lower your body so that your elbows are at 90 degrees. Pause. Then, drive yourself upward through the palms of your hands.
• Squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement. Repeat.

Dumbbell Curls

Dumbbell curls are a simple, effective way to improve bicep strength.

How to Do Dumbbell Curls

• Stand up tall with your shoulders back and your eyes forward. Grip a dumbbell in each hand with your palm facing your leg. Keep your elbow stationary.
• Lift one of the dumbbells, rotating it as you lift so that your palm faces your body at the end of the range of motion.
• Squeeze your bicep at the top of the movement. Rotate it back to the starting position as you lower the dumbbell. Repeat on the other side, alternating arms each rep.

Dumbbell Press

You can perform the dumbbell press sitting or standing. Shoulder strength exercises for hikers are essential for developing and maintaining proper posture and preventing injury.

How to Do the Dumbbell Press (Standing)

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand above your shoulders about at your ears.
• Keep your eyes forward to prevent your head from moving downward. Keep your spine straight.
• Push the dumbbells up in a slight inward arch. Reverse the movement to lower the dumbbells.

Dumbbell Bench Press

Strengthening your chest is essential to prevent muscular imbalances. Many hikers have strong backs from carrying a hiking backpack but weak chests, which can lead to posture issues. The dumbbell bench press is a great way to build stronger pectoral muscles.

How to Do the Dumbbell Bench Press

• Lay flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your eyes on the ceiling. Bring the dumbbells up to your chest with your palms facing away.
• Lower the dumbbells to parallel with your chest. Explode upward and squeeze your chest at the top of the range of motion.

Additional Exercises for Hikers – Core

Core strength and strong abdominal muscles are necessary for everything that we do. Every athlete needs a strong core for stability. Below are a few of the best core exercises for hikers to incorporate into their routines. Choose 1-2 exercises below to complete your routine.

• Low Plank
• Mountain Climbers
• Leg Raise with Hip Thrust
• Russian Twist
• Dead Bug

Low Plank

Low planks are a simple and effect core exercise. They are easy to program for progressive overload by adding a few seconds to your total plank time every time you do them.

How to do Low Planks

• Start in a push-up position. Lower yourself onto your elbows.
• Keep your spine neutral, and your eyes focused on the ground in front of you.
• Keep your abs tight, and don’t let your lower back dip.
• Imagine the ground is pushing you through your elbows to keep your body up.

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are a challenging exercise that requires no extra equipment, making them an excellent option for any routine.

How to Do Mountain Climbers

• Start on the ground in a push-up position.
• Bring your right leg up toward your left shoulder. Return to the starting position.
• Bring your left leg up toward your right shoulder. Return it to the starting position.

Leg Raise with Hip Thrust

The leg raise with hip thrust targets the lower abs.

How to Do the Leg Raise + Hip Thrust

• Lay flat on the ground with your feet together and your fists under your butt.
• Keep your head off the ground with your eyes on the ceiling to engage your upper abs.
• With a slight bend in your legs, lift them off the ground until they are perpendicular to the floor.
• From there, thrust your hips upward, driving your heels toward the ceiling. Lower your hips back down. Lower your legs back to the starting position.

Russian Twist

The Russian Twist works the entire core while targeting the obliques.

• Sit on the floor with your spine straight and knees bent.
• Lean back, lifting your feet off the ground. Holding this position, twist from the left to the right and back. Repeat for an equal number of reps on each side.
• You can do this with your body weight or a dumbbell, kettlebell, or weight plate.

Dead Bug

Despite its name, the dead bug is a difficult core exercise. It requires total core activation, focus, and upper/lower body coordination.

How to Do the Dead Bug

• Lay flat on the ground. Raise both arms so that they are perpendicular to the floor. Raise both legs so that they are parallel to the floor.
• Bring your right arm back toward your head. As you do this, bring your left leg down toward the floor without touching the floor with either your hand or foot.
• Return to the center. Do the same movement, this time with your left arm and right leg. Keep your core tight throughout.

Building Your Own Strength Training Routine for Hiking

If the amount of exercises to choose from seems overwhelming, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered with a sample routine below.

You can also build your own strength training routine from the options above.

It is good to have several options when selecting the best exercises for hikers. Not everyone enjoys the same movements.

Start with the top five exercises. Then, add 2-3 from the upper body, lower body, and core for 9-12 total exercises.

From there, break your workouts up over three days of the week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – for example.

I recommend a full-body workout on each of the three days.

6-Week Training Plan for Hikers

If you’re new to strength training, give my simple three-day-a-week training plan a try. The plan is designed to be completed over five weeks and can be repeated as often as you like.

This incorporates the five exercises discussed above. I’ve selected two lower-body strength exercises, three upper-body exercises, and two core exercises to complete a well-rounded full-body routine any hiker will benefit from.

You will complete four exercises on each of the three days.

FAQs

How long should I rest between sets?

Start resting for 1-2 minutes between sets. You can increase rest time as you increase weight throughout the training plan.

When should I increase the weight?

For the best results, try to increase the weight you use each time you perform the workout. For timed exercises, try to increase the time by a few seconds for each workout.

If you don’t feel ready to increase the weight, try increasing the reps for each workout by one each week. For example, if you did 10 goblet squats on week 1, shoot for 11 on week 2 with the same weight.

Can I substitute the exercises in the training plan for a different exercise?

Of course! Substitute whatever exercise you need to.

Why is the rep range mostly 10-12? Shouldn’t I be doing lower reps and heavier weights?

This is a beginner training plan. 10-12 reps is an excellent mix for hikers because it’s at the high end of strength training/lower end for muscular endurance training. If you are more advanced, feel free to change the rep scheme to 3-5 or 6-8 to allow for increased load.

How often should I take rest days?

This is a three-day-per-week program. You should take at least one day off between each weight training day. The days you aren’t weight training are good days to work on cardiovascular endurance and aerobic capacity. This article focuses on building strength, but cardio training is necessary for hikers.

If you enjoyed our guide to strength training for hiking, you’ll love our other adventure sport guides, like our beginner’s guide to mountain bike strength training! Subscribe to the Outdoor Muscle Newsletter below for the latest guides, articles, and videos covering everything outdoor fitness.