Build Your Hip and Glute Strength to Climb Like a Boss Through the Trails

Build Your Hip and Glute Strength to Climb Like a Boss Through the Trails
Welcome to week three of your hiking training plan! (Get a refresher on weeks one and two.) By now you should be feeling stronger and more flexible. Since we're halfway through the plan, it's time to start increasing the intensity of your strength training to help build more hip and glute strength so you can climb uphill like a champ and feel super comfortable coming back down. So far you've been crushing isometric exercises, like planks and body-weight lunges. But this week you'll add in some plyomtetric exercises (plyometrics=jumping). These moves are the most effective way to build strength, especially if your time is short. We'll use some of these to help fortify your kinetic chain against injury and pain. As you might have expected, you'll also continue using the foam roller exercise to loosen up your muscles. This is especially important as they get stronger—which can cause a loss of flexibility. Additionally, you'll increase the length of your treadmill hike. Last week we did two miles, this week we'll do three. Do the first mile flat, the second mile at a 2 percent grade, and the final mile at a 4 percent grade. You got this! Place a foam roller under your right knee with your leg straight. Cross your left leg over your right ankle. Put your hands flat on the floor for support (A). Roll your body forward until the roller reaches your glutes (B). Then roll back and forth for 30 seconds. Repeat with the roller under your left thigh. Glutes Roll Sit on a foam roller, with it positioned on the back of your right thigh, just below your glutes. Cross your right leg over the front of your left thigh (A). Roll your body forward until the roller reaches your lower back (B). Then roll back and forth for 30 seconds. Repeat with the roller under your left glutes. Iliotibial-Band Roll Lie on your left side and place your left hip on a foam roller. Put your hands on the floor for support. Cross your right leg over your left, and place your right foot flat on the floor (A). Roll your body forward until the roller reaches your knee (B). Then roll back and forth for 30 seconds. Lie on your right side and repeat with the roller under your right hip. Place a foam roller under your right ankle, with your right leg straight. Cross your left leg over your right ankle. Put your hands flat on the floor for support (A). Keep your back naturally arched. Roll your body forward until the roller reaches the back of your right knee (B). Then roll back and forth for 30 seconds. Repeat with the roller under your left calf. Quadriceps-and-Hip-Flexors Roll Lie facedown on the floor with a foam roller positioned above your right knee. Cross your left leg over your right ankle and place your elbows on the floor for support (A). Roll your body backward until the roller reaches the top of your right thigh (B). Then roll back and forth for 30 seconds. Repeat with the roller under your left thigh. Lie facedown on the floor. Place a foam roller parallel to your body. Put your elbows on the floor for support. Position your right thigh nearly perpendicular to your body, with the inner portion of your thigh just above the level of your knee, resting on top of the roller (A). Roll your body toward the right until the roller reaches your pelvis (B). Then roll back and forth for 30 seconds. Repeat with the roller under your left thigh. Upper-Back Roll Lie faceup with a foam roller under your midback, at the bottom of your shoulder blades. Clasp your hands behind your head and pull your elbows toward each other. Raise your hips off the floor slightly. Slowly lower your head and upper back downward, so that your upper back bends over the foam roller (A). Raise back to the start and roll forward a couple of inches—so that the roller sits higher under your upper back—and repeat (B). Lower-Back Roll Lie faceup with a foam roller under your mid back. Your knees should be bent with your feet flat on the floor (A). Raise your hips off the floor slightly (B). Roll back and forth over your lower back for 30 seconds. Shoulder-Blades Roll Lie faceup with a foam roller under your upper back at the tops of your shoulder blades. Cross your arms over your chest. Your knees should be bent with your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips so they're slightly elevated off the floor (A). Roll back and forth over your shoulder blades and your mid and upper back for 30 seconds (B). Place your fingers on the back of your head and pull your elbows back so that they're in line with your body. Dip your knees in preparation to leap (A). Then, explosively jump as high as you can (B). That's one rep. When you land, immediate squat down and jump again. Do 15 reps. Jump Lunge Hold a pair of dumbbells at arm's length next to your sides, your palms facing each other. Stand in a staggered stance, your left foot in front of your right. Lower your body as far as you can, or until your rear knee nearly touches the floor (A). Quickly jump into the air with enough force that you can scissor-kick your legs so you land with the opposite leg forward (B). That's one rep. Repeat, alternating back and forth with each repetition. Do 15 reps. Mountain Climbers Assume a pushup position with your arms completely straight. Lift your right foot off the floor and slowly raise your knee as close to your chest as you can (A). Make sure you don't change your lower back posture as you lift your knee. Return to the starting position. Repeat with you left leg (B). Alternate back and forth for 30 seconds. Original article and pictures take http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/hiking-workout-week-three?cid=soc_Women's%20Health%20-%20womenshealthmagazine_FBPAGE_Women's%20Health__ site