A friend of mine is a physical therapist and advised me do some "interval training" 2 x a week then do an "endurance hike" once a week on my usual hiking route.
That's similar to what I've done in the past. Interval training 3x per week (Tu, Thu, Sun) and a hike on Saturday, as well as weight/resistance training M, W, F.
I do my interval training on a recumbent bike b/c that's what I have at home. If it were more convenient, I'd go to the gym to use a stair climber or do tire flips. I used a modified version of this program:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ultimate-8-week-hiit-for-fat-burning-program.htmlI do more 'phases' with smaller jumps between each phase. After 3 workouts, I progress to the next phase, with smaller jumps between each phase. For example:
phase/week 1 - 15 sec @100%, 45 sec rest/low intensity
Phase/week 2 - 20 sec @100%, 40 sec rest/low
phase/week 3 - 25/35
phase/week 4 - 30/30
phase 5/6/7/8, etc
Each set is 60 seconds long (for simplicity sake) and I complete 15 sets per workout, for a total time of 15 minutes per workout. An app such as 'Interval Timer' can help you time the intervals.
I also use a HRM on most of my hikes. On most hikes (10-15 miles), my heart rate is 145-155 on the ascent. That is a comfortable pace for me - I feel like I'm accomplishing something, but not working too hard. On the steeps or during HITT, it gets into the 180s.
On Whitney (or really long hikes...20+ for me), I change things a bit. I use my HRM to make sure I'm not going too fast/working too hard. Up until Trail Camp (12000 ft), I keep it below the 155 range as much as possible. Above Trail Camp, I try to make sure I don't get above 135 mark, which in theory, is about 70% of my max. While I have no scientific reasoning for picking these heart rates as limits, I've found that this is what works for me.
On a side note, one of training 'problems' I have is balancing hiking, HIIT, and weight training. Heavy squats + heavy deads = a rough day on the trail.
