[AdamasPR]

I am in the last two weeks of the 16 weeks mountaineering plan. I did AeT test 4 months ago and found that to be about 135bpm (36yo male). I have never retested it. I did recently the AnT test and that is approximately 155bpm, which indicates a gap >10% between the two, so still aerobically deficient.

I haven’t started the ME workouts yet, although these are in the plan, because I am wondering whether I should build up both more strength and aerobic base before jumping into ME. When doing max strength exercises, I found out I am progressing in weight/reps very slowly, if ever, which doesn’t surprise me since I have never done any strength training until one year ago.

However, I have mountaineering objectives planned two months from now, so possibly ME workouts would help preparing for that, rather than spending more time and energy leading to those trips on pure Z2 training?

[Andrew Bollard]

@AdamasPR You should retest your AeT ASAP. If your training has been going well then you may well find that your AeT is within 10% of your AnT. Otherwise, you’re just guessing whether you should build up more aerobic base or not.

Can you put some numbers on your strength? Also, what are your objecctives: how many days will they take and what is the technical difficulty of them?

[AdamasPR]

Thanks Andrew. For the max strength routine, I do 4 reps x 5 sets of box step up and split squat with 45% added bodyweight (holding kettlebells or weight plates). Although it has been 6-8 weeks, I feel I can’t add more weight and still be able to perform 4×5 sets.

My objectives are mountaineering routes like the Matterhorn (Cresta del Leone), Biancograt on Piz Bernina, or moderately long rock climbing routes in the Alps with +500m/+1000m approach and  6-12 pitches. I tend to limit each outing to 2-3 days and rest between trips.

[Shashi Shanbhag]

As Andrew recommended, retest your AeT. If your goals are two months out, you should include ME workouts in your weekly plan.

[AdamasPR]

From the plan, it is unclear to me what is the recommended duration for the first few ME workouts. In the plan it is 1h30m, but, even including warm-up and cool-down, that sounds way too long not having done ME training before. I don’t have access to steep hills or high-rise buildings, so I will have to use a Stairmaster or an incline treadmill (which can go >15%)

[Shashi Shanbhag]

In the 16-week Mountaineering Training Plan, Week 10 has the first ME workout, which is for 1 hour and 15 minutes and the workout has detailed instructions on doing the workout indoors.

[AdamasPR]

I’ve done yesterday the first ME workout. Warmed up for 20 minutes , then 40 minutes of stairmaster carrying a backpack with about 12%BW.

My HR was between AeT and AnT throughout, varying by as much as 10bpm. I felt a light muscle burn, but I’m not sure if the weight, stairstepping speed or duration were appropriate. Today I don’t feel any DOMS, nor are my legs more tired than a usual post workout day.

[AdamasPR]

After 3 weeks of ME workouts, I have progressed by increasing the weight each week, 12%/15%/17% BW, but I am keeping the duration and stairmaster speed unchanged, 40 minutes (plus 20 minutes warm up). At the end of the workout, I don’t feel I’m exhausted though. I’m not sure whether I should increase the duration as well. In the last workout the HR was in Z2 the whole time

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