Get ready for the part of the trek that actually breaks people.
Almost nobody struggles on day one. It goes wrong on the accumulation: four days in, tired legs, a pack that gets heavier every hour, and long descents that punish knees nothing in a normal week prepares you for. This is an 8-week plan built for those days, whether you want to feel stronger on your local weekend hikes or arrive ready for Everest Base Camp, the Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro, or Annapurna.
IS THIS YOU?
- You hike on weekends and feel fine, but you’ve never done four hard days back to back.
- You’ve never carried a loaded pack downhill for three hours.
- You’re going with a group or a guide, and you’d rather not be the one everyone waits for.
- Your training so far is stairs, cardio, or whatever the guide company sent, and you’re not sure it adds up to anything.
- You’ve booked, or you’re dreaming of, a bigger trek: Everest Base Camp, Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro, Annapurna.
- You can train a few times a week. No experience on big mountains needed.
WHAT YOU’LL BE READY FOR
- Your local trails and weekend hikes, climbs included, without dreading them.
- Long days on the trail, back to back, without falling apart.
- Carrying a pack over uneven ground with confidence.
- The descents that punish unprepared knees.
- Higher altitude, on a body that has done the work.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- 8-week plan, up to 4 days a week, 40 to 60 minute sessions.
- Trek-specific strength, cardio, and stability every week.
- A video for every movement, so technique is clear.
- Warm-ups and accessory work built into each session.
- Scaling options that meet you at your starting point.
WORTH KEEPING IN MIND
If you’ve booked the trip, you’ve already spent thousands on flights, permits, a guide and gear, and you get one attempt at it. The training is the cheapest part of the whole thing and the only part that decides how the days actually feel.
And if you haven’t booked anything yet, this still pays for itself on the local trails you’ll do in the meantime.
WHICH PLAN IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
- Training for a big trek, or building strength for long days on trail? You’re in the right place.
- Already handle long loaded days and eyeing glaciated peaks like Rainier or Mont Blanc? Step up to the 10-Week Mountaineering Fitness Plan.
A NOTE ON WHERE YOU’RE STARTING
This isn’t about how fit you are right now. Plenty of strong gym-goers have never spent days on a trail at altitude, and plenty of people start from scratch. This plan builds the specific fitness a trek demands, and it scales to wherever you begin. Start it now rather than waiting for your trip to get close. The plan is yours forever, so the best approach is to build a base with it now and then do it again in the eight weeks before you fly, going in stronger the second time.
Not sure yet? Try a week of it.
Enter your email and we’ll send a free sample week from the training plan.
Alexander Schifferegger (verified owner) –
I am 65 yr old man. Preparing to trek in Nepal in April. So far I love this program very helpful with a diversity of exercise and very capable to meet my age. Time will come to see if my preparation was tune to my body. Highly recommended.
Carmen Săndulescu (verified owner) –
I climbed Kilimanjaro a month ago and prepared with the 6-week program and many mountain climbs. Although I found the program a little hard, it still helped me strengthen my muscles, especially since I have problems with my knees. I can say that the program is a success, I reached the summit first in my group and I will continue to train with the 8 week program to keep fit. Thank you, Serge Smith
Dunja Alexander (verified owner) –
I'm 61 and very much a beginner having no experience in hiking. My husband and I decided this would be our new hobby and booked a hiking trip to NZ doing the Milford sound track. After searching, I loved following ascent ready the most and signed up for the beginner program. I love it. After a month, I've already noticed a huge difference in my fitness. We're currently travelling around Australia doing some incredible hikes with ease. We are so motivated to continue and improve. Our NZ hike is in Jan and I'm already planning our following hike in Scotland. We are so motivated to continue this fitness program for as long as we are able for the way it makes us feel and things we're able to achieve. We're hooked.
Guy –
A Success Story
Not being a long term hiker, walker or trekker and being 65+ I have been very impressed at the way the program has helped me improve so much over the 4 weeks I did before a trip to Switzerland and beyond.
Let me be honest and say it's not easy! You have to work at it, having someone else doing it with you helps a great deal or you have to be quite disciplined.
You'll also wonder why the structure of the plan has the different preparation, conditional modals and non walking exercises, but the plan is working on the whole body and progressively building up stamina, body parts, balance and your mental attitude towards walking.
You don't have to go to the gym or have special equipment (dumbbells and resistance bands is all I have) as you can adapt, improvise and be creative with the exercises, just follow the intention of the exercise.
The videos are a huge help and it's a good idea to study them carefully as technique is all important not just getting through the exercise.
I don't have a big hike planned or aimed for but the program is still well worth doing if you just want to walk, hike or trek more. I won't be fazed if a big one does come up (it is very likely my girlfriend has one in the background) and I will carry on to complete to whole program and even repeat it to maintain the results.
Try it yourself and you will see the benefit.
Suzanne Waite –
This training program was the gift I needed to be able to tackle my age and my knees issues and make me stronger and fitter.
Valeria Franco (verified owner) –
It's a really good program, easy to follow and understand. Also, the video references that they give to you help a lot to reach the propose of the program. i recommend to anyone this program
Luis –
The Beginner Trekking Fitness Plan is a good training program for people without hiking experience who only wants to improve their fitness level and enjoy hiking to the top to see the amazing views.
Since the first training day, you will notice improvement in your fitness level. I've following this program for the last month and I was able to climeb a 3K meters mountain without fatigue, that was cool!!!
Tony –
We’re training for Te Araroa and find the pace and build of the AscentReady beginner 8 week ideal. We’re four weeks in, motivated and we’ll get ready!!
ROBERT SOSNOWSKI (verified owner) –
Nice workout, well described positions. Nice videos.
Christine Fosberg (verified owner) –
This is such a great program!! I love that it has all components in the workouts, strength/weight training, mountain-specific mobility/movements and high intensity as well as low intensity conditioning. And it's put together in a way that you forget the time, and it seems much shorter. This is honestly the perfect everyday training program, even if you're not training for a hike but for overall fitness!!!