| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Backpacker Magazine – May 2008
Get trail-fit in six weeks with this simple exercise plan.
Intro: Get Strong for Summer | 60-Minute Gym Fix | Short on Time? | Strength | Cross Training | Cardio Power | Endurance
Get Strong for Summer
Developed in the mountains by backpackers for backpackers, our workout will prime your body for the best hiking season of your life.Which hiker do you want to be: The switchback-gasping, hamstring-seizing slacker or the summit-tagging, all-day-striding workhorse? The gal who bails on the sunset sidehike, or the one who always pushes higher?
Easy choice, right? And easier said than done–until now. In search of a fitness plan that could whip us into shape fast, we tracked down Nate Goldberg, possibly the only guide in the United States who teaches hiking fitness for a living. An alpine instructor for two decades in the Alps and Rockies, Goldberg, 45, now directs the Summer Hiking Center at Colorado's Beaver Creek Resort. "I've taken thousands of people into the mountains," says Goldberg, "and the most elementary lesson I've learned is that there's an undeniable relationship between fitness and fun on the trail: The fitter you are, the more fun you have. End of story." We asked Goldberg to adapt a workout he shares with clients and create a preseason training plan for BACKPACKER readers looking to tackle tougher, higher trails. The result–a six-week program of strength, endurance, cross-training, and cardio exercises, plus bonus moves for overachievers–is the most hiking-specific program we've seen. Start right now, and we guarantee you'll feel younger, stronger, and more agile by Memorial Day.
The ScheduleIntro: Get Strong for Summer | 60-Minute Gym Fix | Short on Time? | Strength | Cross Training | Cardio Power | Endurance

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READERS COMMENTS
I stand corrected and I apologize. I graduated from college in 1977. During my last semester of English, somewhere around 1972, I was excoriated in front of the entire class, complete with the ritual slamming of the Oxford Unabridged upon my desk, for letting the word "farther" escape my lips. That kind of thing tends to stay with you. And to this day, the word "farther" is like fingernails on a blackboard to me.
I stand corrected and I apologize. I graduated from college in 1977. During my last semester of English, somewhere around 1972, I was excoriated in front of the entire class, complete with the ritual slamming of the Oxford Unabridged upon my desk, for letting the word "farther" escape my lips. That kind of thing tends to stay with you. And to this day, the word "farther" is like fingernails on a blackboard to me.
Ohhhh, how embarassing for Rick!!! Correcting someone on language only to find out he is wrong. :) Thanks Kate for the correct assessment and the class. I'll rub it in his face. Ok done. Rick, I'm not perfect with language either. Take it with a grain of salt, but next time you publicly criticize, make sure you are right. :) I had a colleague at work that wrote a letter complaining about the misspelling of words in some training material. Only he misspelled his name when he typed it at the bottom by his signature.
Rick, Both words are in my 1978 World Book Dictionary by Thorndike and Barnhart. Guess that probably dated me since my Mom bought this 2-volume dictionary for my children when they were 3 and just born.
Kate, Enjoyed your explanation.
RE: Rick 7/8/11
"Further" Versus "Farther"
The quick and dirty tip is to use “farther” for physical distance and “further” for metaphorical, or figurative, distance. It's easy to remember because “farther” has the word “far” in it, and“far” obviously relates to physical distance.
Would somebody please pass around the word at the ol" Backpacker office that there is no such word as "farther?" The word is "further." You spend so much time wailing and complaining about the dwindling state of the wild spaces, you might identify with those who are trying to forestall the even more rapid erosion of the language.
I work as a cabinet maker- i'm on my feet all day lifting heavy cabinets and tools. Do you have a blue collar vs. white collar variable? I took out a pair of boots that you recommended a long break- in time for a 9 mile hike right out of the box- no problems, no hotspots- Maybe these "week day desk jockeys" need a different rating than those who can put one foot in front of the other.
OA Party Rock!!
Thankyou for providing this " get back in shape" info. I had it in my Backpacker magazine last year and misplaced it. I don't bushwack much anymore, but carrying tools on the trail for building and maintenance can zap you if your not in shape!
TRAILWRIGHTS - NH - President
I know what your talking about,but I found out,that you can open the pages using the page numbers at the end of the page
I have tried to download this on several computers and cannot drill down.
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