It’s a common question amongst our members when the cardio training for the week is hills and we give our well known smirk and giggle, because we know that we have a cracker session up our sleeves. So here’s a little explanation of why we have that little smirk going on before you hit the hills:
- We know that everyone will get a good training session in – regardless of fitness level and effort level put in. We do have cheeky members that on certain days decide not to go as hard as other days. Hills training sure sorts that out, because no matter how slowly you run that hill rep, it is still going to get you puffing! We find hill running tougher to go slower, so it even encourages you to turn on the pace!
- Training isn’t just about the physical task; it’s the mental challenge too. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing someone push through a level that they thought they couldn’t. ‘I didn’t think I could do that last rep’, ‘I can’t believe I still did that last one that fast’ and so on. When you realise that you are capable beyond what you thought you could do, then you are entering the thinking territory of your trainer, who knew you could do it. So although running up a hill numerous times is physically tough, we want to see if you can handle it mentally as well, and it’s a great feeling for both of us when you do!
- Without getting scientific – hill training is a brilliant fitness and running technique booster. Even after 1 decent hill rep, you will feel the burn in the legs and you will be breathing heavy…helloooooo improved fitness, especially leg strength and cardio fitness. To get up those hills quickly and efficiently, you have to get your technique sorted, high knee drive, short stride length, up on your toes, short, fast arm swing to keep the legs rolling over.