VO2 Max Hill Blasters

Workout - VO2 Max Hill Blasters

• 5min @ 6'00''/km
• 8 lots of:
  • 1min @ 4'00''/km
  • 2min 30s rest
• 5min @ 6'00''/km

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Intro

Coach Sage Canaday’s BEST UPHILL RUNNING GRADE FOR ALL DISTANCE RUNNERS? Training Talk EP. 62 (from Vo2maxProductions) is worth watching. Here’s what the episode covers so you can get started on the workout right away. The full video has more details if you want to dig deeper.

Key Points

• A 5% grade (5 m vertical per 100 m horizontal) works best for runners at any distance. It’s steep enough to demand effort but manageable—you won’t be reduced to hiking, which makes it perfect for building both speed and strength.
• Hill running is essentially speed work wrapped in a different package. It strengthens your legs, improves knee drive and ankle flexibility, recruits fast-twitch fibers more effectively, and boosts your ability to run faster on flat ground.
• Short, hard hill repeats lasting 1–3 minutes at 5% on the right recovery schedule hit your VO₂ max or lactate threshold hard while reducing the pounding your joints take compared to flat-ground sprints.
• Mix hill workouts into your weekly program: 20-minute steady uphill tempo, 1–3 min repeats, or a full-distance uphill tempo session. A treadmill, bridge, parking structure, or local slope all work.

Workout Example

5% Grade Hill Session (scale the volume based on where you are right now):

1. Warm-up: 10–15 min easy on flat ground.
2. Hill repeats:
   • Option A – 8 × 1-minute repeats uphill at 5%, at a hard but controlled pace (VO₂ max effort).
   • Recovery: walk or jog downhill for 2–3 min.
3. Cool-down: 10 min easy jog.

Alternative: Run continuously uphill at a steady pace for 20 minutes at 5%. A treadmill or a steady slope works well. Aim for a heart rate near your lactate threshold.

Closing Note

Run this 5% hill workout once this week—use your Pacing app to dial in the effort to your training zones. You’ll gain strength, sharpen your form, and improve how efficiently you run. That’s a win whether your next goal is a 5K, marathon, or ultra. Go run.

References

• BEST UPHILL RUNNING GRADE FOR ALL DISTANCE RUNNERS? Coach Sage Canaday Training Talk EP. 62 - YouTube (YouTube Video)