Funtional Fitness For The Hunt

Written By Joel Primus

It’s funny how certain moments, often small, unexpected ones, leave an imprint that quietly shapes our mindset and lifestyle choices for years to come. I remember watching Blood Diamond years ago. In one scene, two characters, one a hardened ex-military operative, the other a local fisherman, raid a military gear tent and then disappear into the jungle on a multi-day trek through rugged, mountainous terrain in search of a hidden diamond mine.

That scene stuck with me. Not for the action, but for the unspoken truth it carried: Always be ready to hike a mountain.

Not just physically—but mentally, emotionally, and practically prepared to move through the wild, to endure, to carry what you need and leave behind what you don’t.

The reality that I hadn’t truly prepared my body hit hard during a snowmobile and snowshoe trek deep into the wilderness with my friend Ryan—in minus 40 conditions. It was my first time on a sled, and I kept burying it in the powder. The snowpack sat atop dense willow thickets, creating unstable pockets that sucked the machine down like quicksand.

At a few hundred pounds, I was able to muscle the sled free a couple of times, using every ounce of core strength just to ride, and full-body power to lift and maneuver it out. But eventually, I gassed out. Ryan, a hunter and former bricklayer, had to step in and deadlift the thing out of the snow. Add to that the miles of snowshoeing with heavy packs and the constant instability of walking over soft drifts—and by the next morning, my joints and muscles were wrecked.

I’d been a runner most of my life. I’d even lifted weights regularly. But what I hadn’t built was functional strength—the kind that carries over when life throws you into a mountain, a snowstorm, or a survival scenario or rucking a Moose quarter out of the bush. The kind that’s not about looking fit, but being truly capable.

I’ve my mighty cousin humbled with 80lbs of Goat on his back trying to make his through the deadfall down a mountain. 

That’s why we’ve partnered with Sam Moxon at Fit Physical Therapy to get dialed in for Season 2 of Finding Nowhere. Sam brings a no-nonsense, performance-meets-real-life approach to training—built for hunters, tradesmen, and anyone who needs strength that shows up in the field, not just in the mirror.

We’ve developed a full training suite with series like:

  • Outdoorsman BaseCamp Regime - A series of bodyweight, band and monkey bar styled workouts we could take on the road and stay fit while also helping us recover from various injuries (Example Below) 

  • Forge Series and Armor Series – Full-body strength, grit, and endurance workouts built for mountain hunts, pack-outs, and the demands of wilderness filming. Expect movements like gorilla rows, landmine push press step-ups, med ball slams, and heavy ruck or kettlebell carries.

  • Hunter’s Prep – Seasonal training designed to sharpen mobility, stamina, and load tolerance specifically for hunting terrain.

  • Traveling Twos – A minimal-gear, travel-friendly system for staying strong on the road (or in the bush).

  • Restore & Vital Series – Functional rehab and mobility work that trains you where you’re at—because let’s be honest, we’re not 20 anymore, and recovery is part of the mission.

Meet Sam:  Certified SFG2 instructor through StrongFirst and credentialed in Functional Movement,

This past winter, we ditched the camo and dawn the short shorts (okay it was only me in the short shorts) and stepped into the gym letting Sam put us through the paces of his program at True North Fitness in Dawson Creek. Let’s just say, like the snowmobiles and goats before… we were humbled.

An RMT rope flow? Never done that before.

Kettlebells? Let’s just say we hadn’t done nearly enough.

From mobility drills to grind-style strength work, it was a full-body wake-up call—and exactly the kind of training that translates to long days in the backcountry and the unpredictability of real-world adventure.

Stay tuned—workout videos and deep-dive breakdowns for each series are coming soon. We're not training for aesthetics. We're training to be ready.

OUTDOORSMAN – BASE CAMP 

5-Week Travel Training and Recovery Program

Purpose:
Build strength, maintain mobility, and stay pain-free while on the road.

DAILY RESET (5–8 MIN)

Do this every single day — even on rest days.

  • Breathing reset (crocodile or 90/90) – 2 min

  • Wall posture drill (chin tuck + reach) – 2×5–6 reps

  • Band pull-aparts or straight-arm pulldown – 2–3×12–15

  • Thread-the-needle – 4–5 per side

WEEK 1 — FOUNDATION

Goal: Learn the rhythm. Reduce neck + back tension.

Day 1 – Strength A

  • Pull-ups – 5×3 (or band rows 5×12)

  • Push-ups – 5×5

  • Split squats – 3×6/side

Day 2 – Conditioning

  • Rope skip (12–15 min) OR

  • Walk (25–35 min)

Day 3 – Strength B

  • Rows or pull-ups – 4 sets

  • Pike push-ups – 4×6

  • Lunges/step-ups – 3×6

Day 4 – Recovery

  • Reset only + optional walk

Day 5 – Strength A (Light)

  • Reduce volume or stop early

Day 6 – Conditioning

  • Jump squats OR rope intervals OR easy run

Day 7 – Play

  • Hike, swim, move — nothing intense

WEEK 2 — BUILD

Goal: Slightly increase volume. Still finish feeling good.

  • Add reps to all movements

  • Extend conditioning time slightly

  • Maintain control and posture

WEEK 3 — SMOOTH STRENGTH

Goal: Stronger reps, no tension spikes.

  • Slow tempo on push-ups

  • Slight increase in endurance work

  • Prioritize smooth movement

WEEK 4 — CONTROL UNDER FATIGUE

Goal: Better posture as intensity rises.

  • Increase pull-up and push-up volume

  • Maintain clean reps

  • No pushing through pain

WEEK 5 — PERFORMANCE BASE

Goal: Strong, sharp, controlled.

  • Pull-ups: up to 5×5

  • Push-ups: 8–10 reps

  • Conditioning: longer or more intervals 










Joel Primus
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