This six-move circuit strengthens and trains key muscles in your legs and core for ultimate hill domination.
Exercise 1: Walking lunges with bum kicks
Areas trained: quads, hamstrings, glutes
Why do it?
This is a great exercise to activate your hamstrings, which will help with maximum contractions during hill runs.
Technique:
- Stand with your feet together
- Step forward with your right leg and bend both knees to perform a lunge
- As you lift up, push off with your left leg
- Use the momentum to flick your left heel up to your bum
- Bring your left leg forwards and place it on the floor
- Repeat the lunge with a bum kick with your right leg
- Alternate between left and right
Safety tip:
Keep your back upright and look forward, keeping your core muscles tight.
Exercise 2: Incline mountain climber
Areas trained: deltoids, rhomboids, biceps, triceps, psoas muscles, transversus abdominus
Why do it?
Running uphill requires you to lift your knees and drive backwards with your arms while keeping your core contracted. This exercise is great for teaching these muscles to work together.
Technique:
- Place your hands about shoulder-width apart on a step
- Keep your body in a straight line
- Bring your right knee in towards your right elbow
- Return your right leg and repeat the move on your left
- Alternate between right and left
Safety tip:
Don’t let your lower back arch.
Exercise 3: Lying over-head tricep extensions
Areas trained: triceps
Why do it?
Strong arms will help you drive uphill.
Technique:
- Lie on your back and hold a weight with both hands
- Keep your upper arms next to your ears with your elbows bent
- Extend your forearms without moving your upper arms away from your ears
- Slowly lower the weight
Safety tip:
Never lock your elbows when extending your arms.
Exercise 4: Stationary lunges with pulses
Areas trained: quads, hamstrings, glutes
Why do it?
This exercise will improve the strength in your thighs.
Technique:
- Stand with your right leg in front of your left
- Bend your knees until your left knee almost touches the floor
- Straighten your legs and return to the standing position
- Complete one set before starting with the pulses on the same leg
- On the last repetition of the full lunge, only lift halfway up of the floor
- Slowly lower back down to the floor
- Complete one set of the pulses before changing over
Safety tip:
Keep your back upright and look forward.
Exercise 5: Squats with calf raises
Areas trained: quads, hamstrings, glutes, gastrocnemius
Why do it?
Strengthening your thighs and calves is very important to ensure maximum performance when you run up and down hills.
Technique:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and turn your toes out slightly
- Keep your back straight and your core muscles tight
- Bend your knees and lower your bum to perform a squat
- Hold the bottom position
- Lift your heels of the floor to perform a calf raise
- Lower your heels
- Straighten your legs back to the standing position
Safety tip:
Hold onto something secure if you struggle with balancing.
Exercise 6: Straight-arm plank row
Areas trained: transversus abdominus, rhomboids
Why do it?
A strong core is very important to keep a good uphill running rhythm.
Technique:
- Place your left hand on the floor and hold a weight in your right hand
- Lift your knees of the floor to keep a straight line between your shoulders, hips and feet
- Pull the weight up to your armpit while twisting your body
- Slowly return the weight to the floor, but don’t rest
- Complete one set before changing over to the other side
Safety tip:
If your find this exercise too hard, keep your knees on the floor in a kneeling plank position.
