Kilimanjaro Training: How to Prepare Realistically for the Climb

Starting point: physical reality instead of an idealised image

Good training plans rarely fail because of motivation. They fail because they ignore reality.

The truth first: my reality at the start of this project—a few kilos too heavy, a largely sedentary working day, limited recovery time—and at the same time, a very clear goal in mind. Not in terms of aesthetics or personal bests, but functionally: being resilient, able to walk for many hours, and having reserves when it gets cold, when the air gets thinner, when fatigue sets in.

The extra body weight and lack of fitness are not a disaster, but they are relevant factors. The weight increases the mechanical load on joints, tendons and ligaments. Being out of shape limits the ability to manage many hours of continuous ascent. Training needs to take that into account—otherwise progress quickly turns into stagnation or injury.

The guiding principles of my training

Before getting into specific sessions, clear parameters are needed:

• Consistency beats intensity – better slow and steady than heroic and rushed.
• Protecting joints and tendons takes priority over short-term gains.
• Function over appearance – strength endurance and resilience matter more than a great physique.
• Low barriers to getting started – short journeys, fixed appointments, guided classes.

These principles explain why my training currently looks the way it does—and why some things are deliberately still missing.

The training strategy: three phases, one system

Rather than following a rigid plan, I am taking a phase-based approach. The phases are not hard cut-offs, but areas of focus that guide my preparation.

Phase 1: Weight loss—building the foundation

Goal:

• Make training a habit
• Support a calorie deficit
• Minimise the risk of injury

This is where various aqua fitness formats and EMS training play a central role.

-> Water drastically reduces impact, while still allowing high intensities.

-> EMS provides targeted strength stimuli without requiring heavy external loads.

This first phase of getting used to training and losing weight is not heroic training. It is a combination of a calorie deficit, consistency and staying injury-free.

Phase 2: Building fitness—strength endurance and stability

Goal:

• Build a muscular foundation
• Increase core and leg resilience
• Learn to tolerate longer efforts

Formats such as BodyPump and classic full-body workouts are ideal here. High repetition counts, functional movements and moderate weights promote exactly what will later be needed for long periods of walking, climbing and standing: strength endurance rather than maximal strength.

Phase 3: Improving VO₂max—developing a performance reserve

Goal:

• Improve oxygen uptake
• Delay fatigue
• Build reserves for altitude and summit days
• Support the ability to acclimatise better to altitude

Aqua HIIT sessions are an initial, very joint-friendly way in. Later, interval training on foot, longer climbs and targeted cardio sessions will follow. Important: this phase is built on foundations that work—it is not a starting point.

VO₂max is not a starting point. It is the result.

The first weeks of training

Over the past few weeks, it has not been about doing “everything right”, but about starting—and sticking with it.

Two to four sessions per week were typical, consisting of:

• Aqua Fitness / Aqua Power / Aqua HIIT
• BodyPump
• occasional EMS Strength
• steady rowing

The pattern is deliberate:

• Aqua lowers the barrier to getting started and allows intensity without overloading the body.
• EMS provides targeted strength stimuli with minimal joint stress.
• BodyPump bridges the gap to loading the legs and core.
• Rowing creates the first foundations for long endurance efforts.

The intensity did not increase primarily through weights or pace, but through consistency and variety. No Excel plan, but a system that feels sustainable for months.

What I am deliberately not doing (yet)

What I leave out is just as important as the training itself:

• No running training
• No maximal strength attempts
• No daily training
• No “everything at once”

Discipline does not mean doing everything that is somehow possible—it means focusing on what is right.

Outlook

The next steps will be:

• deliberately integrate longer walking efforts
• systematically build up the first elevation gain
• gradually expand VO₂max-focused sessions
• more closely integrate training, nutrition and recovery

For me, this first step is deliberately not an endpoint, but a beginning. Progress does not come from perfect plans, but from solid foundations—and from being willing to take your own body seriously.