The Altitude Advantage
What is High Altitude Training?
High Altitude Training is a style of exercise that capitalizes on the benefits that working out at high elevations provides. High Altitude Training is backed by numerous scientific studies - it's an excellent method of getting your body into prime shape and helping to build resistance to fatigue!
Why Big Bear Makes You Stronger?
High-elevation performance benefits (6,700+ ft)
Our mountains reach a natural elevation of 6,752 feet or 2,058 meters. That's about 4.6 times the height of the Empire State building and nearly 6 times the height of the Eiffel tower. Now that's high up!
Many athletes practice before their games by going to higher elevations to train their endurance and strength - best part is, Big Bear has a proven track record of triathletes, professional cyclists, adventure racers, and marathoners!
Olympians Who Trained in Big Bear
“I love training in Big Bear. The altitude is brutal, but it makes me stronger and gives me a serious advantage when I race at sea level.” Cameron Wurf, Olympic triathlete and professional cyclist
"“Big Bear is an ideal location to train. The conditions are tough, but that’s exactly what makes it great.” Kim Rhode: A Big Bear City resident and six-time Olympic medalist in skeet shooting, according to the Orange County Register.
“Big Bear’s altitude helped shape my endurance and mental toughness.” Ryan Hall: Two-time Olympian, marathon runner, and Big Bear resident.
“Big Bear is where I really leveled up.” Dusty Henricksen: A snowboarder from Mammoth Lakes who trained in Big Bear and won a Youth Olympic gold medal in slopestyle.
“The altitude in Big Bear made me stronger, both mentally and physically.” Brenda Martinez: An Olympic track and field athlete who also has connections to Big Bear.
Visit Big Bear Athlete Ambassadors
Robert Mancilla
My love for boxing began at just 11 years old. Back then, I didn’t fully appreciate the advantage of training at high altitude. It wasn’t until I began competing as an amateur that I noticed the difference: while my opponents struggled to catch their breath, I recovered quickly and stayed strong throughout the match. It all clicked in biology class back in high school that I learned the science behind high-altitude training. That’s when I understood why so many elite athletes come to Big Bear to prepare for competition.
Siena Hermon (Off-Road Cyclist)
Training in Big Bear is ideal for me because there is an endless amount of singletrack and fireroad trails all around the valley. It is the perfect place to ride for not only Mountain Biking but gravel cycling too. The elevation of 6752 is known as the sweet spot for athletes. Living and training here year-round gives me a real advantage over athletes at sea level. And beyond the performance benefits, it’s just beautiful - you get to see views of the lake, forested areas, wildlife, and my all time favorite thing about Big Bear is the beautiful blue skies we experience almost on the daily basis!
Scientific studies show that high altitude exercise provides your body with increased physical performance and quicker recovery times.
When you train at high elevation, the your body responds to the lower amount of oxygen by producing erythropoietin (EPO), stimulating an increase in those helpful oxygen storing red blood cells!
Many athletes practice before their games by going to higher elevations to train their endurance and strength - best part is, Big Bear has a proven track record of triathletes, professional cyclists, adventure racers, and marathoners!
Many Olympians had begun their training right here in Big Bear Valley!
- Oscar De La Hoya
- Gennady Golovkin
- Sugar Shane Mosley
- Kim Rhode
- Garrett Muagututia
With Big Bear's mild summer weather and varying terrain, you can live high and train low. Best part is, our valley is close to the major metro areas like Los Angeles and San Diego, allowing for ease of travel to major athletic events.