Cardio
4× a week30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio — running, cycling or swimming — 4 times a week.
Everest Fitness Calendar · 12-week training plan
Get Everest fit.
Twelve weeks from your sofa to the trailhead — the same four ingredients every week: cardio, strength, a weekend hike, and stretching. Altitude vs attitude.
- 12weeks
- 5training phases
- 4ingredients a week
- 1goal — the trailhead
Who built this plan
Pemba Sherpa
Mountaineer, guide and author of this 12-week plan.
- 7×Everest summits
- 3Guinness World Records
The plan
Three months, five gears.
Build a base, add endurance, simulate the trek, peak, then ease off so you land in Kathmandu fresh — not flattened.
Free · no card needed
Sign up free to unlock the week plan
- Day-by-day sessions for all 5 phases
- Real dates from your start day
- Tick off sessions and track all 12 weeks
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Phase 1 of 5 · Weeks 1–4
Foundation building
Get Everest fit.
Strength
2× a weekBasic exercises — squats, lunges, push-ups, planks — 2 times a week.
Hiking
1× a week1-hour hike on a local trail with a light backpack, on the weekend.
Flexibility
6× a week10 minutes of stretching after each workout.
A typical week · repeat for weeks 1–4
Tick sessions as you finish them — a full week ticks off the next week in your progress. Swap days to fit your schedule.
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Phase 2 of 5 · Weeks 5–6
Building endurance
Don’t panic, build a habit.
Cardio
4× a week1 hour of moderate-to-high-intensity cardio, 4 times a week.
Strength
2× a weekAdvanced exercises — deadlifts, kettlebell swings, pull-ups — 2 times a week.
Hiking
1× a week3-hour hike on a challenging trail with a fully loaded backpack, on the weekend.
Flexibility
6× a week15 minutes of yoga or stretching after each workout.
A typical week · repeat for weeks 5–6
Tick sessions as you finish them — a full week ticks off the next week in your progress. Swap days to fit your schedule.
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Phase 3 of 5 · Weeks 7–8
Simulating trek conditions
Breathe the Himalayas.
Cardio
4× a week1 hour of high-intensity cardio, 4 times a week.
Strength
2× a weekContinue the advanced exercises, 2 times a week.
Hiking
2× a weekBack-to-back hikes Saturday and Sunday, 3–4 hours each, varied terrain, fully loaded backpack — the closest thing to a trek day you can do at home.
Flexibility
6× a week20 minutes of yoga or stretching after each workout.
A typical week · repeat for weeks 7–8
Tick sessions as you finish them — a full week ticks off the next week in your progress. Swap days to fit your schedule.
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Phase 4 of 5 · Weeks 9–10
Peak conditioning
Break your limit.
Cardio
4× a week1.5 hours of high-intensity cardio, 4 times a week.
Strength
2× a weekFull-body workouts, 2 times a week.
Hiking
1× a week4-hour hike on the most challenging trail available, fully loaded backpack, on the weekend.
Flexibility
6× a week20 minutes of yoga or stretching after each workout.
A typical week · repeat for weeks 9–10
Tick sessions as you finish them — a full week ticks off the next week in your progress. Swap days to fit your schedule.
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Phase 5 of 5 · Weeks 11–12
Tapering and recovery
Victory in the thin air.
Cardio
3× a week45 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio, 3 times a week.
Strength
1× a weekLight exercises only, once a week. You are storing energy now, not building it.
Hiking
1× a week2-hour hike on an easy trail with a light backpack, on the weekend.
Flexibility
4× a week30 minutes of gentle yoga or stretching after each workout.
A typical week · repeat for weeks 11–12
Tick sessions as you finish them — a full week ticks off the next week in your progress. Swap days to fit your schedule.
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RestYour twelve weeks
Tick them off as you go.
Saved in this browser, so your progress is here when you come back.
Required — pick a date and every week below gets real dates, plus the day you’re trek-ready.
0 of 12 weeks done
Track it on paper
Print it, pin it, tick it off.
One blank month at a time. Write the month, set your goals, and cross the days off — the fridge door is still the best fitness app ever made.
- C Cardio
- S Strength
- H Hike
- F Flexibility
A blank month calendar sheet for printing and filling in by hand — every day has tick boxes for cardio, strength, hike and flexibility, explained by a legend.
Month
Week of 12 · phase
Goals
Fill these in with a pen once it’s on the fridge.
Twelve weeks from now
Training for something real?
This plan was written to put you on a trail in Nepal. Pick the one you are getting fit for.