Stairway to Heaven Repeats
Okay, so this isn't technically a hill workout, but it works just as well as hills for building leg strength and power, awakens the glutes like nothing else, and can be done almost anywhere!
The Mission: To walk, then run up stairs to boost power and strength for hill running. This is especially great for those that live in the flatlands. Caution: This is a high-intensity workout. A little goes a long way, especially when first starting out (just ask my calves--they've got stories).
- Warm up walking for five minutes.
- Climb stairs for 10-20 minutes and then cool down by walking it out. It's best to perform this workout on at least three to five flights of stairs so it takes you one to three minutes to climb.
- When climbing stairs, walk up them, focusing on keeping your torso tall and getting your whole foot on the step to push through your heel and use your glutes.
- As you build stair fitness, you can increase either the intensity (progress to running up the stairs) or the duration (20-30 minutes). You can also weave this into an easy run, ie. warming up running 10 minutes, climbing stairs for 10 minutes, then run another 10-15 minutes.
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Backwards Hill Drills
You read it right--running a hill backward has its benefits (and risks). It's a great way to end a workout if you have a hill near your home or where you run. Walking then running backward up a hill for short, powerful intervals builds quad strength like nobody's business. Sure, you look funny to your neighbors, but they thought that anyway, right?
The Mission: To build quad strength with less impact to better withstand the impact forces of downhill running.
- Run this drill after an easy run when your muscles are warm but not tired.
- Start by walking backward for one minute up a hill, focusing on rolling from toe to heel with your torso held tall. You'll feel your quads in seconds.
- Repeat this four to six times and then proceed with the rest of your cool down (which I hope includes foam rolling).
- When this gets easy, progress to running backward uphill, still rolling from toe to heel as you climb. Focus on technique rather than speed. You'll get a lot more out of it.
More: The Up Side: 4 Ways to Master Hill Running
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