Mountain Tough's Year-Round Training Cycle for Backcountry Hunters

At MTNTOUGH, we believe in treating your body as gear and embracing an always ready mindset. That's why our Backcountry Hunter series follows a structured, year-long training progression built around the hunting season. This cycle ensures you're building strength, endurance, and resilience continuously—so you can hunt harder, longer, and more effectively.

Whether you're a seasoned backcountry hunter or just getting into rugged mountain pursuits, this philosophy applies. The cycle provides a clear start and end tied to the season, but anyone can jump in and adapt it.

Our Four-Phase Training Cycle

We divide the year into four distinct phases, each with specific goals to optimize your performance in the mountains.

1. Pre-Season Prep (16 Weeks)

This is where we get you as fit as possible to handle consecutive long days in rugged terrain and high altitude.

• Early phases — Focus on building strength and resilience.
• Later phases — Shift to lower body endurance, cardiovascular fitness, and mountain-specific durability.

The best time to start the cycle is right before this phase—preparing you to crush the season from day one.

2. In-Season Training (8 Weeks)

Once hunting season hits, the priority changes to maintenance and health.

Long days in the backcountry naturally lead to strength loss and body weight drops. This block dials back the cardio intensity while helping you:

• Maintain hard-earned strength
• Stay injury-free
• Finish the season strong

3. Post-Season Strength (16 Weeks)

After season ends, many hunters want to rest—but this is prime time to rebuild.

We've likely lost muscle mass during the hunt, so we focus on:

• Rebuilding a rock-solid foundation
• Strength gains
• Hypertrophy (muscle building)

This phase sets you up for explosive progress in the next block.

4. Spring Training Camp (8 Weeks)

With a strong base rebuilt, we now layer on power and advanced conditioning.

Goals here include:

• Developing explosive power
• Building lower body endurance
• Challenging your cardiovascular system
• Testing physical and mental toughness with demanding workouts

This bridges perfectly back into Pre-Season Prep, closing the loop.

A Cycle Built for Progression

Complete Spring Training Camp, and you're ready to roll right back into Pre-Season Prep. The Backcountry Hunter series is designed to be repeated year after year, with you getting stronger, fitter, and more capable each cycle.

We incorporate this seasonal approach across all our programs, so you'll see similar progressions wherever you train with MTNTOUGH.

Note: The Backcountry Hunter series is programmed for intermediate to elite athletes. If you're just starting your fitness journey, begin with our On-Ramp programming and progress into our Foundation programs before diving in.

Final Thought: Your Body Is Gear

Invest in it like you would your best rifle or pack. Train year-round with MTNTOUGH, hunt harder, and stay always ready.

Ready to get Mountain Tough? Jump into the cycle today and build the body that conquers the backcountry.