This episode kicks off a brand-new, ten-month training series designed specifically for backcountry elk and mule deer hunters. As November rolls in and the season wraps up, most hunters shut it down and wait for spring to start preparing. That’s the number one reason so many guys feel wrecked halfway through a long hunt. Real preparation begins now. This is Phase One: The Foundation. It’s the base layer of strength, stability, and endurance that every later phase depends on. If you want to hunt harder next season, pack deeper, and perform at altitude without falling apart after a few days, this is where that journey starts. Matt breaks down what “building the base” actually means for mountain hunters. This isn’t bodybuilding and it’s not distance-runner conditioning. It’s about rebuilding your structure after a long hunting season so your movement patterns, connective tissue, and joints are ready for heavier training later. Most hunters come out of the fall with tight hips, cranky knees, achy shoulders, and inconsistent routines. Phase One is where you clean up movement, return to fundamentals, restore balance, and reset your disciplines around consistency and recovery. When you focus on full-range squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, and carrying with intention, you develop functional strength that actually translates to steep country and heavy packs. A major focus in this foundation block is rebuilding your aerobic base. Most hunters underestimate how important steady, moderate conditioning is for long hunts. When your low-end engine is strong, you recover faster between sessions, climb longer without redlining, and stack tough days back to back without losing power. Instead of high-intensity intervals, this phase emphasizes controlled strength work paired with longer, easier aerobic sessions that build capacity without beating you up. This is how you set the stage for later months, when strength and endurance will both ramp up aggressively. Matt also explains how to structure your weeks without overcomplicating things. Consistency is the priority. A handful of full-body sessions built around compound lifts, paired with a couple of sustainable aerobic days and regular mobility work, is enough to make real progress. Tempo, control, and quality are the themes. Hunters fail in September because they try to do too much intensity too late, rather than stacking smart sessions over time. This phase isn’t about crushing yourself. It’s about rebuilding efficiency and teaching your body to handle load again without pain or breakdown. A big part of this episode is helping hunters avoid the common off-season mistakes Matt sees year after year: skipping foundational work, doing random workouts without progression, overloading intensity without moving well, and ignoring mobility and recovery. He explains why poor movement quality and weak connective tissue are the biggest reasons hunters struggle with injury and why the biggest advantage you can give yourself is discipline over urgency. The mountain rewards structure, not chaos. Finally, Matt explains how Phase One sets up the next training block. Phase Two — Strength and Endurance — will introduce heavier, progressive lifts and more structured conditioning designed to improve climbing stamina and packout capacity. That work only delivers its full benefit if the foundation has been built. When connective tissue is reinforced, movement patterns are crisp, and the aerobic system is solid, you can train harder and progress faster without setbacks. The foundation month is the hinge that makes everything else work. If you want to arrive next September strong, durable, and confident, this first phase is where you earn that outcome. The guys who build now are the ones still grinding on day eight with their legs under them, lungs staying steady, and attitude intact. This is how you stop hoping you’re ready — and start knowing.