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Exercises

Exercises for hiking: stronger climbs, steadier descents

Published October 24, 2026

The best exercises for hiking are the step-up and the Bulgarian split squat for climbing, the reverse lunge and single-leg Romanian deadlift for control on the way down, the dumbbell Romanian deadlift for the hamstrings and back that carry a pack, single-leg calf raises for steep and rocky ground, and the farmer's walk and side plank for posture under load. Two strength sessions a week, each ending a couple of reps short of failure, sit well next to your hikes, and the stair machine covers the uphill engine on days you can't reach a trail.

  1. Step-Up Quads, Glutes
  2. Bulgarian Split Squat Quads, Glutes
  3. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge Quads, Glutes
  4. Single-Leg RDL Hamstrings, Glutes
  5. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  6. Single-Leg Calf Raise Calves
  7. Farmer's Walk Forearms, Traps, Shoulders
  8. Side Plank Abs
  9. Stair Climber Quads, Glutes, Calves

Exercises for uphill strength

Climbing is a step-up repeated thousands of times, so the core of a hiking program is single-leg work that pushes you up and lowers you down under control. Pick a step-up and one split-stance exercise for every session, and use the goblet squat when you want both legs working at once.

Climbing strength, one leg at a time

Step-Up

Quads, Glutes

Every uphill stride is a step-up with a pack on, so this is the most direct carryover in the gym. Holding dumbbells at your sides lets you load it well past what a backpack weighs, which makes real climbs feel easier.

How to do it

  1. Hold dumbbells in both hands and stand facing a bench or sturdy box about knee height.
  2. Put one whole foot on the bench and lean your chest slightly forward over that knee.
  3. Drive through the heel on the bench to stand tall on top, letting the trailing foot come up without pushing off the floor.
  4. Step back down with the same trailing foot, slowly, and finish all reps on one side before switching.

Cues

  • Front leg does the work
  • Slow on the way down
  • Knee tracks over your toes

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing off the back foot to get up: keep the floor foot light and lower the box if you have to.
  • Dropping off the top: the lowering half trains the downhill legs, so take two seconds.

Swap for: Kettlebell Step-Up, Barbell Step-Up, Bulgarian Split Squat

Build a session with Step-Up

Single-leg strength and balance

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Stepping backward keeps the load on the front leg's glute and quad while your balance works the way it does on uneven ground. It is easier on the knees than a forward lunge, which matters when you hike on tired legs.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with a dumbbell hanging at each side and your feet under your hips.
  2. Take a long step backward and lower until the back knee nearly touches the floor.
  3. Keep most of your weight in the front foot and your chest tall.
  4. Push the front heel into the ground to bring the back foot forward to standing, then alternate legs.

Cues

  • Long step, soft landing
  • Weight in the front heel
  • Tall chest

Common mistakes

  • Stepping straight back on a tightrope line: keep your feet hip-width so you stay balanced.
  • Pushing off the back toes to stand: the front leg finishes the rep.

Swap for: Reverse Lunge, Barbell Reverse Lunge, Dumbbell Split Squat

Build a session with Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Quad and glute strength for steep grades

Bulgarian Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

With the back foot on a bench, almost all your body weight sits on one leg, so you can train each leg hard with light dumbbells. Long climbs and step-downs on rocky trails are exactly that single-leg demand.

How to do it

  1. Stand about two feet ahead of a bench and lay one foot, laces down, on it behind you.
  2. Hold the dumbbells at your sides and lower straight down until the front thigh is close to parallel.
  3. Let the front knee travel forward over the toes as you sink.
  4. Press through the whole front foot to rise, finish the set, then switch legs.

Cues

  • Drop straight down
  • Front foot flat
  • Back leg just balances

Common mistakes

  • Standing too close to the bench so the front heel lifts: move the front foot out until it stays flat.
  • Rushing the bottom: pause a beat where the stretch is deepest.

Swap for: Dumbbell Split Squat, Smith Machine Bulgarian Split Squat, Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat

Build a session with Bulgarian Split Squat

Two-leg base strength

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

The squat builds the quads and glutes that carry you up every grade, and holding the dumbbell at your chest keeps you tall and your back out of trouble. It is the easiest way to build leg strength if you are new to lifting.

How to do it

  1. Cup the top end of one dumbbell in both palms, tight to your sternum.
  2. Set your feet a bit wider than your hips with the toes turned slightly out.
  3. Sit down between your heels as deep as you can while keeping your chest up.
  4. Drive the floor away to stand, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Cues

  • Elbows inside the knees
  • Chest stays proud
  • Full foot on the floor

Common mistakes

  • Letting the dumbbell drift away from your chest: keep it touching your sternum the whole set.
  • Heels lifting at the bottom: widen your stance or squat a little less deep.

Swap for: Dumbbell Squat, Heels-Elevated Goblet Squat, Barbell Back Squat

Build a session with Goblet Squat

Exercises for hips, hamstrings and the descent

Downhill legs fail at the hip as often as the knee. A two-leg hinge builds the back of the body that carries a pack, the single-leg hinge and band walk build the side-hip control that keeps your knee lined up when you land on uneven ground.

Hamstrings and back for carrying a pack

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

A loaded pack pulls you forward all day, and the muscles that hold you upright against it are the hamstrings, glutes and spinal erectors. The Romanian deadlift trains all three through a long range without heavy loading of the knees.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the dumbbells in front of your thighs and your feet under your hips.
  2. Unlock your knees slightly and push your hips back, sliding the dumbbells down the front of your legs.
  3. Stop when you feel a strong pull in your hamstrings, usually around mid-shin, with your back still flat.
  4. Drive your hips forward to stand back up and squeeze your glutes.

Cues

  • Hips back, not down
  • Dumbbells brush your legs
  • Flat back the whole way

Common mistakes

  • Rounding your back to reach lower: the range ends where your hamstrings stop you.
  • Turning it into a squat by bending the knees more and more: keep the knee angle fixed.

Swap for: Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift, Landmine RDL

Build a session with Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Ankle, knee and hip control on one leg

Single-Leg RDL

Hamstrings, Glutes

Trails are a long series of single-leg landings on uneven footing. Balancing on one leg while you hinge trains the hip and foot muscles that keep the knee and ankle lined up, plus the hamstring of the standing leg.

How to do it

  1. Hold one dumbbell and stand on the opposite leg with a soft knee.
  2. Hinge forward while the free leg reaches straight back, keeping your hips level with the floor.
  3. Lower until your torso and back leg form a line close to parallel with the floor.
  4. Pull yourself back to standing through the standing hip, then repeat before switching sides.

Cues

  • Hips square to the floor
  • Reach back with the heel
  • Slow and steady

Common mistakes

  • Opening the hip so the back leg turns out: point the back toes at the floor.
  • Racing through reps to avoid wobbling: the wobble is the training, so slow down.

Swap for: Dumbbell B-Stance RDL, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift

Build a session with Single-Leg RDL

Side hip strength for uneven ground

Lateral Band Walk

Abductors

The glute muscles on the side of your hip keep your pelvis level each time one foot lands. When they tire on a long descent, the knee caves in, so this cheap band drill earns its spot.

How to do it

  1. Loop a mini band around your legs just above the knees or around the ankles.
  2. Take a quarter squat with your feet under your hips and the band already stretched.
  3. Step sideways with the lead foot, then follow with the trailing foot without letting the band go slack.
  4. Walk the set number of steps one way, then come back the other way.

Cues

  • Stay low the whole time
  • Knees push out against the band
  • Short controlled steps

Common mistakes

  • Standing up tall between steps: hold the quarter squat from start to finish.
  • Dragging the feet together so the band snaps slack: keep tension on every step.

Swap for: Band Standing Hip Abduction, Hip Abduction Machine, Clamshell

Build a session with Lateral Band Walk

Calf exercises for steep and rocky trails

Your calves lift you up every step of a steep grade and steady the ankle on rocks and roots. Train them through a full stretch with a pause on top, one leg at a time when balance allows.

Calves and ankles for steep and rocky trails

Single-Leg Calf Raise

Calves

Your calves push you up every step on an incline and steady the ankle when a rock rolls under your boot. One leg at a time through a full range builds both the strength and the endurance they need.

How to do it

  1. Stand on the edge of a step with the ball of one foot on it, holding a dumbbell on that side and a rail with the other hand.
  2. Let the heel sink below the step until you feel a deep calf stretch.
  3. Rise as high as you can onto the ball of your foot and hold the top for a second.
  4. Lower slowly to the full stretch and repeat, then switch feet.

Cues

  • Full stretch at the bottom
  • Pause on your toes
  • Weight over the big toe

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing quick half reps: own the stretch and the top of every rep.
  • Rolling out to the little toe: keep pressure on the inside of the foot.

Swap for: Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise, Standing Calf Raise, Leg Press Calf Raise

Build a session with Single-Leg Calf Raise

Calf endurance on two legs

Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise

Calves

The two-leg version lets you load heavier and do more reps when the goal is calves that keep going for hours. It is a good choice when balance on one leg is limiting the set before the calves are.

How to do it

  1. Hold dumbbells in both hands at your sides, feet under your hips, the balls of your feet on a plate or step.
  2. Lower your heels as far as they go comfortably.
  3. Push up through the balls of both feet as high as you can and hold for a beat.
  4. Lower under control and repeat.

Cues

  • Straight knees
  • Big toe pressure
  • Hold the top

Common mistakes

  • Using momentum from the knees: keep the legs straight so the calves do the work.
  • Cutting the range short as you tire: end the set when full reps stop.

Swap for: Single-Leg Calf Raise, Standing Calf Raise, Seated Calf Raise

Build a session with Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise

Exercises for carrying a pack

A loaded pack asks your grip, trunk and posture to work for hours. Loaded walks and side planks train exactly that: standing tall while something tries to pull you over.

Grip, trunk and posture under load

Farmer's Walk

Forearms, Traps, Shoulders

Walking while holding something heavy is the closest gym drill to moving with a pack: your trunk has to stay tall, your shoulders stay set and your feet keep a steady rhythm. It also builds the grip you use on trekking poles and scrambles.

How to do it

  1. Stand between two heavy dumbbells, hinge down and grab them by the middle of the handles.
  2. Stand up tall with your shoulders down and back and your arms long.
  3. Walk forward with short, quick steps, looking straight ahead.
  4. Walk the planned distance or time, then set the weights down with a flat back.

Cues

  • Tall like a string pulls your head up
  • Quiet, quick steps
  • Crush the handles

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back or to one side: pick a weight you can carry upright.
  • Shrugging the shoulders toward the ears: keep them packed down.

Swap for: Dumbbell Suitcase Carry, Plate Overhead Carry, Trap Bar Deadlift

Build a session with Farmer's Walk

Side-to-side trunk strength

Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Abs, Quads

A single dumbbell in one hand tries to bend you sideways, which is the same pull an uneven pack or a lopsided step creates. Resisting it builds the obliques and deep trunk muscles that keep your posture on a long day.

How to do it

  1. Pick up one heavy dumbbell at your side as if lifting a suitcase.
  2. Stand tall with both shoulders level and the free arm relaxed or out to the side.
  3. Walk forward at a normal pace without leaning toward or away from the weight.
  4. Set it down, switch hands and walk back.

Cues

  • Shoulders level
  • Ribs down
  • Walk like nothing is in your hand

Common mistakes

  • Tilting toward the dumbbell: go lighter until you can stay level.
  • Holding your breath the whole walk: breathe behind a braced belly.

Swap for: Farmer's Walk, Dumbbell Side Plank, Side Plank

Build a session with Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Trunk endurance for long days

Side Plank

Abs

Holding your trunk still is an endurance job on the trail, so a timed hold fits better than reps. The side plank trains the obliques and the hip muscles together, which helps you stay upright under a pack.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your side with your elbow under your shoulder and your legs straight and stacked.
  2. Lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from head to feet.
  3. Hold, breathing slowly, with your top hip pushed forward slightly.
  4. Lower down, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Long straight line
  • Push the floor away
  • Breathe through it

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag toward the floor: end the hold when the line breaks.
  • Rolling the top shoulder backward: keep your chest facing straight ahead.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Plank, Copenhagen Plank, Plank

Build a session with Side Plank

Hiking cardio in the gym

Strength gets you up a steep pitch, but your engine gets you up a long one. The stair machine is the closest indoor match to a climb, so use it for steady sessions and for harder intervals as your trip gets closer.

Uphill conditioning without a hill

Stair Climber

Quads, Glutes, Calves

Stairs train the same climbing pattern you use on a steep trail and build the aerobic base for long ascents. Use it after lifting or on its own day; it is the best stand-in when you live far from mountains.

How to do it

  1. Step on the machine, hold the rails lightly for balance only, and start at an easy speed.
  2. Stand tall and place your whole foot on each step.
  3. Raise the speed until you breathe hard but can still say a short sentence.
  4. Keep that pace for the planned time, then slow down for a couple of minutes before stepping off.

Cues

  • Whole foot on each step
  • Hands just for balance
  • Steady breathing

Common mistakes

  • Leaning on the rails with locked arms: that takes the work away from your legs.
  • Climbing on your toes only: let the heel land on each step.

Swap for: Step-Up, Treadmill Walk, Stationary Bike

Build a session with Stair Climber

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Eight to twelve weeks before a big hike

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets25 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench, Stair Climber, Resistance Bands

You have a goal hike or backpacking trip on the calendar and two gym days a week on top of your walks.

Two full-body sessions build climbing and descending strength without leaving your legs too sore for weekend hikes. Sets end 2 reps short of failure, so you recover in a day or two and the training hikes stay good. Each session is 12 to 13 working sets and finishes with stairs for the engine.

Climb Day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Step-Up 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Single-Leg Calf Raise 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
Farmer's WalkWalk 40 meters per set. 3 × 1 2 90 s
Stair Climber15 minutes at a pace where you can still talk in short sentences. 1 × 1 3 1 min

Open Climb Day in the session builder

Descent Day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Bulgarian Split Squat 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Single-Leg RDL 3 × 8–10 2 90 s
Lateral Band Walk 2 × 12–15 2 45 s
Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise 2 × 12–20 1 1 min
Side PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 30–45 2 45 s

Open Descent Day in the session builder

How to run it
Train Monday and Thursday, and keep your longest hike on the weekend. Leave at least two days between the second session and a long hike.
How to progress
Add reps until every set hits the top of the range at the target reps in reserve, then add weight. In the last two weeks before the trip drop one set from every exercise and keep the weights.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

New to the gym and hiking more often

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

You hike for fun, have never followed a lifting program, and want legs that don't burn out on the first big hill.

A beginner gets stronger from almost any steady program, so this one uses fewer, simpler exercises with two-leg versions before single-leg ones, higher reps and 3 reps in reserve to learn the movements. Ten working sets keeps each session under 45 minutes.

Full Body
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set first 3 × 10–15 3 90 s
Step-Up 2 × 8–12 3 90 s
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 2 × 10–15 3 90 s
Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise 2 × 12–20 2 1 min
Side PlankSeconds per side. 1 × 20–30 3 45 s
How to run it
Do this session twice a week with at least two days between. Keep walking or hiking on other days.
How to progress
When all sets reach the top of the range, add the smallest weight jump available. After six to eight weeks swap the goblet squat for the reverse lunge and keep going.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Stronger legs for the descent

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Dumbbells, Flat Bench

You can climb fine, but your thighs and knees take a beating on long downhills and your legs feel wobbly on rocky ground.

Descents are mostly about lowering under control on one leg, so every leg exercise here uses a slow three-second lowering and a single-leg stance, and the side-hip work comes first while you are fresh. Volume is kept to 12 sets because slow lowering makes you sore; stop 2 reps short so you can still hike two days later.

Downhill Day
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Lateral Band Walk 2 × 12–15 2 45 s
Step-UpLower over three seconds. 3 × 6–10 2 90 s
Dumbbell Reverse LungeLower over three seconds. 3 × 8–10 2 90 s
Single-Leg RDL 2 × 8–10 2 90 s
Dumbbell Suitcase CarryWalk 30 meters per hand. 2 × 1 2 1 min
How to run it
Do this once or twice a week. If you only do it once, pair it with two stair or hill sessions.
How to progress
Keep the three-second lowering on every rep. Add reps first, then weight, and try a taller step for the step-up once 12 reps feel easy.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is the best exercise for hiking?

The step-up. It is the climbing motion itself, you can load it with dumbbells, and the slow lowering trains the descent too. If you only have time for one more, add a single-leg Romanian deadlift for balance and the back of the hip.

How do you build strength to go hiking?

Train your legs two times a week with single-leg exercises such as step-ups and split squats, add a hinge like the Romanian deadlift, and finish with calf raises and a carry. Add reps or weight every week while stopping a couple of reps short of failure, and keep hiking on other days.

How do I get fit for hiking?

Combine two strength sessions with two or three cardio sessions a week, and make one weekend outing your long hike. Build the hike's length or the pack weight gradually, and change only one of them at a time.

How do I build up cardio for hiking?

Do steady sessions on a stair machine, an incline treadmill or real hills at a pace where you can still talk in short sentences, starting at 20 minutes and adding a few minutes a week. Closer to the trip, add one session of harder intervals, such as three-minute pushes with easy recovery between them.

What muscles does hiking use most?

Your quads and glutes push you uphill, your quads brake you on the way down, and your calves lift you every step on steep ground. Your hamstrings, back and trunk hold you upright under a pack, which is why the plans above cover all four areas.

Can I train for hiking at home?

Yes. One pair of dumbbells, a stair and a mini band cover every exercise on this page except the stair machine, which you can replace with walking up stairs or steep streets.