Fitness program for Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak of Africa and hiking to the peak is a challenge that should not be underestimated. To reach the top of it, you need proper training for Kilimanjaro to have a successful summit.

Hence you can increase the chances of reaching the summit by training yourself properly with a Kilimanjaro Fitness and Training Program. Stamina, physical endurance, and mental determination will determine whether or not you will be successful in your quest to conquer the Roof of Africa. Here is how to be perfectly prepared for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

How fit do you have to be?

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is a hike, thus hiking needs the best preparation, especially in simulated conditions. It would be better if you start Fitness Training for Kilimanjaro yourself before 2 weeks of departure to Kilimanjaro. However, it is highly advised that you start the training before 2 months if you are a beginner and start at a slower pace, within short intervals, and with no weight in your daypack. It should progressively increase all the aforementioned with the improvement of your fitness.

While jogging could help your fitness level, it doesn’t prepare your muscles properly for a rigorous six-day hike. We propose that you just go trekking during the portion of your training. Besides frequent gym training sessions, make sure that you walk too to boost muscular growth.

We have also prepared a practical guide to prepare your body for a summit attempt at Kilimanjaro Mountain. The guide includes an eight-week combined fitness and hiking Programme.

12 weeks before the climb

Set a fitness Programme. Concentrate on discipline. Make a fitness schedule and stick to it.

  • Day 1: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 2: Light leg workout with weights, cycling, and jogging
  • Day 3: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 4: Rest
  • Day 5: Do any exercise you like
  • Day 6: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 7: Rest

8 weeks before the climb

Build your endurance and strength foundation. Maintain tough and entertaining

training.

  • Day 1: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 2: Moderate leg workout with weights
  • Day 3: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 4: Rest
  • Day 5: Do any exercise you like
  • Day 6: Hike at least three hours with a weighted pack
  • Day 7: Rest

Increase the weight of your packing up to about 20 lbs. Do a long hike, weekly, that requires 6-8 hours of walking for a whole day.

8 weeks before the climb

Your hardest training should be for four weeks. Increase the weight of your pack up to 25-30 lbs. Do everything fast and more quickly. Challenge yourself to become mentally hard this month.

  • Day 1: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 2: Hard leg workout with weights
  • Day 3: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 4: Light leg workout with weights, cycling, and jogging
  • Day 5: Do any exercise you like
  • Day 6: Hike at least four hours with a weighted pack
  • Day 7: Rest

4 weeks before the climb

Complete your workout to prevent injury. Remain with simple to moderate workouts to maintain your strength and endurance. Before you start your journey, make sure you sleep plenty.

  • Day 1: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 2: Light leg workout with weights, or cycling, or jogging
  • Day 3: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 4: Rest
  • Day 5: Do any exercise you like
  • Day 6: Hike for at least one hour
  • Day 7: Rest

Important points to remember for Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro:

Before you climb, remember some of the following points discussed below:

Medical Check-up

It is usually recommended to take advice from a doctor before starting a fitness program. Please feel free to tell your family doctor about this program. It is probably a pleasure for your doctor to hear that you undertake to exercise regularly.

Progressive Resistance

It is essential that the gym section of your fitness program consists of regular and progressive resistance workouts. The idea behind progressive resistance is that your training schedule may be adapted to your age, physical condition, and strength so that you can constantly advance to a greater degree of resistance.

Safety Factor

Individual strength and fitness levels of progressive resistance can be adjusted accordingly. All exercises must be properly completed and fundamental safety methods must always be followed. Furthermore, it is always a good idea to invest in physical fitness reading materials and to contact your local fitness teacher on a suitable workout.

Warm-Up

It is always advisable to constantly warm up your muscles before beginning any workout. The standard is to warm up, strengthen and gradually test tendons, ligaments, joints, and muscles in various stretching actions. Stretching, which is the greatest approach to preparing for injury-free training, is highly important.

Getting in shape for climbing

If you want to climb Kilimanjaro, your mental stamina is just as important as your physical endurance. Here are five things you can do to be perfectly prepared for the summit.

Strength Training

As you prepare to ascend Kilimanjaro on Aerobic training, you need to simultaneously improve your body’s immune system. To improve fitness and to enhance stamina you will have to conduct some strength training for Kilimanjaro. The major strength training is for the legs, core, and upper body in particular. The strength practice includes: lifting weights, utilizing bands of resistance, pulling ups, crunches, leg squats, and pushing against walls.

Aerobic Training

Cardio is one of the greatest exercises. In general, it needs more oxygen to satisfy aerobic metabolism’s energy requirements. Long-term hogging, swimming, leisurely walking, and running are activities that are a little of moderate intensity. These activities differ from other workouts of high intensity such as lifting and sprinting. Please include aerobics in your Kilimanjaro fitness program.

Practice for Hiking

This is one of Kilimanjaro’s greatest training, you just get on your boots and start climbing a mountain. You might choose to stroll for approximately 3-4 hours in the parks or in the area. The greatest workout for Altitude Training for Kilimanjaro is to walk up and down on the staircase.

With the modest walking exercise, you can understand the stress of your joints and how well you can handle them. It also makes you comfortable in your boots.

Weight Training

Weight training increases lean muscle mass and prevents loss. The bone density is also increased and the risk of osteoporosis is reduced.

Weight training enhances weight reduction and weight maintenance by improving metabolism. It also helps to make routine activities simpler by increasing muscular strength. It reduces the chance of injury because it supports the joints in the muscles. For Kilimanjaro, this is the greatest training for travelers in particular. It is also crucial to improve your core muscle and top shoulder muscle.

Mental Stamina

Mount Kilimanjaro for beginners and even experienced people require mental endurance or a strong determination to reach their objective via conquering obstacles. Psychological stamina is vital as it is not a tiny hill but Africa’s tallest summit. If you are not prepared, and sick then it may be serious and risky, there is time to give up and get back down. You can ascend to the peak if you are determined to climb.

Gym guidelines

Gym guidelines will give you a good idea of which muscles you should concentrate on.

Unfit people should utilize light weights during the first two weeks of this program and the weights should be increased progressively at least every two weeks. It will help to stimulate sufficient muscle growth and development.

For effective muscle development, each muscle or muscle group should have a time of rest and recovery for at least 48 hours after every strenuous exercising session if weights were utilized. If time always allows it is a good idea to include certain workouts in your program to attain a more balanced body development.

Food Supplement

The high altitude level of Kilimanjaro demands its unique kind of dietary consumption. For climbing Kilimanjaro you should:

  •  Consume adequate calories
  • Consume carbohydrate-rich food
  • Consume adequate protein
  • Load up iron before you trek

About The mountain

At 5,895 meters Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain on the earth; it is one of the Seven Summits. The snow-capped peak of Africa is a dormant volcano. This majestic mountain can be found inside the Kilimanjaro National Park of Tanzania, at 005.00 degrees south, 036 degrees east, 5895m above mean sea level.

Exceptional climb success

Since 1994, ClimbingKilimanjaro has been fore runner in operating Kilimanjaro tours. We have a proud and unbeatable track record of more than 15,000 safe and successful summit attempts.

The specialised experience of ClimbingKilimanjaro puts us, as a tour operator, in a unique position to offer the most professional support, guidance, information and motivation to realise this proverbial “bucket-list” dream.

ClimbingKilimanjaro can provide references from previous successful and satisfied clients – on request. Visitors are also welcome to visit our Testimonials & Summit Gallery pages

Real-Time Tracking Service

ClimbingKilimanjaro is the only operator that offers real-time tracking to hikers on Mount Kilimanjaro. This unique service will allow family and friends to track the live progress of their loved ones, as they hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro, subject to availability, pre-booking and at a small supplementary fee.

Guides and porters

ClimbingKilimanjaro only utilises highly trained and registered guides, with several years of experience, to lead a mountain support team that are properly equipped to look after climbers on the mountain.

All of the Climbing Kilimanjaro package options includes the services of one porter per hiker, who will carry the client’s duffel bag (max. 15kg) from one camp to the next.

The above average staff ratio of the Climbing Kilimanjaro Mountain Support Team to climber is: 2 Porters per climber and 2 guides for a maximum of 4 hikers – a very favourable ratio to directly enhance safety and enjoyment on the mountain.