Box step-ups are commonly recommended to hunters to build strength and muscular endurance for uphill climbs. That’s for good reason — they work. 

However, most folks get the box height wrong. They suggest too high of a box, especially while wearing a pack. This creates a whole host of problems for a hunter doing their best to prepare for the mountains. 

At the least, it limits their ability to specifically prepare. At the worst, it increases the likelihood of  an injury during training, which is some silly bullshit that shouldn’t happen.

Hunters need to use an appropriate box height for specific training, combined with general leg training to be as prepared as possible for gnarly terrain and steep uphills.

When they do, the result is dialed-in specific uphill preparation and a body that’s resilient to the rigors of the mountain and the backcountry.

Why High Box Step-ups Are (Mostly) a Bad Choice for Uphill Hunting

Most box height recommendations are just too high to train for uphill travel — especially while wearing a pack. The common recommendation I see is 18-inches, some going all the way up to 24-inches. Now, this comes across as logical. If you’re strong stepping up onto a higher box, won’t that make you stronger on uphill climbs? No, not necessarily, and those box heights create some big problems.

The increased range of motion increases your risk of injury while stepping up with a pack on. With all that loaded range, too many things can go wrong at your joints to justify the risk, especially in the gym and as fatigue builds. Yes, at times you’ll have to take bigger steps in the mountains, while stepping over a log or up onto a boulder, for example. But there are better ways to train for that. We’ll cover them a little later on.

The higher box also limits heart rate control. That’s a big detriment to developing aerobic capacity and muscular endurance. The increased range of motion creates more of a level change, which increases blood pressure and drives up heart rate. It also causes your nervous system to recruit larger motor units. (A motor unit is made up of a neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates.) This bypasses the muscle fibers most important for uphill muscular endurance — slow-twitch fibers and Type IIa fast-twitch fibers — in favor of Type IIx fibers, which are more endurance-resistant. That’s a bad news combo. Aerobic development suffers, as does muscular endurance.

Beyond that, the uphill steps we take in the mountains aren’t nearly that big, and they decrease in length/height as inclines get steeper. This is because step length is shortened to maintain or increase step cadence and increase metabolic efficiency. You take smaller steps to keep from wearing yourself out. The average step on an uphill climb is between 8-inches and 16-inches, depending on a person’s height and limb length. It makes far more sense to train on a box in that height range, especially while wearing a pack. It’s more specific, giving it better carryover to what we do in the mountains.

The Argument for a 12-Inch Box (Especially for Pack Training)

Well, there’s the obvious fact that we just covered — a 12-inch box is more specific to uphill travel. It trains the joint angles and type of muscle recruitment we use while climbing. There’s also an interesting bit of science about joint angles that’s helpful to remember. You gain strength between 15 and 20 degrees on both sides of the joint angle you’re training. For example, if you do an exercise that places your hip and knee at 90 degrees, you gain strength at 105 - 100 degrees and at 75 - 80 degrees. So, even if you’re concerned about building strength at more severe joint angles, training at a less-severe joint angle builds strength in that range of motion.

It’s also safer to use heavier loads on a 12-inch box. This is important for acclimating to heavier packs and building muscular endurance. For example, we use High-Intensity Continuous Training (HICT) step-ups to build specific strength endurance and muscular endurance. To do them, you wear a heavy pack (as much as 50% of your body weight in some cases) and do 1-2 step ups every 5- to 15-seconds while keeping your heart rate between upper Zone 2 and lower Zone 3. It’s a great method for adapting to heavier packs while building the specific strength endurance and muscular endurance necessary for uphill hiking under load. Try to do it on an 18-inch box and you won’t be able to use the appropriate amount of weight; you’ll have to go much lighter to control your heart rate and limit fatigue. It’s much more difficult to maintain the correct pacing. So, you lose all of the benefits.

The 12-inch box is superior for heart rate control and managing muscular tension. If you can’t manage your heart rate, you can’t get the correct conditioning effect. If you can’t manage muscular tension, you end up recruiting the wrong type of muscle fibers.

However, there are times when a higher box is warranted.

When Training on a Higher Box Makes Sense

Now, there is a place for higher step-up boxes in your training. You use them to develop general raw materials that carry over to uphill and downhill movement.

For example, greater hip and knee flexion increases recruitment of the quads and the glutes. Stepping onto an 18- to 20-inch box causes increased hip and knee flexion. So, those higher boxes are a fine choice for general strengthening while loading with dumbbells or kettlebells — either in the goblet position, a weight in each hand, or a weight in one hand. 

Taller boxes are also great for training awkward steps, crossing over and stepping up, for example. Loading them with a dumbbell or kettlebell held in the goblet position or with an asymmetric load (holding a weight only in one hand) is a great choice. Each loading choice strengthens your core in a way that helps you fight the rotation of your pack. You train for the kinds of awkward steps you encounter in the mountains while making your core more resilient without putting unnecessary stress on your spine.

Many stepping down and eccentric-focused exercises are best done on a tall box, up to 36 inches in the case of some eccentric exercises. You’re training your working leg for stability and control. Extending the range of motion is very useful in this case.

We also use taller boxes for a specific quad and lower back loading exercise called the rounded-back step-up. They are great for stressing the quads to handle a lot of work on the mountain, and building resilience in the low back. 

Here’s a video of how we do them:

Then there’s mobility to consider. Loading your joints across a larger range of motion — which you can control — improves your mobility. You can get more ankle, knee, and range on a taller box. That’s a good thing. However, if you can’t control the range it doesn’t matter. All you will do is reinforce sloppy movement habits.

Control applies to all uses of a taller box. If you have to do funky shit to get up and down, all you’ll do is reinforce bad movement patterns. You’ll waste a lot of energy and not get better.

Filling in the Gaps: General Lower Body Training

Here’s the thing, kids. 

General lower body strength training movements, such as squats and lunges, fill in the range of motion gaps you might be worried about by using a shorter step for your pack work. You move through a larger range of motion, training drive and control at different joint angles. 

Save your pack for specific uphill and downhill work. If everything else is dialed in, you don’t need to step on a box level with your belly button. 

Final Notes

Taller boxes have a place in hunting prep, they’re just not necessary for pack work. They also increase the risk of something silly happening, causing an injury that keeps you off the mountain. Do your pack loaded step-ups on a 12” box, and save the taller boxes for general leg development. Fill in the gaps with general lower body training.

Want to know if you're ready to haul a heavy pack uphill?

Download our Pack Capacity Calculator for free at the link below.

When you plug in your numbers from our 10-Minute Step-up test (explained in the first email you receive), you get an estimated sustainable uphill pack weight.

Want to know how far you are from being able to haul out that elk quarter in September? Download the Pack Capacity Calculator and run the 10-Minute Step-up Test.

Click to Download >>> Pack Capacity Calculator