Hiking Bench Workouts

T

TimClark

New Member
Well, I finally built a hiking bench on Sunday (easier than I thought) and I was wondering if there were any "workouts" that people do while on the bench. I do my normal way of hiking for a while and I'm also considering holding onto some weights while doing it, but is there anything else that works just as well if not better? Thanks.

Tim
 
I get pretty bored working out so I try to liven it up some. Occasionally I'll try watching some of a video or tv or something. I have a friend who swears he watches the Simpsons every day and hikes on his bench for the whole time. D'oh!

He's probably using my standard for hiking though: If I'm in the same room as my hiking bench then it counts as a "workout". If I look at it it counts double. If I actually sit on it that counts for triple. Then I have a complex logarithmic formula for any time spent actually hiking on it. But then I'm a guy who's up to about 200 situps. Not a day, total. ;-)

Too bad those electro-shock belts they came out with a few years ago don't actually work. That would have been perfect for me. I can see it now, laying on my sofa, drinking beer, eating cheeseburgers and getting rock hard abs! Dreams die hard.

-Steve
 
you should check out the sail fit book. it has alot of good stuff involving hiking bench workouts. one of them is holding a medicin ball above ur head when flat out. doing sit up like things while hiking out and so on.
 
it should probably be said that most of us need to work UP to some of those work outs.

A few weeks of just hiking off it for longer than you hike upwind, doing crunches, etc.

Get the body loose and in shape before you start stretching and doing medicine balls while fully hiked.

I'm not a doctor or anything, but yeah, don't want to overdo it from the start.

I did three weeks of stretching and light weightlifting to start the season before I started doing my wall sits and more aggressive stuff.
 
I have some weights so I started incorporating those into the routine. I will go down for a normal hike with the weight and have my body totally flat, then I will come up and twist so my torso is facing left and come up, then do the same thing with the right. I'm probably gonna buy a medicine ball soon so I can do some stuff with that. Thanks.

Tim
 
Oh mine.. medicine ball is heavy!!! Are you sure you gotta use it while doing hiking exercise? Well, if you can handle, go ahead.. but just take great care of your back..

MP3 players are so common nowadays... when I tried the hiking bench in my club, I listen to my iRiver player.... worked good.... But I would get bored if stay on too long...

Have another idea for you, Tim... do some stuffs when you are hiking.... example, write somethings on a memo pad on how you feel right at that moment.... do some simple mathematical calculations (1 + 1 = 2)... Sounds stupid I know... but the reason for suggesting so is because:

When you are out in the water with strong wind and on long close haul leg... you get physically and mentally tired fast.... so the above ideas are to train the brain to maintain its function (aka Thinking) while physically getting tired out.... we still need to think when to tack, who's wind to cover, how to catch up with the front boats... right??

Anyway, just my suggestion... may sound non-sense... :p
 
Mee168,
That is an interesting suggestion. Indeed, I am often only able to think about how much my legs and abs are hurting.
GWF
 
Wow I never thought about that but its a really good idea. I think I will do some of my easier homework while I'm on the bench that way I can use your idea. Thanks.
 
How you guys manage to do anything while on a hiking bench is beyond me. I am a 17 year old guy, and I generally consider myself to be in decent shape, but after just a couple minutes flat on the hiking bench I've had all I can take without a break. Maybe I built my bench wrong and I'm making it harder on myself or something, or maybe ya'll are just in better shape than I am. Probably the latter.
 
I'm 14, so don't feel bad. I felt the same way as you the first day I got on my hiking bench. Try adding some weight to the routine (10 lbs) and the first time you go down, have your body be flat as a board, then come up, then go down again, but twist your torso to the left, then come up, do the same thing with your right side, then do a normal hike again. I do all of this with the weight for a while and it really helps. Good Luck.

Tim
 
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