If You Want to Get Better at Hiking…Don’t Just Hike
Building a Body That’s Ready for the Trail
Many aspiring hikers believe hiking more is the best way to improve their ability to hike. While hiking is an important part of becoming a better hiker, there's another piece that's often overlooked. The better prepared your body is for the demands of the trail, the less time you'll spend focused on burning legs and aching shoulders—and the more you'll be free to enjoy the views, the sounds, the smells, and the experience that called you outdoors in the first place.
How do you get better at tying your shoes?
Practice tying your shoes.
How do you get better at swimming?
Swim a lot.
How do you get better at hiking?
Most people would say,
"Just hike a lot."
It sounds perfectly reasonable.
In fact, it's probably the advice many aspiring hikers receive.
And while hiking itself is certainly important, it's also one of the biggest misconceptions I see when people prepare for the trail.
The Cardio Trap
When I worked at a gym, I saw it all the time.
People climbed onto treadmills and ellipticals as though those machines held the answer to every fitness question imaginable.
Sometimes I joked that you could ask an elliptical,
"Can you prove there's an afterlife?"
And it would reply,
"Get 20,000 steps on me every week for three months, and I'll show you."
Obviously, that's ridiculous.
But it illustrates how often we look for one piece of equipment—or one type of exercise—to solve every fitness problem.
Then I'd sit down with a new client and ask what they'd been doing for exercise.
More often than not, the answer was,
"I go for walks."
Usually on a treadmill.
Sometimes on an elliptical.
Now, don't get me wrong.
Walking, hiking, incline treadmills, and other forms of cardio are all valuable. They help improve our cardiovascular endurance and prepare our heart and lungs for the demands of longer adventures.
But over the years, I came to realize they often leave out an important piece of the puzzle.
One that many hikers never think about.
Strength.
Every Step Is a Strength Exercise
Every time we step onto a rock, climb over a fallen log, or push ourselves uphill, we're performing a single-leg strength exercise.
The stronger our legs become, the smaller percentage of our maximum strength each step requires.
Imagine two hikers climbing the same steep hill.
One can squat 300 pounds.
The other struggles to squat 100 pounds.
Every uphill step asks less of the stronger hiker because each step represents a smaller percentage of what their body is capable of producing.
Now imagine that the hiker who initially struggled to squat 100 pounds spends a few months strength training and increases their squat to 130 pounds.
That same hill suddenly feels more manageable.
Not because the hill became easier.
Because the hiker became stronger.
The hill hasn't changed.
Their capability has.
That's what resistance training, AKA strength training, really does.
It doesn't make the trail easier.
It makes us better prepared to meet the demands of the trail.
The outdoors doesn't become easier.
We become more capable of experiencing it.
That's why lower-body strength matters.
Exercises such as squats, split squats, lunges, Romanian deadlifts, and step-ups don't simply build muscle.
They increase our ability to climb, descend, balance on uneven terrain, and carry a backpack over long distances.
Simply put, the stronger we become, the less effort every step demands.
Don't Forget the Upper Body
When we think about hiking, most of us picture our legs doing all the work.
After all, most of us don't finish a hike to a beautiful waterfall thinking,
"Wow...my chest got a great workout today."
But think about the last trail you hiked.
Did you shoulder a backpack?
Use trekking poles?
Climb over a large downed tree?
Scramble up a steep section using your hands?
Catch yourself after slipping?
None of those are leg-only movements.
Every one of them recruits your shoulders, chest, back, arms, and core.
A stronger upper body helps you carry a pack more comfortably, maintain better posture over long distances, use trekking poles more effectively, and recover more easily from the unexpected moments every trail eventually throws your way.
Think of your body like a suspension bridge.
Your legs provide much of the power.
The rest of the structure keeps everything stable.
If one part is weak, the entire bridge becomes less efficient.
That's why preparing for hiking isn't just about stronger legs.
It's about building a stronger body.
The stronger your entire body becomes, the more confidently you can move through the outdoors—whether you're climbing a mountain, crossing a stream, or simply enjoying a long day on the trail.
Why Hiking Isn't the Same as Strength Training
At this point, we might be thinking,
"If hiking works my legs so hard, why do I need resistance training at all?"
It's a fair question.
After a long hike or a steep treadmill workout, our legs are tired.
They burn.
They may even be sore the next day.
Our muscles are absolutely working.
But the primary goal of hiking, walking, and incline cardio is to improve our cardiovascular endurance—our ability to keep moving for longer periods of time.
Resistance training serves a different purpose.
Its goal is to increase the amount of force our muscles can produce.
That's an important distinction.
Hiking challenges the strength we already have.
Resistance training helps us build more.
Over time, those strength gains carry over to the trail.
That's why hiking and resistance training don't compete with one another.
They complement one another.
When we understand what the trail is actually asking of our body, it becomes clear why preparing for it requires more than one kind of training.
Capability Is the Goal
The purpose of strength training isn't to become the strongest person in the gym.
It isn't to build massive muscles.
It's to become more capable outside of it.
To climb hills with less effort.
To descend with more control.
To carry a backpack with greater confidence.
To recover more quickly.
To say "yes" to adventures that might once have felt beyond your ability.
Not because one form of training is more important than another.
But because together they prepare you for the trail.
Most of us don't head into the outdoors to focus on burning legs, aching shoulders, or how much farther we have to go.
We go for the mountain views.
The sound of a creek winding through the forest.
The smell of pine after a summer rain.
The quiet moments we can't find anywhere else.
The better prepared your body is for the demands of the trail, the more freedom you have to experience the reason you went there in the first place.
Hike More...Train Smarter
So...
Should we hike?
Absolutely.
Hike whenever we can.
Walk during lunch.
Take the stairs.
Use the treadmill if that’s the only option available at the time.
Ruck through the neighborhood.
Spend time outdoors.
Every mile teaches us something.
But don't let hiking and cardio become the only way we prepare for hiking.
Build stronger legs.
Strengthen our upper body.
Develop a resilient core.
Keep improving our cardiovascular endurance.
Each form of training develops something a little different.
Together, they prepare us for the trail.
The goal isn't to replace hiking.
It's to enjoy it more.
🥾 Questions from the Trail
Q: If I only have time for one thing, should I hike or strength train?
A: If your goal is to become a better hiker, spend time on the trail whenever you can. Hiking teaches you how to move over uneven terrain, develops trail confidence, improves cardiovascular endurance, and reminds you why you're training in the first place.
However, if hiking is the only way you prepare, you'll eventually reach a point where additional hikes produce diminishing returns. Adding strength training helps build the capability that makes every hike feel easier and more enjoyable.
Q: Will hiking alone make my legs stronger?
A: Yes—to a point.
Hiking absolutely challenges your leg muscles, especially on steep climbs and descents. Over time, you'll become better conditioned for hiking.
However, the primary adaptation is improved endurance, not maximal strength.
Dedicated resistance training allows you to progressively overload your muscles in a way hiking alone cannot, increasing your ability to produce force and making each step require a smaller percentage of your overall strength.
Q: I don't want to become bulky. Do I still need strength training?
A: Absolutely.
Building the kind of strength that makes hiking easier doesn't require becoming a bodybuilder.
The goal isn't to build massive muscles.
The goal is to become more capable.
Think of strength training as preparing your body for the demands of the trail—not for a bodybuilding competition.
Q: What if I'm not strong enough to start strength training?
A: That's exactly where everyone starts.
One of the biggest misconceptions about strength training is that you have to begin with heavy weights.
You don't.
Strength training simply means challenging your muscles a little more than they're used to.
For some people, that may mean lifting a barbell.
For others, it may mean bodyweight squats, push-ups against a countertop, or rows with a resistance band.
All of those are legitimate forms of strength training.
Choose a level of resistance that allows you to perform the movement with good control while still feeling challenged by the final few repetitions.
As your body adapts, you'll gradually become stronger, and the exercises that once felt difficult will begin to feel more manageable.
Sometimes bodyweight exercises and resistance bands are all you need to begin building the strength that makes hiking feel easier.
The goal isn't to start heavy.
The goal is simply to become a little more capable than you were yesterday.
Q: Can I just use the treadmill on an incline instead of lifting weights?
A: Incline walking is an excellent way to build cardiovascular endurance and prepare for climbing hills.
Keep doing it.
Just recognize that it serves a different purpose than resistance training.
A complete hiking program includes hiking, cardio, and strength training because each develops a different quality that contributes to your experience on the trail.
Q: What's one strength exercise every hiker should include?
A: There isn't just one.
The trail calls on your entire body.
A well-rounded program should include movements that strengthen your:
Lower body (squats, lunges, step-ups)
Upper body pushing muscles (push-ups, presses)
Upper body pulling muscles (rows, pull-ups, pulldowns)
Core (planks, carries, anti-rotation exercises)
Rather than searching for one "magic" exercise, focus on becoming stronger through each of these fundamental movement patterns.
Q: What's the biggest mistake aspiring hikers make?
A: Believing they have to choose between hiking, other forms of cardio, and strength training.
You don't.
Each serves a different purpose.
Hike to improve your trail skills, build cardiovascular endurance, and experience the reason you're training in the first place.
Other forms of cardio help develop the aerobic endurance needed to keep moving, especially when getting outside or onto a trail isn't practical.
Strength training builds the capability to climb hills with less effort, descend with more control, carry a backpack more comfortably, and move confidently over uneven terrain.
The strongest hikers don't choose one over the others.
They use all three to become more capable—and to enjoy every mile a little more.
Your Turn
When you first started preparing for hiking, what did you think was the most important form of training?
Has your perspective changed?
The Trail Journal is about more than my experiences—it's about ours.
If this article brought something to mind, I'd love to hear it. Leave a comment below and join the conversation. Your experience might encourage someone who's just beginning their own journey.
If you'd rather share your story or ask a question privately, you're always welcome to email me at coachlee@trailtone90.com.
I'd love to hear from you.
If I can say one thing before we part it’s this: Fitness should support life—not become your life. Thanks for joining me!
— Coach Lee
