I can still remember the dread of hearing one of my football coaches yell, “To the hill!”
Running hills are one of the toughest methods of cardio, but man, they are effective. A dynamic way of building strength, endurance, and speed in a way you can’t replicate on a flat surface, hill workouts are something that you’ll form a love-hate relationship with. While they are tough, they can also be adjusted to match any fitness level, so beginners to experienced runners can use them to their benefit.
Speaking of benefits, before we give you some workouts to try out, let’s take a look at why you should integrate hill workouts into your training regimen.
Hill Workout Benefits
Enhanced Strength and Power
Running on an incline fires up your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves to a higher degree than running on flat ground.¹ Your body working harder and higher muscle activation is going to lead to a stronger, more powerful muscle. This can translate to faster running times when on flat land. Not too shabby, right?
Improved Cardiovascular Endurance
We all could assume that running on a hill would be tougher than running on flat ground, and you’d be right. A study published in the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications found that hill training significantly improved VO2 Max, speed endurance, and resting heart rate.²
Reduced Risk of Injury
Due to the running mechanics involved with incline work, there’s less stress involved on often injured body parts associated with running, like the shins or knees. Because of the angle, a greater load is placed on the posterior chain, giving some relief to those used and abused knees. The higher muscle activation will also help strengthen the muscles surrounding your joints, helping prevent future injury.
Increased Caloric Burn
Due to the increased effort it takes to run uphill, your heart rate and demand for oxygen increases, in effect raising the amount of calories burned versus the same duration of running on a flat surface.³
Enhanced Mental Toughness
Running is almost as much mental as it is physical. Pushing your body to an extremely uncomfortable limit to accomplish a certain goal requires a certain type of person with the mental fortitude to see it through until the end. Viewing hills as obstacles that need to be overcome can be difficult, but finishing a tough hill workout can put you in the mindset of, “If I can do this, I can run on flat ground with no problem.”
Hill Workout Options
All hill workouts aren’t built the same, so we’re giving you five different workouts with different aims, so you can find the best workout to match up with your goals.
*Before starting any of these workouts, you should make sure you’re warmed up, stretched, and ready to go. Not being properly warmed up could potentially lead to injury.*
1. Short Hill Sprints
Best For: Building power and speed.
Hill Type: Find a short, steep hill (20-30 meters long with an angle of 30° or greater).
Workout: Sprint up the hill with maximum effort, maintaining form. Walk or jog down for recovery.
Sets/Reps: Start with 4-6 sprints and gradually increase to 8-10 over time.
Rest: 1-2 minutes of walking/jogging after each sprint.
Tip: Focus on driving your knees high and pumping your arms to maintain a fast tempo.
2. Long Hill Repeats
Best For: Building endurance and stamina.
Hill Type: Look for a hill that is 100-200 meters long with a moderate incline (10°- 25°). You might be better off finding a road that meets these parameters.
Workout: Run up the hill at a steady, controlled pace, focusing on breathing. Walk or jog down to recover.
Sets/Reps: Start with 4 repeats, gradually working up to 8-10.
Rest: Jog or walk down, allowing your heart rate to come down slightly before the next repeat. Start your next rep as soon as you reach the bottom of the hill.
Tip: Pace yourself to complete each repeat with good form rather than going all-out.
3. Tempo Hill Workout
Best For: Building endurance and pacing.
Location: A long hill that allows for a steady run up and down ideally with a 4-6% gradient.
Workout: Run up the hill at a moderate tempo pace—aim for around 70-80% of max effort. Turn around and run back down at an easier pace.
Duration: If your run uphill takes 60 seconds, your run down the hill should take around 65-70 seconds. Each round of this should be around 10 minutes. Repeat for 3 total rounds if you have the stamina.
Tip: Focus on maintaining a steady effort, which improves your ability to sustain pacing in races or longer runs. A heart rate monitor should come in handy here.
4. Mixed Incline Circuit
Best For: Endurance, strength, and adaptability.
Location: Choose a route with varied hill lengths and inclines. You may have to do this one on a treadmill if you live in a particularly flat area.
Workout: Mix sprints on short, steep hills and controlled runs on longer low-angle inclines.
Sets/Reps: 10-15 minutes of hill running, incorporating 3-4 different hills.
Rest: Walk or jog between hills.
Tip: Choosing a new route every workout can help break up the monotony of running by challenging you in a new way every workout.
5. Downhill Strides
Best For: Improving leg turnover and building eccentric strength.
Location: Find a hill with a gentle decline (the more gradual, the better, to avoid injury).
Workout: Run down the hill at a moderate pace, focusing on shorter, faster strides.
Sets/Reps: 4-6 repeats with a walk back up after each.
Rest: Walking up the hill for recovery.
Tip: Control your pace; the faster you start moving, the harder it is to slow yourself down, especially if your hamstrings aren’t as conditioned as your quads.
Tips for Maximizing Your Hill Workouts
Warm Up!: Spend at least 10 minutes warming up with easy jogging and dynamic stretching before tackling a tough workout.
Focus on Form: Drive your knees, pump your arms, and lean slightly forward while running uphill. Avoid over-striding, which can cause you to lose momentum. This is the perfect time to get your form down.
Gradually Increase Intensity: Start with fewer repeats or shorter hills if you’re new to hill running, then add volume over time.
Cooldown and Stretch: Running on inclines demands more from your muscles, so cool down with a light jog, and don’t forget to stretch afterward. With all the extra tension on your hammies and calves, you’ll need it.
Wrap-Up
Hill workouts can help take your running to the next level by increasing strength and endurance and reducing the risk of getting taken out by a running injury. We’ve given you five different ways to incorporate hill running into your workout, it’s up to you to figure out the best way to put them to use. Remember, hills may seems daunting at first, but once you conquer them, you’ll reap the rewards by leaving other racers in the dust on flat land. So what are you waiting for? Go run some hills and power up.
References:
Yokozawa, Toshiharu, et al. “Muscle Activities of the Lower Limb during Level and Uphill Running.” Journal of Biomechanics, vol. 40, no. 15, Jan. 2007, pp. 3467–3475, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2007.05.028.
Worku, Nigatu, and Aschenaki Taddese. “The Impact of Hill Training on Middle and Long Distance Athletes: With Specific Reference to Oromia Water Works Athletics Club, Ethiopia.” International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, vol. 7, no. 11, 2017, www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-1117/ijsrp-p7136.pdf.
Padulo, Johnny, et al. “A Paradigm of Uphill Running.” PLoS ONE, vol. 8, no. 7, 10 July 2013, p. e69006, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069006.
