TFT452: Why I Love Step Downs For Hikers

About this episode

Rowan Smith discusses the benefits of step downs as a strength exercise for hikers and shares insights on their effectiveness.

I personally believe that step downs are one of the best strength exercises for hikers. And I use them, in one shape or form, for almost all my clients. And in today's episode, I explore a few deeper reasons why I am such a fan (beyond them just being 'useful' or 'specific' for hikers). If you are not familiar with a step down, or are interested in exploring some different progressions of this movement pattern, check out this article: https://www.summitstrength.com.au/blog/the-best-exercises-for-trekkers-the-step-down == Want to get fit, strong and resilient for your hiking adventures? Check out the Online Summit Program: https://www.summitstrength.com.au/online.html

People in this episode

Host: Rowan Smith

Topics covered

• strength exercises
• hiking
• step downs
• fitness
• resilience

Keywords

• step downs
• hiking exercises
• strength training
• fitness for hikers
• movement patterns

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Summit Strength

More episodes of The Training For Trekking Podcast

• TFT455: The Most Important High Altitude Strategy · June 4, 2026 · 7 min
• TFT454: Please Carry Enough Water When Hiking · May 27, 2026 · 11 min
• TFT453: Hiker's Knee Fixed In A Week? · May 20, 2026 · 13 min
• TFT451: "I am always tired after my training hikes" · May 13, 2026 · 12 min
• TFT450: Should A Hiker Put On Extra Fat Before A High Altitude Hike? · May 6, 2026 · 10 min
• TFT449: 'This' Before 'That' · April 29, 2026 · 15 min