The Secret fitness Workout for Strong and Fast Hill Running

Chris Shah

Founder, Fitness Coach

Terra Nova Fitness

 Article with pics http://terranovafitness.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-secret-fitness-workout-for-strong.html

You know it’s coming, it’s the hill you love and hate.

The struggle and ultimately triumph that makes it all worth it.

What if you didn’t have to struggle up the hill? What if you could keep up relatively the same flat land running pace?

 If you understand what’s going on behind the scenes in your body we can dodge fatigue bullets and keep that pace.

 There are a few coins that explain why we fatigue, but here we will only include one. Future articles will tackle and link the other coins.  

 One side of the coin is the oxygen you produce (energy production).

This is largely the function of the following systems:

·   Heart size and pumping action

·   Vascular network

·   Respiratory system

The other side of the coin we ignore or simple don’t know about is energy and oxygen utilization.

This is largely the function of the following systems:

·    The number and size of slow twitch (endurance) endurance muscles

·    Oxidative abilities of fast (high threshold) muscles

·     Aerobic enzymes

 A lot of runners are great at the energy production part with great resting heart rates as proof, but they are ignoring the red headed step child of Energy Utilization. (Specifically, aerobic energy).

 One of the reasons you fatigue or slow down running up hills, is because you are tapping into Fast Twitch High Threshold Fibers (type2). When these type 2 muscles switch from aerobic (mostly oxygen) to anaerobic (limited oxygen supply) you fatigue faster.

 The secret is to delay this switch or threshold. Welcome to the secret workout method we have been using with our runners and athletes with great success.

We use 2 exercises for this method the SLED and BOX STEP DOWNS.

You can also use a spin bike that allows increased resistance.

This method is characterized by high resistance and slow tempo.  Because the slow tempo keeps your heart rate in an aerobic zone but high resistance stimulates your fast twitch fibers, you are increasing your ability to utilize aerobic abilities of your Hill Running muscles.

 This means you will become more efficient at running hills from a strength and conditioning standard.

To Summarize.  WATCH VIDEO of the Secret method. http://youtu.be/_vcFohAgd7Q

What: Run hills faster

 Goal: Increase your hill running muscles (fast twitch) ability to utilize aerobic energy production

 How: Use secret method of combined high resistance and slow tempo at a high volume or time.

Specifics:

 Exercise: Sled, box step downs, spin bike

Equipment: Weight vest, sled, kettlebells, dumbbells

Resistance: High

Work: 7-12 minutes phase one, 12-20 min phase two (each phase 3-4 weeks)

Rest: 7-12 minutes

Frequency: 1-2 times per week

Heart rate: 140-160 beats

Reference: Coach Joel Jamison and the book “Super training”