Hill training exercise advice

Two ways to increase the intensity of your workouts are using hill training or increasing the speed at which you are going at.

Increasing speed is probably the more common method as it is pretty simple and straightforward. Add to the fact that since so many performance related activities are judged based on time, it only makes sense to try and become faster and faster.

For those who are not solely focused on finishing as quickly as possible though, hill training can offer more positive rewards.

One of the best things about hill training is that you will be able to increase your leg strength considerably while doing it. You will be required to act against a much greater resistance when doing this type of activity then if you were on a flat terrain. Furthermore, if you increase the gradient enough, you will challenge yourself just as much aerobically (or anaerobically as the case may be) as you would increasing the speed.

If running or walking is your chosen form of activity, you will really target in on the glute and calf muscles while performing such an activity, as they will be what propels the body to climb.

Some other benefits you'll receive are an increase in stride frequency and length, an increase in balance and agility, improved endurance levels, increase tolerance for lactic acid and an increase in muscular elasticity.

If you are using biking or rollerblading as your activity of choice, then you will again work the leg muscles, with the quads being much more predominately used.

When performing your workouts, you will need to keep in mind what type of activity you are trying to work towards. If it is more of an all out effort sport, increase the gradient much more and perform short sprints with this gradient supplemented with periods of 'rest' on a flat surface again.

If however you are looking to increase your endurance capability while going at a harder pace, then you'll likely use a slightly lower gradient and perform a longer session of twenty to thirty minutes.

Finally, be sure after your workout session to stretch out the calf and hamstring muscles thoroughly or else tightness may result the next day. This will also help to further prevent injuries in the future due to an increased flexibility in these muscles.