Getting Started

Trek Ready is an eight-week, self-guided programme delivered in the FITR app. It has two training tracks inside one purchase: Base (4 sessions a week) or Summit (5 sessions a week). Most people start on the track that matches how many days they can train and recover from each week, then use the other later if it suits.

In short: Pick the track you can recover from, complete your baseline in FITR, keep easy sessions easy and log everything. Do that for two weeks and you are well set up.

Every trek starts with a first step. Peaksted photo archive.

Which track should I start with?

Weigh your current hiking and trekking capacity, your recent strength and endurance training, how many days you can realistically train, how well you recover, and any experience hiking with a pack. Your readiness check result can show where your preparation needs work, but its score does not decide your track. If you are unsure, start with the lower weekly load; it is easier to add than to recover from too much.

Step 1 — Open your programme

Sign in to FITR and open your programme. Each week unlocks your sessions — strength, aerobic, conditioning and a Mountain Day — with space to log what you complete.

Step 2 — Set your trekking goal

Note your intended trek, departure date, expected daily hiking duration, terrain and a realistic total trekking pack weight: the backpack plus everything in it, including water, food and safety equipment. This drives how you use the pack training guide.

Step 3 — Complete your baseline assessment

Complete the baseline assessment inside FITR, exactly as instructed there. It sets your starting point so later results are a fair comparison with your own numbers. Read Assessments & Progress before test day.

Your first two weeks

• Start conservative. Muscle soreness after new work is normal and usually peaks one to three days after the session. If it stops you walking normally, reduce the next session. See Recovery & Adjustments.

• Keep easy sessions easy. You should be able to speak in full sentences. See Aerobic Pacing.

• Use effort, not ego, to pick weights. See RPE & Choosing Weights.

• Log what you actually did. Honest logs make your later comparison meaningful.

The principles behind the plan

Any good plan rests on a few ideas: train the things your trek demands (specificity), increase load gradually (progressive overload), and recover enough to adapt. For general health, the World Health Organization recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week plus muscle-strengthening on at least two days. Trek Ready builds on top of that base; it does not replace it. More in Training Basics.

What good looks like at the end of week two

• You have completed every session as written and logged what you actually did.

• Easy sessions feel conversational and you finish them wanting a little more.

• Soreness comes and goes within a few days instead of stacking up.

• Your baseline is recorded, and you know roughly how each session should feel.

• You know your Mountain Day route and how long it takes.

Common early mistakes

• Starting too hard in week one and being flat by week three.

• Changing the plan every few days instead of repeating it long enough to see how it feels.

• Skipping the baseline, then having nothing to compare against later.

Coach’s tip: put your first two sessions in your calendar before you close FITR. Sessions with a time and a place are the ones that happen.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a gym?

No. Trek Ready is built around functional strength and conditioning that works with minimal equipment, and it adapts to what you have access to, at home or in a gym.

What if I miss a session?

Carry on with the next scheduled one rather than trying to make it up, and never stack missed sessions into one day. See Training Basics.

How long before I notice a difference?

Many people find sessions feel easier within a few weeks, but individual response varies. Judge progress against your own logs and baseline, not against other people.

How do I choose between Base and Summit?

Choose by how many days you can train, how well you recover, and your recent experience. The track comparison and your readiness check can help. If unsure, ask us.

Last updated September 2026. General education, not medical advice or a personalised prescription. Stop and seek qualified advice if you have sharp, increasing or persistent pain, or a health condition that may affect exercise.

Keep exploring

• Training Basics

• RPE & Choosing Weights

• Aerobic Pacing

• Mountain Day Field Guide

• Check your trek readiness

Research behind the advice

• Bull and colleagues (2020), WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour

About the author

Nathan Gee is Peaksted’s founder: a sport scientist (BSc Sports Science) with a strength and conditioning background and eight years of coaching experience, focused on hiking and trekking performance. Meet the Peaksted team.