Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Training 2025: Utah Hikes and Hip Strengthening Exercises

Recommendations to prepare for one of Earth's greatest hikes.

On the West Rim Trail in Zion National Park.

Quotes: 
"Nowhere else is the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other so provocative, so destabilizing, so densely freighted with rich and interlocking layers of meaning.”
   -  Kevin Fedarko, from his book A Walk in the Park:  The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon.

"They (people) love to complain about how soft people are today. Then I look at their profile photo and realize the last time this person did a push-up was probably when Commando was in theaters. If you think people are soft, start by not being soft yourself. You have the power to do something hard and train every day."
    -  Arnold Schwarzenegger 

To hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim in one day requires mindful and effective training.  It can make the difference between a positive, enjoyable experience and one that is a once-only, miserable experience.

​This will be our fifth Grand Canyon rim to rim hike.  In 2024, we hiked north to south with our friend Jeff (Epic Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Hike In One Day).  This year we will hike south to north, with an increase of at least 1,000 feet elevation gain compared to last year, over a shorter distance.

These are our recommendations for an enjoyable and safe rim to rim hike in this incredible canyon, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, based on our experiences:

• Be able to hike at least 15 miles continuously
• Be able to hike 4,000 feet in elevation
• Be able to tolerate hiking in heat, as Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon will be a lot warmer (one year it was 100 degrees for us but we had a lot of Palm Springs, California hiking experience).
• We use just one - two bottles of electrolyte drinks mixed in with water (our friend thought that one had to drink electrolytes continuously on this hike, so he felt adverse effects of electrolyte overload).  I'm not an expert on this, please check with your physician.

Our training hikes in the St. George/Southern Utah area and Palm Springs, California:

• Grand Canyon rim to rim in one day training near St. George, Utah.
• Kolob Arch, Skyline Trail and Goblet Squats
• Scrub Benchmark in the Beaver Dam Mountains.
• Burger Peak in Pine Valley Mountains 
• Skyline Trail in Palm Springs gains 8,000 feet on the longest portion of the Cactus to Clouds hike.

The hip strengthening exercises below create stability and endurance necessary for long distance hiking, scrambling, and climbing.

I also threw in some of this year's photos.  Fred and I, in our mid-60's are so grateful to be able to do these hikes, especially with our friends.  Many people are unable to experience the awesome grandeur of the changing colors and terrain descending and climbing back out of the canyon.  To be able to cross the green and blue Colorado River, see 1.7 billion-year old basement rocks and walk along Bright Angel Creek's rushing white water is something we'll never forget.

Hip Strengthening for Better Hiking and Injury Prevention - Sue Birnbaum, MPT

These are some of the exercises I do to create strength and endurance in my hip stabilizers:  the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, piriformis, and deep core muscles.

Strengthening your gluteus medius is crucial for a stable pelvis during walking and hiking.  The integration of the gluteus medius (upper lateral buttock) with the TFL (tensor fascia lata) and the quadratus lumborum creates an important myofascial sling.  This sling helps to stabilize the pelvis, which is essential for efficient movement and preventing compensations in other areas, such as the lower back or knees.​   Its function is to prevent the pelvis from dropping on the unsupported side (the leg that is swinging through during gait), which is a key part of maintaining a balanced gait.

Strong gluteus medius muscles control hip movement which in turn controls knee movement.  They prevent knee injuries during activities because they keep knees in the optimal anatomic position during weight-bearing.

Gluteus medius muscles in red:  it abducts your hips and stabilizes your pelvis. 
​By maya2008.

Your gluteus maximus (largest butt muscle) is described by a physical therapist as "a steering wheel and stabilizer for your legs." (from the book ROAR; see reference below).  Your glutes kick into action first to keep your pelvis stabilized and then direct your knee and quadricep movements.  Up the chain, your abdominal muscles, back muscles, and obliques help you keep moving in a solid, stabilized unit (optimally, if they're strong!).

** It's important to recruit your deep core muscles by getting into the habit of automatically contracting or "zipping up" your abdomen, pulling your navel toward your spine before you start moving with these exercises.**
Check with your physician before performing these exercises.

There's thousands of foot steps on the 22-mile GC rim to rim trail.  Strong hip stabilizers will help prevent hip pain!

Side Steps onto Box and Side Step-Overs
Keep your pelvis level throughout the step up, prevent your knee from bending (caving in) toward midline, keeping your knee tracking over your foot.  Box step-overs train your ankles, knees, hips, core and dynamic balance functionally for scrambling over rocks.

Reverse Lunges with Dumbbells
The further away from your spine you hold a given load, the more spinal loading (torque) occurs, the stronger your trunk muscles - including core muscles - have to be to keep your spine stable and strong.
I contract my scapular stabilizers to keep the shoulders down away from my ears, keeping my chest elevated.  Keeping an erect posture gets those spinal muscles to work!
​Knee should not go in front of your toes as you lower down.

Banded Squats with Dumbbells into Thrusters
I am trying to prevent my knees from moving toward each other - overcoming the force of the band squeezing inward by contracting my gluteus medius to abduct my hips, keeping knees tracking over ankles.
Keeping your arms extended forward creates a big challenge for your back and abs.
Thrusters are an explosive movement by the glutes to push dumbbells up, requiring scapular/shoulder control and core stability.

Bridging with band-resisted leg movements
If my hips start to get sore, I do this basic physical therapy exercise.
The key is to push outward against the band, keep your hips up and not to let your pelvis dip down to the side.
​Think of it as a reverse plank - I could do a little better keeping my hips up in line with shoulders and knees.

Zion National Park with Lindy and Jeff.  We hit slippery snow so we couldn't get as much elevation as we wanted!
Clockwise from top left:  Walking up West Rim Trail to Scouts Lookout, Lindy's "little men", Fred on plateau after Scouts Lookout, Sue  and Fred, heading back, Walter's Wiggles looking over Refrigerator Canyon on the way up to Scout Lookout.

Training in St. George area
Clockwise from top left:  Robin on ridge to Peak 4416 - Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Sue and Robin on Padre Canyon Trail, Jeff near Three Ponds Trail in Snow Canyon SP, Robin looking at Peak 4416, celebrating Scrub Benchmark's summit, lost on the Whiptail Trail, Snow Canyon, Walter's Wiggles - Zion, Fred on the ridge to 4416, petroglyphs on Land Hill near Ivins, Fred coming up canyon in Snow Canyon, the "Vortex", cholla in Snow Canyon.

Related

Cactus to Clouds Challenge - 1993

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim 2024

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Training I

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Training II

References

Sims, S.T.  2016.  ROAR:  How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body For Life.  Rodale Books.  RodaleWellness.com