Build Your Hip and Glute Strength to Climb Like a Boss Through the Trails
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!Â
Hamstrings Roll
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.
Calf Roll
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.
Groin Roll
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
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).
Jump Squat
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
Mountain Climbers