Mountain

This past Friday I reached the summit of Mt Shasta. It was my first attempt at a “14er” and to prep for it I followed your “Peak Bagger” programming. The type fitness needed to succeed on Shasta was very different than my typical work as a SWAT operator. After completing “Peak Bagger” which was physically and mentally rigorous, my body and mind were more than prepared to meet the challenges on the mountain. After two days on the mountain including a 13 + hour summit day and down hike to the car my legs still felt strong. The next day, no soreness. What you are putting out there really works! Thank you for what you do. Looking forward to my next challenge. – J

Just back from the High Andes of Peru. I did the Big Mountain Training Program program before I left. Worked like a champ. Put on a ton of weight, legs were unstoppable. Great program.

Rob,

Just wanted to take a moment and tell you that I was in Jackson in late August and climbed the Grand with Exum. I thought I would be ready for an early morning workout with you on Friday, the morning after the Climb was completed, but it turned I was a little beat to say the least and then had to leave for Vermont . Mike Kirby was my Guide and said he knew you and Ben Gilmore was the instructor for me and several others in the classes and I spoke with him about this experience with your programs and I had seen him on a couple of your web site videos, so it was a nice connection.

I worked the Big Mountain Program prior to climbing and am so glad I did. I could not imagine making that effort at that altitude without the benefit of having worked your program. My fitness was especially noticeable on the early morning climb to the summit which was a most anaerobic and mammoth natural “stair climber.’’ I was fortunate not to have headaches or other complications from altitude and I think a large part was due to an increased fitness level. I felt that I could hold my own and feel inspired to start the program over again. I injured my right leg in mid-May which plagued me through-out the summer, but I was able to time things so I could summit and descend without too much leg difficulty.

In any event, I want to return and when I do, plan on getting together with you . Thanks so much for your programs and web site, both are excellent.

It has been close to a year now since my injury and I wanted to say thanks for your help and programming. It was hard getting back into the groove of working out and not being afraid of re-injuring myself, but your low back training plan allowed me to get back to doing the things I love. I am happy to report that this January I was able to summit Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and Chimborazo in succession (~19k, 18k, and 20k feet respectively) with no problems whatsoever! I have also been able to begin pushing myself on sport and trad again. I am very excited for this spring climbing season.

Just thought I’d share, and wanted to say thanks once again.

I just returned from a fantastic trip with Angela Hawse (who sings your praises!) and three other women on which we climbed and skied Mt. Elbrus in Russia. On the advice of my daughter, who lives in Jackson, I followed your backcountry ski training program to train for this adventure.  I’ve been weight training on my own for over 30 years, but have never had a trainer or followed a regimented program. Let me tell you that your program was fantastic!  I was motivated, got a feeling of accomplishment after every workout and felt great every step of the way on Elbrus.  Even with the slight modifications I made in some of the exercises to protect my aging knees, the program has brought me to a new level of fitness

I have completed numerous of your programs including Bodyweight, Peak Bagger, and have been recently incorporating Core Strength into my fitness routine.  I think what you have done here for folks whom, in my case, recreate in alpine sports is a gift, and I thank you.  I have turned-on many people to your work, and will continue to do so.

Thank you for this (Freeski) program. I used to compete in the IFSA comps, coached the Winter Park Juniors and now patrol at Vail. I use this program for injury-prevention as well as to further enhance my working ability and skiing. I cannot sell this program enough to my friends and co-workers (though most of my co-workers are old crumudgens who are stuck in their own ways). My strength has improved dramatically with each training session. My injury recovery time is almost nothing (I had an old knee injury resurface last winter and was back within the week), and my general fitness is the best it has ever been. I trail-run on my lunch breaks at work in the summer, on the hill and have never been able to run as far, as fast or enjoy myself as much as I do since starting Mountain Athlete. Gym-wise, my bench has gone from a 135# 3rep max to a 180# 4rep max (I have never been able to bench my weight, let alone more), and my squats are now up 50#, my cleans are up 30# and my sprints are faster than ever. My job requires everything from skiing hard, fast and safely, to carrying everything heavy on skis or in boots, to hiking, to running rigs in the winter and I am stronger than most of my co-workers, even at 168# of personal weight. I also lost twelve pounds this summer, after taking a break in the spring. Thank you again

I’ve been climbing the past 4 days, really the first time in 5 months since I’ve sport climbed (since the injury).  Yesterday I was feeling a lot better, mentally and physically, every 5.10a I got on I climbed clean. There was this 5.11a  route that I tried it a few times this spring and couldn’t get it, went back a few weekends later tried it again and still couldn’t get it clean. I hopped on it yesterday thinking that I would probably struggle up it and I did it clean the first try, no falls, no takes! 5 months without climbing and I climb a 5.11a, everyone said “oh you’ll come back stronger” and I thought it was bullshit. I want to thank you, Matt, and Jordan for having the patience to let me come in and train with my injury and helping me come back stronger then I was before. Thanks again.

I’ve been doing the operator sessions for the past … 6-8 months. This past Thursday I participated in a large search for a missing hiker in the mountains just east of Seattle. During the search I traversed 12-13 miles of very difficult terrain, most of it off trail. Thanks in no small part to your training program, I was able to be an effective searcher throughout the day and not be limited by physical fatigue. Further I was able to recover overnight such that I was back in the gym the next day.

Thank you for the Big Game Hunting program, after completing this I went on my mountain goat hunt put on over 44 miles in the most rugged terrain that Montana has to offer and didn’t even notice it, even when we packed camp and the goat out (in the same load).  I will be doing this every year before hunting season for the rest of my life.