Hike Strong: The Complete Guide to Building Mountain Strength, Endurance, and Confidence for Hiking and Backpacking

Hiking and backpacking are unique “sports” which require a unique blend of strength, conditioning, and athleticism unlike most recreational physical endeavors. People need strength to climb steep ascents, conditioning to endure long mile days, and athleticism to handle their own body on rugged terrain. Now add on the harsh, rugged conditions of the mountains and it can be a recipe for struggle – but it doesn’t have to be.

Hike Strong: The Complete Guide to Building Trail Strength, Endurance, and Confidence for Hiking and Backpacking will help alleviate the “fitness anxiety” that some can experience when thinking about tackling the mountain they’ve always wanted to climb. Written by a licensed hiking guide and professional strength and conditioning coach, this book will be a transformative fitness guide designed for outdoor enthusiasts who want to confidently enjoy the trail. This guide will offer a practical, step-by-step approach to preparing readers both physically and mentally so they can arrive at any trailhead fully confident in their abilities. The tools and programming they’ll learn will help them feel strong and perform well from trailhead to summit and back again.

In Hike Strong, readers will find training programs that combine strength-building, conditioning, balance, and mobility tailored specifically to the demands of hiking and backpacking. They’ll also learn the “why” and “how” behind these programs. Conventional wisdom has told people to “just go running” to get in shape for hiking. This guide takes a vastly different approach and instead teaches that strength training is the way to properly prepare oneself for the demands of the backcountry. The author’s training modalities have been proven over and over by the successful results his clients have experienced in the mountains following his training program. This book will inspire readers to be excited to embark on new adventures, knowing they have the tools to make every step of the adventure a rewarding one.

James Appleton, a licensed outdoors guide and certified professional strength and conditioning coach, lives in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in Lake Placid, NY. James is the founder and head coach at his own online fitness company, Seek To Do More – a holistic training platform where he coaches outdoor adventurers to become the strongest version of themselves both in the mountains and in their lives.

He is the host of The 46 of 46 Podcast, the premier outdoors podcast that brings the mountains, trails, lakes, and stories of the Adirondack Park to listeners nationally and internationally. To date his podcast has been downloaded over 500,000 times. Many listeners have referred to James as a “natural born storyteller”. He has personally coached over 60 people to date, specifically building the proper strength and conditioning to summit mountains. He ties in lessons learned on trail to everyday life and helps clients directly apply those lessons to become stronger versions of themselves on the trail and in their lives.

At his core, James’ mission is to help other people realize how strong they truly are and help them build the confidence and grit within themselves to tackle any mountain- whether in the backcountry or in their life. He is married with three daughters, and enjoys a simple, quiet life in the Adirondacks.