HikeStrong Podcast
The HikeStrong Podcast is where I share practical guidance on hiking, backpacking, and trekking preparation. Each episode blends fitness insight with real-world training strategies to help you build strength, endurance, and confidence for any trail.
I sit down with guests to break down how to train for demanding hiking, backpacking, and trekking goals using smart strength training, endurance training, and conditioning approaches. You’ll hear clear advice on altitude training, uphill training, and injury prevention, all woven into training conversations that support preparation for major destinations such as Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, Rim to Rim, Tour du Mont Blanc, the Camino de Santiago, Patagonia, Machu Picchu, the Alps, and the Dolomites.
Because training is never one‑size‑fits‑all, I also bring listeners inside real programs. In select episodes, I interview clients in a deep‑dive format that reveals week‑by‑week training details — real data, real challenges, and real solutions — offering a clearer picture of how people actually prepare for hiking, backpacking, and trekking goals.
A cornerstone of my approach is elevation‑gain training. I believe that consistently building weekly elevation gain is one of the strongest predictors of success on any major adventure. In each episode, I share clear, actionable ways to develop that strength — even if you don’t have access to hiking terrain — so you can stay on track whether you train on hills, treadmills, stair machines, or step‑ups.
If you're preparing for a major trip, gearing up for a multi-day backpacking route, or building a long-term plan for tougher hiking or trekking challenges, you’ll find episodes that support every step of your training.
Beyond training, some episodes feature voices from across the hiking, backpacking, and trekking worlds — guides, operators, storytellers, and industry experts whose insights can shape how you think about adventure. These conversations broaden your perspective and influence your outdoor experiences, even when the focus isn’t directly on training.
Listen, train with purpose, share with your adventure partners — then take on at least one unforgettable hiking, backpacking, or trekking experience each year. Train | Hike | Repeat
I’m Marcus Shapiro, a hiking strength and conditioning coach and an early pioneer in online training for hiking, backpacking, and trekking, helping adventurers get physically ready for everything from local elevation goals to high-altitude expeditions.
HikeStrong Podcast
A Hiker’s Story: From Doubt to Determination | Exercise to Hiking-Focused Training | Kili to Backpacking | Hike Strong Podcast | Ep. 14
In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Renee—one of my amazing clients living in Montana at the time of her successful summit, now living in Alaska. Even if Kilimanjaro isn’t on your radar, you’ll find plenty of motivation and training nuggets here for anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by a big, iconic hike. Renee was 40 when she tackled the 19,341-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and later braved a demanding Alaskan backpacking trip.
I’m Marcus Shapiro, hiking strength and conditioning coach and founder of FitForTrips.com. Join me as I sit down with Renee to explore how she conquered these epic adventures—and how her lessons can help you reach your own hiking goals.
Renee spent four years eyeing Kilimanjaro’s high-altitude summit. When a 20-mile test hike in the Tetons with 4,200 feet of elevation gain showed her she needed a structured training plan, she reached out for my coaching support. You’ll hear how we set her weekly goals, stayed in sync with Sunday-night check-ins, and used strategies like stair climbing to maximize her success. From building confidence to protecting her knees, the payoff was huge—and the summit itself turned out to be far easier than she’d ever imagined.
Stay tuned to the end because, after Kilimanjaro, Renee tapped me again for an Alaskan backpacking adventure. Her experience—and testimonial—on that trip is just as powerful, proving that with the right training, no trail is too big to tackle.
Ask Me How To Get Fit For Your Next Hike, Trek or Backpacking Trip:
https://fitfortrips.com/consultation/
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https://fitfortrips.com/free-hiking-training-plan/
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