Foundational Hill Power

Workout - Foundational Hill Power

• 15min @ 6'00''/km
• 10 lots of:
  • 1min @ 4'30''/km
  • 2min 30s rest
• 10min @ 6'30''/km

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Want the details from How to Unlock Your Secret Weapon to Faster Running! by Lee Grantham? The video is worth a watch. The essentials are pulled out so you can run the workout right away.

Key points

• Hill repeats are both a skill and strength builder. Schedule them on your speed work day alongside interval training.
• A 5–7% grade works best for most athletes. It’s hard enough to build strength but mild enough to protect Achilles, calves, and stabilizers.
• Start with short, controlled repetitions (15–30 seconds) to establish the right movement, then progress to longer, more intense efforts.
• Shorter, faster strides concentrate the load on the cardiovascular system while glutes and hamstrings do the mechanical work, which delays muscle fatigue.
• Don’t skip the descent. Start with an easy jog down, then work on mid-foot contact, extended stride, and quad strengthening to carry momentum through race day.

Workout example

Hill repeat session (5–7% gradient)

- Warm-up: 10–15 min easy jog.
- Main set: 10 x 1 min hill repeats (or 200–250 m) at 5–7%.
  - Keep steps short; focus on glutes and hamstrings.
  - Recover jog or walk back down for 2–3 min.
- Progression: after 2–3 weeks, increase each repeat to 75 s, then 90 s.
- Cool-down: 10 min easy jog.

Tip: Use a treadmill or a measured hill segment so the gradient stays constant and you can track progress week to week.

Closing note: Add this hill session to your training this week and adjust intensity to your training zones in the Pacing app.

References

• How to Unlock Your Secret Weapon to Faster Running! - YouTube (YouTube Video)