If your creed is fast and light in the hills or you want to wow at your local fell races then some uphill strength and power is a great asset to have. Hill reps are a staple training tool for distance runners, sprinters and multi-sprint sport players alike. Even walkers and occasional runners can benefit from a workout like this as the additional strength will make those long descents at the end of the day far easier.
Every stride uphill is effectively a dynamic lift of your bodyweight and downhill running elicits one the most powerful and functional eccentric loads there is. With a solid base of hill work in your legs, your stride on the flat will become noticeably more powerful. It’ll also supercharge your cardiovascular system.
Throw in some plyometric and resistance movements and you have an extremely challenging and effective all-round session. All you need is a grass hill, about 20-30 metres in length and the steeper the better. Before you attempt this workout, make sure your have a good foundation of both running and resistance training. It’s also a “once a week only” workout and don’t be surprised if your legs are a bit tender the next day!
The Workout
Warm-up: 10 minutes of easy paced running followed by 6X20 seconds strides with 40 seconds jog recovery.
Tippy Toes X5 Hill Repeats with Jog down recovery
Drives X5 Hill Repeats with Jog down recovery
Uphill Gradient Press-ups X10 reps X3 Jog up and down recovery
Uphill Walking Lunges X20 reps X3 with Jog down recovery
Downhill Gradient Press-ups X10 reps X3 with Jog up and down recovery
Downhill reps X5 Hill Repeats with Jog/Walk up recovery
Gradient Crunches X10 reps X3 with Jog up and down recovery
Uphill Double Legged Bounds X10 reps X3 with Jog down recovery
Cool-down: 5-10 minutes easy paced running.
Full body stretch
