Think You’re a Strong Hiker? Test Your Trail Strength with These 4 Exercises

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Strength tests can be extremely useful for hikers who are training for a big objective, or simply want to learn more about their own fitness levels. Last year, we published four assessments to test your trail readiness. There are plenty of other physical tests you can do to see how strong your hiking muscles are. Below are four exercises you can perform to monitor your overall hiking fitness and highlight major areas that feel powerful or could use more training. (Feeling really strong? Combine both tests for a complete full-body assessment.)

How To Perform This Strength Test

Objective measures are useful, but subjective results reveal more about your fitness. For example, you might be able to complete 20 single-leg sit-to-stands per leg on the initial assessment, which is a great score. But if the exercise left you tired and sore for days, that’s less ideal. 

Perform the strength test honestly and stop once you can no longer execute a full range of motion with good form. If you can’t achieve the baseline targets on the first go-around, keep strength training and try again in four to six weeks.

It’s helpful to re-test regularly to understand your progress. Upon reassessments, think back to your previous attempt. Did the effort required to complete any particular assessment feel easier? Did you recover quickly? Was there any lingering soreness? Were your muscles burning at any point? These subjective results are a great measure of progress that won’t necessarily appear in objective findings.

To interpret your results, compare the scores for your right and left legs. If they are equal or within a few reps, that’s good. If there is a difference of more than five reps per side, add an extra set of the suggested exercises for the weaker side. Your training is going well when the assessments all meet the baseline. 

Single-Leg Sit-To-Stand

One of the more challenging assessments, the single-leg sit-to-stand, primarily targets the quads, hamstrings, adductors, glutes, core, and ankle mobility. What makes this assessment hard is the control required to lower down to the bench or chair. 

Begin this assessment standing with your back to a stable chair or bench. With control, you’ll lift one leg and hold it in front of you while lowering to sit on the bench or chair with the opposite leg. Return to standing using one leg and repeat until you can no longer perform the motion with controlled form. End the assessment if you start using your arms for momentum or if you start using a rocking motion to come up from the seated position.

For this assessment, the goal is 25 controlled reps per leg. If you fall short, add some single-leg step-downs and pistol variations into your regular training routine.

Single Leg Dorsiflexion

This exercise tests the endurance of the big shin muscle, the anterior tibialis. This muscle helps lift the foot when walking and lowers the foot back to the ground after the heel makes contact. Basically, it prevents you from tripping. Strong shin muscles can also ward off issues like shin splints and help make ascents and descents easier.

Stand near a countertop, wall, or doorway if you need to hold onto something for balance. While keeping your heel on the floor, raise the rest of your foot as high as possible—the motion is like lifting your foot off a gas pedal. Avoid shifting your hips backward as you raise your foot. With control, lower your foot back down to the floor. 

The goal is 40 repetitions for each leg. If you come up short, add single-leg dorsiflexion from a 4- to 6-inch step to your weekly workouts, or try the wall lean dorsiflexion variation. Both will provide a greater range of motion and are excellent for building strength.

Side Plank

The side plank is an excellent exercise for building stability and core strength. Specifically, it targets the obliques, abs, and other stabilizing muscles required for carrying a fully loaded backpack.

To perform a side plank, lie on your side with your feet stacked and your elbow underneath your shoulder. Raise your hips off the floor, aiming to keep your trunk straight and still from your head to your feet. Don’t let your hips sag toward the floor; stay tight. Once you can no longer maintain position, lower your hips back to the floor and repeat the assessment on the opposite side.

Your goal is to hold the plank for 90 seconds per side. If your time isn’t quite there, don’t worry. Train any side plank variation or weighted marches (such as suitcase marches or farmer carries) to get stronger. Pallof isometric holds or Pallof presses are also great additions to any training program.

Ankle Dorsiflexion

This test assesses your ankle’s range of motion, which, if limited, can increase the risk of ankle sprains and injury. Place a tape measure perpendicular to a wall, measuring away from it. Get down on one knee in front of the wall with your leading foot 2 to 3 inches from the wall. Keeping your hips straight, glide your front knee forward to touch the wall, and keep the heel of that foot down. If you can’t touch the wall with your knee while keeping your heel down, move closer to the wall and retest. If you can touch the wall, move your foot back and retest. Record your score (the furthest distance you can place your foot from the wall while keeping your heel down) for each ankle and use the chart below to find your degree of dorsiflexion.

Normal ankle dorsiflexion is 40 degrees, or about 4.5 inches from the wall. If you fall below 34 degrees of dorsiflexion, roughly 4 inches from the wall, you have a fivefold increased risk for ankle sprains. In addition, if there is an asymmetry of more than 5 degrees per side, your risk of injury increases.

If your measurement falls below 40 degrees, or you have an asymmetry greater than 5 degrees, add ankle mobility work to your workout warm-ups. There are three options to improve dorsiflexion: Start with the ankle rocker, progress to a dumbbell, and finally, use a band to mobilize the joint. If your retest score does not improve after four to six weeks of ankle rocker exercise, move on to the dumbbell or band option. Once your mobility improves, reduce the frequency to once per week.