TRAINING PHILOSOPHY

❌ To be adventure fit, you don’t need to:

❌ Spend lots of money on trendy but aimless gym classes - one unnamed neon lit gym charges £28 per class! With precious free time, you must ask yourself is this the most effective session to help me achieve my goals or am I just jumping on a trend…

❌ Be ripped - if it happens then it should be a side effect of a healthy diet and good training but unless you’re overweight, it has little bearing on your ability use your body - don’t be mislead by social media.

❌ Follow an extreme diet - while you should follow a healthy & balanced diet, you need to be able to perform regardless of what food is on offer.

❌ Train 5, 6, 7 days a week - train whenever you can. Some weeks will be great, others won’t, don’t worry if you have to miss a few sessions.

❌ Sacrifice the fun, care free elements of your life - be healthy 70-80% of the time but save plenty of time for pizza, beers and having a good time. We reserve time on every adventure trip for fun & social.

✅ What you do need is:

✅ An ability to endure the elements come rain, snow or shine - you can’t predict the weather for any adventure trip, race or expedition. We spend too much time permanently sheltered in cities (particularly London!).

✅ A robust body resistant to injury - the biggest enemy to your fitness goals and adventure readiness. Strength training, mobility work, good technique, recovery and not progressing too quickly are all essential.

✅ A solid aerobic base - very few activities full stop are not helped by having a solid aerobic base. You should spend a large part of your training time building your aerobic capacity through running, cycling, hiking etc.

✅ A strong body capable of getting you to places you might not ordinarily be able to reach. Strength is equally important for adventure / event fitness and should also be prioritised. You don’t have to squat 300kg… but you should strengthen legs and core as a priority.

✅ The mental resilience to adapt and change plans if needed - maybe that remote trail run is too dangerous or you’ve forgotten an essential bit of kit - be comfortable responding to the situation.

✅ Set yourself short and long term goals - running races, HYROX comps, climbing targets - these are all tools to focus your training and keep you motivated. You should almost always have an event or goal in mind.

✅ Use a programme - buy one, work with a coach or create your own; a programme will help keep you accountable and on track. It’s hard to always know what to do in a session unless it’s part of a bigger plan.

✅ Train with purpose - there should be a ‘golden thread’ throughout all your training. This is essential! All (safe) exercise is good exercise but if you’re limited on time, don’t waste sessions in your week. Everything should link together and work towards your goal.

✅ The confidence to say yes to anything - last-minute trail run? Random hiking invite? Impromptu ski trip? Being fit for adventure and having all those components means you’re ready for anything.

✅ A team to train and explore with - progress is easier (and more fun) when you’re surrounded by people who lift you up and push you further.

✅ Ignore the influencers - you’re not “unfit” because you don’t run 5-minute miles, train twice a day, or blend yak butter into your coffee. You need grit, consistency, and a bit of common sense. Save the carnivore cult for Instagram - we’ll be out in the hills actually doing stuff.