How to Hike Uphill Training Plan

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The majority of hikers would tend to agree that hiking uphill can be the hardest part of a hike. While hiking downhill can wreak havoc if you’re not prepared, there’s a certain physical and psychological grind that takes its toll on us when we hike lengthy and aggressive uphills. With the right training though, it doesn’t have to feel like a dreaded grind. In fact, you might even become one of those people that excel on the uphills, or even prefers the uphills to the downhills. There is definitely an intentional and targeted way to train for how to hike uphill. The good news is it just takes practice and a few simple hiking mechanics. This training guide for how to hike uphill will show you just how to TRAIN for by addressing strength training, cross training, mechanics, form, posture, pacing, stability, and more!

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How to Hike Uphill Training Plan

A common misconception out there is that there’s nothing you can do to make hiking uphill easier. People just assume it’s going to suck, and that’s just all there is. There’s not much you can do to feel more confident about hiking uphill.

Or, there’s the swing to the far other side that states that the ONLY way to train for hiking uphill is to churn out endless days running stadium stairs, stairwells, or gym equipment. While there is definitely a place for all of those when training for hiking uphill, that’s not all there is. The secret lies in between “there’s nothing you can do” and “killing yourself on endless stadium stairs”. It involves a intentional blend of actual practice hikes on natural terrain, strength training, cross training, and – the often overlooked components of – hiking mechanics, form, posture, stability, and pacing!

Training to Hike Uphill (On Natural Terrain)

If you want to get stronger, more efficient, and more confident at hiking uphill, the place to start is by practicing hiking uphill on natural terrain. Don’t worry – if you don’t have Colorado 14’er’s outside your back door, here’s what you can also do.

Before you assume that you have zero natural options, make sure to do some research. When I work 1:1 with my coaching clients, many initially claim to have no natural trails locally to train on. 99% of the time we find a solution that contains natural, suitable terrain to practice hiking uphill.

Let’s say you’re training to do a hike like the Grand Canyon’s Rim to Rim hike, a trek with some major uphills as well as downhills. You get on an app like AllTrails and see that you only have a handful of local trails that are only a couple miles long, and you don’t see any with elevation gain more than a couple hundred feet. So you automatically rule them out, because in your mind, you’re looking for a 10 mile minimum hike with at least 2,000 feet in gain.

If you’re like me, living in north Texas, this type of trail simply may not exist near you. BUT, as I have discovered, those humble 2 mile long trails with seemingly insignificant elevation gains can still play a role. I personally train on a 1.5 mile loop trail with about 350 feet of elevation gain. But, what do you get when you do 8 laps? A 12 mile hike with almost 3,000 feet in elevation gain.

So while the options may not seem obvious at first, look closer. I have worked with clients to discover training trails like these, or parks with multiple wooden staircases that add up, or clients who discovered they have significant hills in their own neighborhoods that they can do hill repeats on. Even if you have a trail with just one good sized hill on it, you in theory can do hill repeats. And while this might sound mundane, there are ways to stay motivated. Take that time to catch up on an audiobook or make phone calls to loved ones.

So let’s assume you DO have the natural elevation to train on in some form or other. Then that should be your starting point for training to hike uphill. You should be using that to practice on, but do it intentionally, incrementally, slowly, and gradually.

Gradually start building up in hiking length and elevation gain. Don’t tackle a 5 mile, 3,000 foot ascent right off the bat. Work up in increments, all the while listening to how your body is responding. Monitor your pace. Does speeding up cause issues for you? Do you see better results and fewer issues when you go slower? How does fueling, snacking, and hydration play a role? This should be the first step in training for uphills.

Second, do you have the right gear? It is vitally important that you invest in good quality hiking gear if you’re planning to attack substantial uphills in your hiking. This most notably involves our hiking footwear and the potential use of trekking poles.

You want footwear that 1st and foremost supports, grips, and cushions. You can train to hike uphill in traditional hiking boots or trail runners, but nowadays I almost 100% exclusively hike in trail runners. My go to’s are Hoka One One Speedgoats. I mention the Grand Canyon’s Rim to Rim hike a lot because that is one of the main testing grounds of my Hoka Speedgoats over the years, and they’ve performed flawlessly on the immense downhill portions (it is, after all, the deepest canyon in the world to hike out of). But they’ve also performed on other big climbs like California’s Mt. Whitney – the highest point in the lower 48 states with about 6,000 feet of elevation gain! It’s just one of the 50 state high points in the U.S. that I’ve chased in my lifetime.

Make sure you test out and learn what works for you. Your shoes are an area you should not skimp on. Investing in the best shoes for you is cheaper long term than paying for procedures due to damaged knees, joints, etc.

On to gear item #2 for hiking uphill: trekking poles. Not everyone hikes with them, but it’s a valid argument that just about everyone probably should at least try them out to know for sure, especially if you are tackling substantial uphill hiking. Trekking poles can help to stabilize and provide support. The best advice is to try them out and learn if they are beneficial for you. Just make sure to shorten your trekking poles by 5-10 cm when you are hiking uphill.

What are my favorite trekking poles? These Black Diamond trekking poles. Yes, they are pricier, but they are also the only pair I’ve ever had to buy in my hiking lifetime. I also love the cork handles on this particular model, because it helps to prevent slippage from sweaty hands that sometimes happens with rubber or plastic handled models.

Supplementing Your Uphill Training

Whether you have the natural terrain to train on or not, there are ways to supplement your hiking when you’re training to hike uphill.

#1: Additional Strength Training

Truthfully, strength training should be a part of any endurance event you are training for. Strength training on a regular basis makes you a more well rounded athlete, as well as a healthier and stronger one that is more resistant to injuries. Strength training keeps all the muscle groups working together towards harmony, strengthens and engages muscle groups that may be overlooked, and does wonders for combating injury. All of this applies to hiking uphill and transferring power into the climb.

Strength training workouts that involve moves like forward and backward lunges, leg deadlifts, calf/heel raises, squats, step up and step downs, etc., all help strengthen and stabilize your body for uphill hiking.

Check out this FREE STRENGTH TRAINING WORKOUT to get you started!

Include strength training workouts like these at least several times a week to see the most benefit. You can do strength training workouts stand alone, or in conjunction with other workouts for additional cross training. For example, you could do a 60 minute hike followed by a 60 minute strength training workout.

#2: Consider Rucking

Rucking can be hugely beneficial in strengthening your uphill game. It’s simple to do, and it incorporates what you should already be doing – practice hiking uphill. Rucking just adds additional weight.

Rucking is basically weighted hiking. Why is this a step up from “regular” hiking? Rucking with weight will not only provide you a better cardio workout, but it will engage and strengthen those leg muscles even more! Plus, rucking actually helps to improve balance, stability, and form, which are all secret ingredients to becoming a better uphill hiker.

For a complete guide on all things rucking, including how to get started, you can check out my intro to rucking guide.

#3: Additional Cross Training

Additional cross training is just one more step in whole body functioning, which strengthens and stabilizes you for the downhills. For hikers, cross training can look like a lot of different activities, but some common ones that I see are trail running, cycling, swimming, walking, weight lifting, rucking, and strength training workouts like the free one I offered above.

I personally like to incorporate cycling and trail running as my cross training. Whatever you do, make sure it’s something you enjoy doing and something that you look forward to doing. As well as being beneficial to your overall hiking goals.

Cross training (like strength training – cross training includes strength training by the way) should be done consistently several times a week if you are training for a big hike. Again, it’s for strength, stability, and also goes a long way in providing variation and preventing burnout.

#4: Gym and Stairs

There is a place for gym equipment and even stairs if needed. While I personally prefer to get the majority of my uphill training done naturally outside on the trails paired with rucking and strength training workouts, I also acknowledge hitting the gym or doing workouts like running stadium stairs can be beneficial for training to hike uphill.

Gym equipment like ellipticals, stairmasters, or Jacobs Ladders machines can all be used to train for uphills quite effectively. Practicing climbing stairs, such as stadium stairs or stairwells, can be effective too, just be sure to monitor for signs of overuse that can sometimes occur with climbing in such a repetitive and uniform fashion.

#5: Mechanics, Form, Stability, and Posture

Highly under-rated and overlooked topics when it comes to training to hike uphill. There is a better way to hike the uphills, and it takes into account mechanics, form, stability, and posture. And there are several easy ways you can improve each of these areas.

First of all, make a conscious effort not to lean too far forward when you are hiking uphill. This is often the body’s natural response to trying to maintain a center of gravity. Leaning too far forward can put unnecessary strain on the wrong parts of the body. It also doesn’t engage and activate the muscle groups and parts of the body that you do need doing the majority of the work when hiking uphill. Conversely, people’s natural tendency is often to lean too far backwards on the downhills as well.

Whether you’re hiking uphill or downhill, try to maintain an upright position throughout and not lean too far forward or backward. You don’t want to be rigid, just naturally maintaining an upright posture. This will likely take practice, possibly even several months, of training your body to change the subconscious forward lean and attack those uphills in a more upright position. I guarantee you will notice increasing leg strength as you make it a habit though, as well as a more efficient climb.

Another mechanics element involves your stride. Avoid over-striding or hyper-extending your legs and knees on the uphills. Shorten your stride, and slow your pace accordingly as needed. This also applies to downhill hiking as well.

The third thing to keep in mind when considering mechanics, form, stability, and posture is the use of sidestepping. I will admit I find sidestepping far easier to implement on uphills than downhills, but it can be a strategy for both.

Sidestepping can also take some time to naturally implement before it becomes muscle memory and natural on the uphills. Don’t let that frustrate you. And don’t overcomplicate it. People’s individual foot placement can vary slightly when they implement sidestepping themselves. The important thing is that sidestepping allows your foot to stay flat on the ground, giving you a better base on which to push off. Sidestepping is far better mechanically and form wise for hiking uphill than the common practice of pushing off with just the balls of your feet while lifting your heel up.

Maintaining your foot flat on the ground is a huge mechanical plus to hiking uphill, and sidestepping helps you maintain that flat foot as you push off. It also just gives you a better base on which to draw power and strength from, without putting your ankles in awkward angles.

Sidestepping is highly effective on the uphills, as it distributes the effort and force efficiently, strengthens the right muscle groups instead of relying on ankles, and ensure a flat foot on the ground for pushing off, instead of pushing off on just the balls of your feet.

Additional Tips On How to Hike Uphill

I never tackle aggressive uphill or downhill hikes without taking a couple Ibprofen first. Same goes for my trail running. I have found that a couple Ibprofens before any hard, lengthy, or repetitive impact exercise works wonders for preventing inflammation from popping up during or later. Over the counter anti-inflammatories, for me personally, happen to be much more noticeable in preventing inflammation on aggressive downhills than uphills.

Don’t be afraid to slow your pace on uphills if you need to, and shorten your stride.

Lastly, be kind to your body after an aggressive uphill climb. Rest and recover properly. Don’t skip this step.

There you have it, a beginner’s training plan on how to hike uphill! Whether you’re climbing some of the steepest ascents in the country, such as the Grand Canyon’s epic Rim to Rim, or ascending the tallest 14’ers in the Rocky Mountains, or hiking courses with constant rolling hills and consistent ups and downs, these tips will make you stronger, healthier, and more efficient at hiking uphill!

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How to Hike Uphill Training Plan

How to Hike Uphill Training Plan