Hill Training
What is hill training?
Hill training is just as simple as it sounds: running up hills and similar terrain simulations. Hill training is typically incorporated on occasion depending on the training cycle. Many professional runners practice hill training for better aerobic ability to tackle different terrain, as well as to simply improve fitness. Sometimes hill training may include running fast intervals uphill.
Why is hill training recommended?
Strengthens Muscles: Running uphill engages different muscle groups, including the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, more intensely than running on flat terrain. This helps build strength and power in these muscles, leading to improved running performance overall.
Increases Fitness: Hill training requires your heart and lungs to work harder than usual, which can enhance endurance and improve your aerobic capacity. This, in turn, can lead to better performance in races and other running activities.
Improves Running Form: Running uphill encourages proper running form, including shorter strides, a slight forward lean, and driving the arms. Practicing good form on hills can translate to more efficient running on flat terrain.
Prevents Injury: Running uphill reduces the impact forces on your legs compared to running on flat or downhill surfaces. Additionally, the varied terrain of hills can strengthen stabilizing muscles and improve joint stability, reducing the risk of injury.
Cons of hill training
Increased Risk of Injury: While running hills may help in some cases decrease the risk of injury, it may also increase the likelihood of injury more if a runner is overdoing it and not properly letting their body recover in between sessions.
Muscle Soreness: Hill training can lead to increased muscle soreness, especially in the calves, quadriceps, and glutes. This soreness may require extra recovery time and could affect subsequent training.
Some people just don’t have a hill: People living in some areas may have a hard time finding a hill to do hill training on.
What to do if you don’t have hills in your area?
If you live in an extremely flat area with no hills, there are still ways to get in hill training. One method of which is to utilize the incline feature that is present on most treadmills. Inclining the treadmill can help simulate hills and in addition also has the advantage of being able to adjust the steepness to your fitness level and goals.
Conclusion
Hill training can be a useful training method that can be incorporated into various athletes’ routines, helping improve fitness and simulating conditions that may be present to the athlete during competitions.
Sources:
"The Complete Guide To Hill Running: Benefits, Tips, and Workouts." Marathon Handbook, 2024, marathonhandbook.com/hill-running-guide/.
Lee, Jennifer, PT, DPT. "How Hill Training Can Make You a Better Runner: Plus Tips for Getting Started." Houston Methodist, 2022,
www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2022/sep/how-hill-training-can-make-you-a-better-runner-plus-tips-for-getting-started/.
Miele, Christine Luff and Verywell Fit. "The Benefits of Hill Running." Verywell Fit, Verywell Fit, 2024, www.verywellfit.com/benefits-of-hill-running-2911958.