General nutrition and training principles
A good plan
Make a good and realistic plan for training, and prioritise it strongly. During the first two weeks, you will feel weary and heavy, but gradually this will change. Endorphines that release as part of training will start to make you feel much better after each training session, muscles grow, condition increases, and you will start to benefit each day.
Vary intensity and intervals
- For most of our tours, you need perseverance, stamina, and to be ‘tough'. You gain this by long training sessions on skis, running, cycling, pulling tyres or backpacking walks in the mountains. To train correctly, we recommend you use a heart rate monitor on all training sessions. When you train gently it is important that your pulse doesn't go above 145-150 beats per minute. Be strict about this.
- Include one session of interval training per week. Gradually go a little bit further and uphill.
Nutrition
- Start the day with a large glass of water and a shake/smoothie with all the minerals that the body needs. We recommend Herbalife, both for training and on expedition.
- Don't train on an empty stomach. Eat every hour when you are out and training longer than one and a half hours. Drink every half hour and use a dilute carbo-mixture in the drink bottle if you prefer.
- Eat a shake/smoothie immediately after training with the correct amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat. We recommend Herbalife with extra protein powder.
- After showering, take a lie down on the sofa. Then eat plenty of protein-rich food.
- Evening meals should always consist of as much natural food as possible, with plenty of vegetables.
- Take 4g Omega 3 each day
- Drink plenty of water, and go gently on alcohol consumption.
Rest
- Sleep is important. After a heavy or long training session, your body needs to relax.
- Make sure you get 8 hours sleep each night.
- If you feel tired during training, shorten or finish the session.
Listen to your body
- If you are ill or sick, you shouldn't train.
- If you feel tired, don't press on further.
- Find out the reason - overtraining? Too little sleep? Catching a cold?
What's your goal?
Train in relation to the tour you wish to do. The better you are prepared, the better you will feel on tour. You will also have a much pleasanter trip with plenty of energy. Here are some good training tips that work well regardless of the trip or duration - cycling, running, walking with a backpack or pulling tyres - all low intensity training.
- With a sack or with tyres, it is most important to begin light to avoid overtraining or injury. Training of the core muscles, eg kayaking. Strength training twice a week is absolutely recommended, especially focusing on the legs and core.
How to make training simple
- Evenings/weekend tour with a rucksack with friends, your partner or family. Train together with good friends. Train a minimum of 3 times a week. Have a rucksack or tyres with you wherever you train.
- Take family trips, work meeting, or friend's meet-up in the outdoors. Have motivational music playing on your iPod. Vary the training, location, duration etc
General
Our details regarding food, drink and rest, as well as avoiding unnecessary risks or starting too hard, will help to avoid injury. Begin carefully and increasing little by little. This will guarantee that you feel in good form, and ready for your next tour when we meet before travelling. We will gladly make a specific training and nutrition plan for our clients, with advice from our experts in this area. We wish you success with your training.
>> go back