One-Hour Workout: 10x Quick Hills For Run Strength

This workout teaches the body to use the muscles that are required to go up steady grades like the ones on hilly run courses.

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Every Tuesday we’ll feature a different coach’s workout you can complete in 60 mins (or less!).

This week’s hill running workout comes from Bay Area coach Mike Portman. “I learned early on how important it is for athletes to learn to run efficiently up and downhill,” he says. “This workout is great to teach the body to use the muscles that are required to go up a steady grade that may be required during hilly run courses. It is also beneficial to develop leg strength so you will have a little extra kick during the last 25 percent of the run leg.”

Find a hill between a 4–8 percent grade that will take 45-60 seconds to climb. When doing the uphill portions of the workout, try to focus on a good arm swing and a run cadence close to what you do on flat terrain. If you have a little extra time for your workout add an extra 10 seconds of a hard 5K effort once you have crested the top. It teaches your body to switch gears from climbing to going hard on flat terrain.

RELATED – Workout Of The Week: 3-2-1 Hill Repeats

The Workout

Warm-up
20 minutes easy jog.  3x(30 seconds of lunges, 30 seconds walk), 2 minutes jog

Main Set
10x(45–60 seconds hard uphill at 5K effort, 60 seconds walk/jog downhill recover)

Cool-down
15 minutes easy jog

RELATED – One-Hour Workout: Downhill Running

More one-hour workouts.

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