Getting in shape and staying in shape are part of any healthy lifestyle. It's a choice, sure, but the rewards are that you feel great, you look great, and you are able to do what you want to do! Ben Webster and Nancy Feagin want to summit Mount Everest in late May. We wondered what they were doing now to help them reach that goal, so we asked them in February and here's what said.
BEN: I don't really have a 'physical regime' per se. I'm trying to maintain as much bulk as possible because the altitude will eat away at muscle mass and I'll probably lose about 30 pounds during the two months that I'm there (at Base Camp and on the mountain.) So, to prepare, I want to have as much (bulk) as possible beforehand.
I eat a well-balanced diet, and drinks lots of fluids. For example, I eat a lot of pasta and salad, and I grill a lot of vegetables and meat.
To maintain bulk on the muscle level, I do a lot of biking, stair master, cross-country skiing, working on the major muscle groups. I do not train too hard, because I want to avoid injury and fatiguing my muscles. But I certainly work hard enough to maintain a strong cardiovascular performance. My physical conditioning comes from a lifetime of maintaining good eating habits and a lifetime of physical activity, as opposed to a routine of specified activities for specified weeks leading up to the climb.
NANCY: I'm following a rigorous training program (to help me prepare to climb Everest). I average about 3 hours a day of hard core training. The aerobic part includes mountain training or hiking, biking and skiing. My workouts vary between long endurance days and intervals. I also lift weights three times a week. I take one day off a week.
