HP3 Spine Strength: Gym Build real strength for the Spine, then turn it into the durability that lasts for days.

Written by previous Spine Challenger South winner and course record holder, endurance coach, university lecturer, and sports physiotherapist Tim Pigott BSc MSc, this plan encapsulates his education, experience, success and passion for helping thousands of people achieve their dreams.

Who it is for. Anyone following an HP3 Spine running plan with access to a full gym who wants to get genuinely strong before converting that strength into multi-day endurance.

What you need. A standard gym: barbell and rack, dumbbells or kettlebells, a trap bar, a cable machine, calf machines and a bench.

Why it matters. The Spine is not a strength event, but it punishes specific weaknesses across days on the hill. This plan builds the seven things that keep you moving: load-carriage endurance for the pack, the hip and adductor strength to haul your feet out of bogs, the eccentric leg strength to protect your quads on long descents, ankle and foot resilience for rough ground, a trunk that holds posture under weight, the upper-body endurance to drive your poles, and the robustness to soak up the running volume injury-free.

What you get.

Two sessions a week that slot straight onto the strength days in your running plan.
A full Base, Build, Peak and Taper progression. We build maximal strength while your running volume is low, convert it to the strength-endurance that holds up over days, then shed fatigue into your taper.
Every exercise named and explained, with sets, reps and load for each phase, including heavy barbell work, loaded carries and eccentric descent training.
A ready-made warm-up and activation routine.
A Strength Capacity Test at three points, including a strength benchmark, so you can watch both your power and your endurance improve.
Pairs with. Any HP3 Spine running plan. The running plan leaves the strength days open and points you here.

Going further. If your testing shows a stubborn imbalance or a plateau, that is the point a personalised programme will take you further than any off-the-shelf plan. Book a one-to-one HP3 S&C review whenever you are ready.

Please note. This is strength work to complement your running. It assumes you are healthy, training pain-free, and competent and safe with the barbell lifts. Build sensibly, leave a couple of reps in the tank, and stop anything that causes pain.