[paum31]

In this article (https://uphillathlete.com/strength-training-for-the-mountain-athlete/) you recommend the Hill Sprints and Hill Bounding as great workouts to develop leg strength and power that will come into play during the subsequent muscular endurance phase. So Hill bounding is not considered as a ME workout itself. Actually, Gym-Based Muscular Endurance Workouts are recommended for Runners and Skiers, especially well suited for those who lack easy access to steep hills.

However, in the Uphill Ath book, there are indoor and outdoor ME workouts recommendations. There are various possibiliteies exposed to develop ME in the outdoors like using the traditional Z3 uphill method, the same method but using a weighted pack or usin a bounding stride up a steep trail.

As a runner, with no aerobic deficency who may want to start to introduce ME workouts and the possibility to do them indoors and outdoors without any inconvinient. What ME workout would you recommend?

Is there an drawbacks with the outdoor ME compared to indoor ME workouts?

Are bounding more a strength/power workout rather than a ME one?

Thanks in advance!

Topic

[briguy]

briguy on September 30, 2020 at 8:52 am #45573

One of the Scotts will come in and answer your question I’m sure but as a mountain runner I highly recommend the gym-based ME program. I’d even venture to say it’s worthwhile even if you have access to long/steep hills.

But more specific to your question, I like to do the gym-based program and then transition to more sprints/bounding during the race-prep phase since it’s more sport-specific.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on October 1, 2020 at 10:20 am #45597

It’s better to think on a spectrum than in categories. Sprints, bounding, and bodyweight jumping could be on one end and very heavy uphill carries on the other. To get your legs ready for the Gym ME, you could use the bodyweight exercises I just mentioned, move to gym ME, and then get more specific closer to your event with Z3/4 work.

[paum31]

paum31 on October 1, 2020 at 10:49 am #45607

Thanks Scott for your response,

Then, If I understand it right, the spectrum is based on velocity/specificity of the ME exercises. So the Gym ME and bounding ME programs would be in a similar place in that spectrum.

However, Briguy got the point and debated a question which I am not sure yet:

Is the gym-based ME program worthwhile even if you have access to long/steep hills (to do the bounding ME workouts proposed in the Uphill Ath book, not the very heavy uphill carries you mentioned) as stated by Briguy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on October 3, 2020 at 2:34 pm #45653

I’ll jump in here to say that I have tried on may athletes using all the iterations mentioned for ME training. Slow but hard (Z3 PE), steep and heavy weighted hikes to the Gym workout to the Longer bounding drills. My go to for the alpinists I train is to start with the gym ME and then progress to the weighted climbs if they have the terrain. That’s a big issue for many folks finding sustained steep (>30-50% grades) is tough to do. Most trails will not have that kind of grade. So the Gym ME provides a similar stimulus for those without access to big steep terrain. High level athletes that I have worked with will done one Gym and one steep hike ME/week after they are well conditioned and maybe have been through 1-2 ME cycles so they know how to monitor fatigue and recover from these.

For runners I use mainly the Gym ME as a 6-12 week base before replacing those with Z4 uphill intervals.

While the long bounding ME workouts do have a powerful ME effect they also have a higher global cost due to the increased intensity. These I use the least and only when wanting to mix things up if the athlete is plateauing. These are the ones shown in the video of David Goettler on the ski jump stairs in Chamonix in our video library. These work but have a cost as you cab tell from watching him.

Scott