To train to go uphill, a hiker has to find something that mimics a hill. A treadmill can help, but the grade has to be high, said Dr. Colin Grissom of LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. That grade, amounting to one foot of vertical gain for every 15 feet of trail, is sharp even for a car, Grissom said. A stair climber machine also can mimic an uphill hike, although steps are more regular than what a person finds on a trail, which makes a stair climber less hiking-specific. However, the big problem with health club equipment is not getting ready to go up - it's coming back down.
Downhills stress muscles differently than do uphills.
An uphill hike is closer to a standard gym-style movement, in which muscles shorten in what are called concentric contractions. In downhills, muscles do what are called eccentric contractions, stretching and tightening in tandem to control the descent. Going uphill, the muscle acts as an engine, providing power. Going downhill, the muscle also acts as a brake. Treadmills and stair climbers work on the uphill motion, but there is little in a health club that works on the downhill.