Runners know sprint intervals can quickly burn fat. Super quick. Like, seven times quicker than “so-so-car-dee-oh”. If your sprint intervals are like…booooring…consider hill sprints.
Hill sprints are exactly what you think they are: sprints up a hill. They’re a little safer on the legs because the body is angled differently and strides are shorter. Loading is greater, and the lower arms learn to contract faster. If you have knee issues, hill sprints are not recommended (so, consult your doc before trying something that’ll put you on ice for days, or weeks).
Jason Ferrugia, strength coach and author, uses hill sprints as his favorite conditioning tool:
Be King (or Queen) of the Hill
- Leg Swings (30 yards): Walk forward & swing one leg up in front of you, touching it with the opposite hand. Repeat on opposite side.
- Walking Lunges (30 yards): Lunge forward with your right leg, bring your right forearm down until it touches the inside of your right calf. Your left hand will be on the ground for support.
- Ankle Hops (20×2): With your knees locked, use only your ankle calves to jump and down in place as fast as possible.
- Sprint Warm Ups (5): Build intensity from 50% to 90% of your maximum.
- Sprints (30 to 40 yards x 3): 95% of your max. Every week add one sprint, but never go past 95% of your maximum effort.
(from Men’s Fitness November 2012 issue)
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