EP 676 Heart Rate, VO2 Max, and Hunt Readiness with MTNtough
What’s up! This week on the Rich Outdoors Podcast, I’m sitting down with Jason and Nick from MTN Tough Fitness to talk about something we’ve been geeking out on for a while—health metrics, performance tracking, and what “hunt readiness” actually means for backcountry hunters.
As we’re building the Bridger Watch (yeah, the smartwatch for hunters), we’ve been having deep conversations with the MTN Tough crew about what metrics actually matter when you’re training for elk season. Because here’s the thing: most fitness wearables are built for runners, cyclists, and gym rats—not for hunters humping 60 pounds on their back through deadfall at 9,000 feet.
Nick is a MTN Tough coach and physical therapist who programs their daily workouts, and Jason is one of their athletes who’s joining the Bridger team. These guys know what it takes to train for the mountains, and more importantly, they understand the difference between sustained Zone 2 cardio and getting absolutely crushed by a 42-minute Mountain Tough workout that leaves you laying on the floor.
We dive into what a “hunt readiness score” could look like, how to measure work capacity beyond just heart rate, why rucking strain is completely different than cardiovascular strain, and how we can use wearables to help hunters stay in that 80-90% efficiency zone all day long. We also talk about the mental side of fitness—how to make better decisions under fatigue, why discipline in the gym translates to discipline in the mountains, and what happens when you’re on day two of a hunt with frozen boots and a broken water filter.
This episode is part fitness science, part backcountry hunting strategy, and part startup talk about building products that actually solve problems hunters face. Whether you’re training for September or just trying to figure out how to not get your butt kicked on your next western hunt, there’s a lot of good stuff in here. Let’s get into it.
Tricer Tripods – They make gear that’s fast, light, and simple, from amazing tripods to bino mounts, panhead truck mounts, and now even bipods. Tricer makes gear that’s fast, light, and simple. I love their gear, and if you’re looking for a new system for better glassing, check out Tricer. Head over to the website tricer.com. They make great products and it’s just a great company. Awesome dudes. Been using the heck out of the bipod—killed a lot of critters with it. Use the code TRO and you’ll save yourself 10% at checkout.
Stone Glacier – I’ve packed out a lot of animals with my Stone Glacier pack this year. The Sky Archer 6400 has been with me to Alaska, British Columbia, Wyoming, Montana, and I love the thing. Whether it’s a 10-day backpack hunt or you’re day hunting from the side-by-side, that’s what I love about Stone Glacier—it’s minimalist, it’s lightweight. You can use it day hunting or for an alpine backpack hunt. Stone Glacier makes an entire suite of hardcore mountain hunting gear. If you’re in the market, head over to stoneglacier.com. Use the code TRO and you’ll save yourself a discount and get some great gear.
Chapter Timestamps
- 0:00 – Intro: Fresh Off a MTN Tough Workout
- 3:15 – Meet Nick: MTN Tough Coach & Physical Therapist
- 6:30 – Jason Joins Bridger: Startup Life with a Kid on the Way
- 9:00 – Why We’re Talking About Health Metrics for Hunters
- 12:45 – The Backcountry Boondoggle: Testing Fitness in the Field
- 16:30 – How Many Miles? Average Archery Season Days
- 19:45 – Have You Ever Bonked on a Hunt?
- 23:15 – The Hunt Readiness Score: What Would It Look Like?
- 27:30 – Heart Rate Efficiency & Staying in the 80-90% Zone
- 31:00 – VO2 Max vs. Work Capacity: What Really Matters?
- 35:15 – The Rucking Problem: Muscular + Neurological Strain
- 38:45 – Measuring Strength Load vs. Cardio Load
- 41:30 – Subjective Scores & Mental Toughness Training
- 44:15 – Decision Making Under Fatigue
- 47:00 – Discipline in the Gym = Discipline in the Mountains
- 50:30 – Baby #2, Hunt Plans & Balancing Family Life
Three Key Takeaways
- Heart Rate Monitoring Can Keep You in Your Efficiency Zone All Day – Most hunters blow themselves out on day one by pushing too hard when camp isn’t where they thought, or the trail is longer than expected. A wearable that monitors your heart rate and keeps you in an 80-90% efficiency zone (based on your current fitness level) could be the difference between being smoked for three days versus being able to hunt hard every single day. It’s not about going slow—it’s about understanding what pace your body can sustain without bonking.
- Rucking Strain is Completely Different Than Cardiovascular Strain – Carrying 60-70 pounds on your back for 8 hours isn’t primarily a cardio challenge—it’s muscular, skeletal, and neurological strain. Most fitness wearables only measure cardiovascular load based on sustained heart rate, but they can’t quantify what it feels like to have weight on your frame all day. Building a “hunt readiness score” means figuring out how to measure both the cardio AND the strength components of backcountry hunting, which is why Mountain Tough’s blend of strength and conditioning is so effective.
- Mental Toughness is Trainable Through Exposure to Hard Situations – The more you put yourself in challenging situations—whether that’s finishing brutal workouts when you want to quit, or waking up to frozen boots and pushing through anyway—the more you build the self-awareness and discipline to make good decisions under fatigue. It’s not about never wanting to quit; it’s about recognizing that thought, acknowledging it’s normal, and then choosing to push through. The fitness side removes one major stressor, so when other factors pop up (weather, wind, gear failure), you’re not also dealing with being physically smoked.
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