SecondSport.com, or Me & My Medicine Ball

This happy couple will not go anywhere without their medicine ball. Don't forget yours this summer when going on vacation. Speaking of vacation, our group is finalizing our summer start time and it is looking like a 7am start on Tues & Thurs. Today, Robert and I were the only shows. Paul is returning from his annual sailing trip in the Chesapeake Bay and Stephen is packing. Stephen finished his PhD and is moving his family to Mississippi in the next few weeks.
Robert has 3 medicine balls; a Yellowjacket (yellow & Black 6# stinger), a Baylor Bear (10# green & gold accelerator) & a Darth Ball (14# red & black stout). Robert is one of these guys who has a powerlifter background, in other words, strength is not an issue for him. Stamina on the other hand is of some concern for him. He talks about how our weekly routine clearly stabilizes his trunk for backpacking. Robert is planing to take his son's Boy Scouts Pack to Montana for a back country experience in July. So, today after we did our Daily Dozen we went to the track next to the school to augment that stamina requirement he is facing in the mountains. Our track is 400 m loop with an up and a down hill component. Robert's backpack will weigh close to 60# but will be secured to his back. We figured if we did a series of laps carrying medicine balls that might be all the work he would need. We walked a slow lap and Robert carried Darth Ball, while I carried the Baylor Bear & the Yellowjacket. We continually shifted the ball/balls around our bodies during the lap; on the shoulder, on the hip, behind the neck, on the belly, etc (creating a "live" weight). We traded medicine balls on the second lap and maintained the pace we established on the first lap. No huffing and puffing yet! The third lap proved to be the training lap. I exchanged Darth Ball for the Baylor Bear with Robert that put 20# of "live" medicine balls on him (14 + 6 =20) and we picked up the pace to a brisk walk. The first leg of this lap is down hill and our respiration clearly elevated half way in. I told Robert we would maintain this pace into the up hill leg and hold the pace to the top. Huffing and puffing was being enjoyed by all as we got into this lap and dropped the medicine balls at the top. Then we slowed to a stroll on a final cool down lap. We finished the cool down and our respiration was back to normal but Robert clearly felt his legs; our objective was met. I have laid out a progression that includes number of laps, combinations of "live" medicine balls and pacing which will get Robert onto and off of those mountains in Montana. Clearly, the second sport pays off on your primary endeavor.