If you’re preparing for a hiking adventure, strength training can be an important part of getting ready for the trail. Hiking requires more than cardiovascular endurance. Long climbs, steep descents, uneven terrain, and carrying a backpack all place demands on your legs, hips, core, and upper body.
This 30-day strength training plan for hikers is designed to help you build the strength and stability needed for hiking, backpacking, and longer days on the trail.
You’ll strength train three days each week while still leaving room for walking, hiking, cardio, and recovery. The first two weeks focus on building a strong foundation. During Weeks 3 and 4, you’ll gradually increase the challenge.
Whether you’re relatively new to hiking or preparing for a bigger adventure, you can adjust the exercises and resistance to your current fitness level.
Why Strength Training Is Important for Hikers
Walking and hiking should be a big part of preparing for a hiking trip, but strength training prepares your body differently.
Think about what happens over the course of a hike. Your legs repeatedly propel you uphill, control your body as you descend, and stabilize you as you move across rocks, roots, and uneven terrain. If you’re backpacking, you’re doing all of that while carrying additional weight.
For hikers, I like to focus on:
- Squatting and stepping movements
- Single-leg strength
- Glute and hip strength
- Hamstring and posterior-chain strength
- Calf strength
- Core stability
- Upper-body and back strength
You don’t need complicated workouts or hours in the gym. A few well-chosen exercises performed consistently can build a strong foundation for the trail.
What You’ll Need for This 30-Day Plan
You can do this program at home or in a gym.
Ideally, you’ll have:
- A pair of dumbbells
- A sturdy step or bench
- An exercise mat
- A backpack
- Resistance bands if available
Don’t have dumbbells? A loaded backpack can work for several of the exercises.
Choose a resistance that allows you to complete the prescribed repetitions with good form while making the final few repetitions challenging.
Weekly Training Schedule
You’ll complete three strength workouts each week.
Monday: Lower Body & Hiking Strength
Tuesday: Easy walk, cardio, or recovery
Wednesday: Upper Body & Core
Thursday: Rest or easy cardio
Friday: Full-Body Hiking Strength
Saturday: Hike, longer walk, or recovery
Sunday: Rest
You don’t have to follow these exact days. Adjust the schedule around your life and other training while allowing enough recovery between harder workouts.
If you’re already hiking frequently or doing other demanding training, you may need additional recovery.
Weeks 1 & 2: Build Your Strength Foundation
During the first two weeks, concentrate on learning the exercises, using good form, and finding the right resistance.
Day 1: Lower Body & Hiking Strength
1. Goblet Squat — 3 sets of 10–12 reps
Hold a dumbbell at your chest. Sit your hips down and back, keep your feet planted, and drive through your legs to return to standing.
If you’re new to strength training, start with a bodyweight squat.
2. Step-Ups — 3 sets of 8–10 reps per leg
Use a sturdy step or bench. Place your entire foot on the step and drive through the working leg as you stand.
Step-ups are one of my favorite exercises for hikers because they help build the strength you’ll use repeatedly when climbing.
3. Reverse Lunges — 3 sets of 8–10 reps per leg
Step backward into your lunge and return to standing with control. Start with bodyweight or add dumbbells for more resistance.
4. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift — 3 sets of 10–12 reps
Keep a slight bend in your knees and hinge at your hips while keeping the weights close to your legs. Focus on using your glutes and hamstrings as you return to standing.
5. Calf Raises — 3 sets of 15–20 reps
Rise onto your toes slowly and lower with control. Use a wall or other support for balance if needed.
Day 3: Upper Body & Core
Your legs do much of the work while hiking, but upper-body and core strength are also important, especially when you’re carrying a backpack or using trekking poles.
1. Dumbbell Rows — 3 sets of 10–12 reps per side
Keep your torso stable and pull the dumbbell toward your side.
2. Push-Ups — 3 sets of 8–12 reps
Use an elevated surface such as a bench if a floor push-up is too challenging.
3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press — 3 sets of 8–10 reps
Keep your core engaged as you press the weights overhead.
4. Dead Bug — 3 sets of 8–10 reps per side
Move slowly and concentrate on keeping your trunk controlled throughout the movement.
5. Side Plank — 3 sets of 20–30 seconds per side
Keep your hips lifted and your body in a strong position. Modify from your knees if necessary.
Day 5: Full-Body Hiking Strength
1. Dumbbell Squat — 3 sets of 10 reps
Use a resistance that feels challenging while still allowing good form.
2. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift — 3 sets of 8 reps per leg
Use a wall or other support if balance becomes the limiting factor.
3. Step-Ups — 3 sets of 8 reps per leg
Add dumbbells if bodyweight step-ups are comfortable.
4. Farmer Carry — 3 sets of 30–60 seconds
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and walk while maintaining an upright posture.
Loaded carries are particularly useful for building total-body strength and preparing your body to manage additional load.
5. Plank — 3 sets of 30–45 seconds
Maintain a strong position without allowing your hips to drop.
Weeks 3 & 4: Increase the Challenge
For the second half of the program, you don’t need an entirely new set of exercises.
Instead, build on what you’ve already been doing.
You can progress by:
- Increasing the weight
- Adding 1–2 repetitions
- Adding set to selected exercises
- Slowing down the lowering portion of an exercise
- Slightly increasing the height of your step-ups
Don’t increase everything at once. Choose a reasonable progression while maintaining good form.
Day 1: Lower Body & Hiking Strength
1. Goblet Squat — 4 sets of 8–10 reps
Increase the resistance if you were comfortably completing your sets during Weeks 1 and 2.
2. Weighted Step-Ups — 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
Hold dumbbells or use a loaded backpack.
3. Reverse Lunges — 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
Add resistance if appropriate.
4. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift — 3 sets of 10 reps
Increase the resistance while maintaining control.
5. Single-Leg Calf Raises — 3 sets of 10–15 reps per leg
Use support for balance if needed.
Day 3: Upper Body & Core
1. Dumbbell Rows — 3 sets of 10 reps per side
Increase the resistance when you can complete all repetitions comfortably.
2. Push-Ups — 3 sets of 10–15 reps
If you’ve been using an elevated surface, progress toward a lower surface or floor push-up when appropriate.
3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press — 3 sets of 10 reps
4. Suitcase Carry — 3 sets of 30–45 seconds per side
Hold one dumbbell at your side and walk while keeping your torso upright. Resist the tendency to lean toward the weight.
5. Side Plank — 3 sets of 30–45 seconds per side
Day 5: Full-Body Hiking Strength
1. Goblet Squat — 3 sets of 8–10 reps
2. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift — 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
3. Weighted Step-Ups — 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
4. Farmer Carry — 3 sets of 45–60 seconds
5. Plank Shoulder Taps — 3 sets of 10 reps per side
Try to keep your hips stable as you alternate hands.
Don’t Forget to Actually Hike
Strength training is only one part of preparing for hiking.
You’ll also want to spend time walking, hiking, climbing hills, or using stairs so your body becomes accustomed to sustained movement.
As your trip approaches, gradually increase the length and difficulty of your hikes. If you live somewhere without easy access to hills, stairs, a treadmill incline, or a stair-climbing machine can help supplement your training.
If you’re preparing for backpacking, gradually introduce your pack as well. Start lighter and work toward the load you expect to carry rather than jumping immediately to your full trip weight.
Train for Downhill Hiking Too
It’s easy to concentrate on climbing because that’s when you may notice your heart rate climbing and your legs working hard.
But long descents can be demanding too.
Your quadriceps repeatedly work to control your body as you lower yourself with each step. That’s one reason hikers can feel surprisingly sore after a hike with a lot of elevation loss.
Squats, lunges, and step-ups all help build lower-body strength, but you can also add:
Controlled Step-Downs — 2–3 sets of 8–10 reps per leg
Stand on a low step and slowly lower one heel toward the ground before returning to the starting position. Focus on control rather than speed.
For more specific downhill preparation, read my Strength Training for Downhill Hiking: 5 Best Exercises guide.
How Heavy Should You Lift?
There isn’t one perfect weight for everyone.
Choose a weight that makes the final few repetitions of a set challenging while still allowing you to maintain good technique.
If you finish a set and feel like you could easily perform many more repetitions, it’s probably time to increase the resistance.
If you can’t complete the prescribed repetitions without your form breaking down, reduce the weight.
Progress gradually rather than trying to make every workout harder than the last.
Can Beginners Follow This Plan?
Yes. The plan can be adjusted for beginners.
If you’re new to strength training, you might start with two strength workouts per week instead of three. You can also begin with bodyweight versions of squats, lunges, and step-ups before adding resistance.
Don’t worry about progressing as quickly as someone with more strength-training experience. Consistency and good movement quality are more important than lifting heavy weights.
If you have an injury, significant pain, or a medical condition that affects your ability to exercise, speak with an appropriate healthcare professional before beginning a new exercise program.
What Should You Do After the 30 Days?
Thirty days can help you establish a consistent strength routine, but preparing for a major hiking trip often takes longer.
If your adventure is still several months away, continue progressing your strength training while gradually increasing your hiking volume and terrain-specific training.
For longer preparation, follow my 12-Week Hiking Training Plan, which combines strength, endurance, hills, and progressive hiking.
If you’re specifically preparing to carry a pack, my 6-Week Backpacking Training Plan includes strength, cardio, hiking, and progressive pack training.
Build Strength for Your Next Hiking Adventure
The goal of strength training for hiking isn’t simply to get stronger in the gym. You want that strength to help when you’re climbing a long hill, navigating uneven terrain, carrying your backpack, or finishing the final miles of a long day.
Start where you are, progress gradually, and combine your strength training with regular walking and hiking.
And if you have a specific trip on the calendar and would rather have a program built around your current fitness level, schedule, available equipment, and the adventure you’re preparing for, Aspire for Adventure offers personalized online hiking training for hikers preparing for day hikes, backpacking trips, multi-day treks, and bigger adventures.