Training for the Mountains with a 9 to 5

This Is What It Actually Takes

Training for a big mountain while working a full-time job demands commitment that shows up every single day. It shows up early in the morning before emails start flying. It shows up late at night when motivation is low and you’d rather just go to bed. It shows up in the quiet decision to train when there are easier options on the table. When no one is looking.

This kind of preparation is physical, repetitive, and often inconvenient. Almost like the mountain itself. And that is exactly why it works.

The Reality of Training Around Work

Most of this training happened outside normal working hours. Early mornings before logging on. Evenings after long days. Weekends structured around long efforts on the trail or in the gym carrying a heavy pack for no other reason than to simulate days on the mountain. There were days when skiing or rock climbing sounded better. There were trips and vacations where training came along anyway. There were social plans that got passed on because the work still needed to get done.

That consistency matters more than any single workout. Progress comes from showing up tired, distracted, busy, and still getting the session done.

The Structure That Carries You

Training plans typically follow a clear and repeatable rhythm. Strength circuits build durability and resilience in the legs and core. StairMaster sessions build sustained climbing capacity under load. Long hikes reinforce pacing, fueling, and time on feet with weight on the back.

The goal is preparation that translates directly to the mountain. Squats, lunges, step ups, rows, and core work create a base that could handle volume. Weighted climbs built the engine needed to move uphill for hours. Recovery days have to be intentional so the body can absorb the work and keep moving forward, ready for the next training session.

The StairMaster

The StairMaster deserves special mention. It is not fun. It is monotonous. It is also one of the most effective tools available for in-gym mountain training. Long, steady climbs with a pack force controlled breathing, consistent pacing, and mental focus. Harder sessions teach comfort with sustained effort. Easier days reinforce efficiency. There is no shortcut around this work.

Training Does Not Stop on Vacation

Preparation does not pause for travel. Training has to move with you. That might mean buying a week pass at the local gym, or it might mean carrying a five gallon bucket of water up a steep hillside wherever you are because it mimics the effort you’ll need on the mountain. It means finding stairs, hills, and time. It means adapting sessions while keeping the intent intact.

This flexibility is part of the process. Mountains do not care where training happened. They respond to the work that was done.

Motivation Comes From the Goal

There were plenty of days when motivation might have to be manufactured. What keeps things moving is almost always clarity around why the training matters. Every session connects back to future thoughts of moving well at altitude, making good decisions under fatigue, and arriving prepared.

Training with a 9–5 sharpens that focus. Time is limited and energy has to be managed. Each workout is intentional because it has to fit into a real life schedule.

Consistency Is the Advantage

Week after week, the plan should build capacity gradually. Packs will get heavier. Sessions will get longer. Intensity shifts as the climb approaches. The structure needs to stay familiar while the demands increased. That familiarity builds confidence.

By the end of the cycle, the work will feel earned. Long efforts under load will feel normal, even meditative. That is the point of this kind of training. It’s getting your body and your brain ready for exactly the kind of work you’ll be doing on the mountain.

Prepared for the Climb

Training alongside a full-time job teaches discipline that carries directly into high altitude climbing. It builds patience, self awareness, and respect for the process. It prepares you to show up ready, not just with fingers crossed and hoping for the best. That readiness is what matters when the mountain starts asking if you really have what it takes.

Questions about our expeditions? Reach out to us HERE or take a look at our calendar and schedule a meeting with our experts. We work with an in-house personal trainer with decades of experience getting climbers ready for the biggest mountains on the planet.