What is up everybody across from me virtually we have Willie Schmidt host of pure hunting television will you're a you're looking pretty good have you been packed training?

Maybe just a little bit a little bit that's the topic of today. We're going to talk about pack training and how it can benefit you and get your body all tuned up for hunting season this fall.

So the at recording right now is kind of the early spring time frame and if you haven't been working out I guess since whenever or at least maybe since the new year when you probably told yourself you were going to start working out now is the time to get started.

Willie but you've been you've been that this a little bit though this is this isn't your first workout rodeo this is that's part of your routine all the time in it.

It is it has for a long time but like a lot of things you know you have kids and you get in corporate world you kind of ride the wave and get in and out of it but honestly for the last 12 years it's been consistent routine it's it's now become part of who I am and I need it.

And it's it's paid big dividends just for my overall health but also certainly for for the outdoor pursuits yep for sure now packed training like we kind of touched on before maybe what is it you know what is packed training.

It's sounds basic but it's training with the backpack and some weights whether it's sandbags or a bumper plate or something like that and it kind of a ridge not originated but you know so many people who want to get started or who've been out of it want to get back into working out something it's overwhelming on where to start.

Maybe thinking is too expensive you need to join a gym you need to buy a bunch of equipment or combination of that and there's unfortunately some people who think without all of that stuff you can't get a good workout and a sandbag a backpack and some basic movements even body weight stuff can get you in great shape it's really the consistency aspect of it and and there's no sooner time than right now a lot of people wait till July and sometimes that's too late you kind of need to build up to it and and before you know it.

And second nature you can start adding weight and some other stuff to just improve yeah I mean that consistency thing that you talk about which is the hardest part and and you know I definitely have been in and out of being consistent but the one thing that I really finally figured out that helped me was realizing that I'm actually I'm not going to want to do it every day I will have an excuse not to do it every day so I basically have to tell myself just know to those two things.

And then just actually just go do it even if I don't feel like it.

What kind of pack do you need what kind of pack is going to be you know most conducive to holding like you said like a sandbag or actually what I've used a lot actually is just like a 40 or 50 pound bag of water softener salt like five bucks at the gas station huck it in and actually I find it actually simulates kind of the size of like a quarter or something like that pretty good to.

That's perfect I've heard people using dog food bag of pet food something like that and you know again that you can use to your point you know some of that stuff's a little bit bigger fits in your pack whatever is comfortable to get started if you've already got your hunting pack why not use that hunting pack it does a couple things you don't you save money on having to buy a different pack pack.

You also are getting your body used to the pack that you're going to be actually be using in the field and hopefully it's already adjusted to your body with the you know the load leveling straps and with your waist belt and everything else so just adding weight is just getting you used to what you're going to be doing in the field.

If you don't have one should even a day pack you know a 2000 cubic something like that is great just to slide a sandbag in if you've got a frame pack just take the pack off put a frame on set the bag sandbag dog food salt sent what am I think a water softener salt whatever on there and if you really are into it I mean the outdoorsman's tied in with wilderness athlete that company actually makes a training pack it's it's got the straps the waist belt.

The chest belt and it's actually got I don't know what you call it just like the end of a barbell almost in a way are it simulates that at least yep that's exactly right the same diameter is a is a barbell and you throw whatever weights you want on there so that's somebody you probably wants to go a little bit more and and invest in some equipment which you don't need to do so use what you've got like said dog food bag whatever it's going to fit in there or fit on just to add that.

Just to add that extra weight so you're your core your shoulders your back your legs get used to that movement in that weight sitting up there yeah and so you just touched on as I was going to say what what muscles are you generally working in it and it sounds like you know a fair amount like you think like oh like maybe i'm hiking so it's just going to be my legs but there's a few other things involved in there as well yeah when people haven't practiced with weight and they go out on their you know first excursion even if it's just sort of a day pack.

You know one night's worth of stuff it's you know usually in that let's just say 25 to 30 pound range when you're not used to that at all that weight on your shoulders your core your lower back that all gets affected so training is actually doing a lot more than just your legs it's obviously helping your endurance and your cardio but helping that core that posterior chain which you're going to be using in the mountains.

Yeah you know and then even just you know your shoulders you kind of get used to just even having that weight you know I mean obviously try and keep that weight off your shoulders maybe as much as you can you know keep it on your hips but I mean there is going to be you know there is going to be some not not stress but I mean you're going to be kind of using those muscles are having pressure on them then you're generally used to so you're going to be able to I guess acclimate towards this that night I'd throw in I guess a gear thing you know a lot of these modern day back packs which really are just a marvel of

engineering but they can be a little strappy right and they have lots of adjustments all those adjustments are there for a reason you started actually putting some weight in it wearing it using spending some time with it you're going to be able to really fine tune that versus you know maybe the you're like oh it's hunting season I'm going to throw my pack on and we're just going to go for it and I'm going to get through it and things like that so you kind of get to you know work your gear a little bit more and get used to that what about like is there anything a person should be careful of or mindful of before starting out to prevent injury.

Yes I mean the old misnomerino consult with your doctor physician if you haven't been doing anything you know you got to say that but if you're if somebody's fairly confident they want to get started it's easier to start lower both in weight reps distance everything and build up to it I mean the earlier you start you've got that ability to build up into it and do it over time I you know fitness should be a marathon not a sprint and obviously no pun intended but

build up to it do it over time you'll see more benefits starting out too heavy too fast you might strain something you might really hurt yourself and then all that you're trying to strive for you it even set you further back

and there's plenty of stuff out there online to like to your point on fitting a pack if somebody's not used to it you and I don't need to go into it but I mean it's the load levelers it's the chest strap it's the waist belt where should it be sitting where should you be feeling it on your hips there's tons of information out there so starting

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