Hill Sprints have to be the single most challenging conditioning workout there is. High repetition kettlebell work, burpee ladders and 400m intervals are all a real test but none of these can match the demands placed on your muscles and energy systems during a prolonged session on the hill.
In this blog post I am going to examine some of the benefits you can derive from these cruel but brilliant workouts;
Hill Sprints will improve your cardiovascular fitness
This needs little explanation, just try sprinting up a hill and see how your heart and lungs respond at the top? Unless you are an athletic freak your heart and lungs will go into overdrive and this is after just one run. See how you feel at the end of 10!!
Hill Sprints will improve the efficiency of your energy systems
This goes hand in hand with my first point. Hill sprints create an enormous demand on your energy systems (anaerobic and aerobic) leading to more efficient conversion of fuel to energy. This helps improve your stamina and endurance meaning you will no longer cough up a lung when you run to catch a train or when your playing football in the park with your friends.
Hill Sprints will burn fat and drastically improve your body composition
I think you will be hard pressed to find a workout that is more effective at burning fat and improving your body composition than hill sprints.
Hill sprints target almost every muscle in the body in particular the large and powerful muscles of the legs and hips. The combination of strength, speed and stamina needed in these muscles to drive your body up the hill produces a cascade of lactic acid which helps trigger the release of potent fat burning hormones such as HGH.
In addition the high intensity of hill sprints will create a high level of Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) that will keep your metabolism elevated for a sustained period of time after you have finished the workout. Some people refer to this as an 'afterburn' effect of exercise.
If you want to drastically alter the composition of your body then get your nutrition in check, do some strength training and supplement with a couple of hill sprint sessions a week. You will be lean in no time!!
Hill Sprints will make you more effective on the sporting pitch
Almost all field sports involve high intensity efforts followed by periods of active recovery. Hill sprints mimic this perfectly. Furthermore the intensity of hill sprints will far outweigh anything that you do on a sporting pitch. This is a good thing because when you come to play your sport you will feel like you could run forever!
Hill Sprints bridge the gap between strength workouts and conditioning
If you are short on time, then hill sprints provide more bang for your buck than almost any other form of training. Sprinting up a hill with a decent gradient will help strengthen all the major muscles groups in your lower body whilst simultaneously giving your heart and lungs one hell of a workout.
Hill Sprints help prevent pulled hamstrings
Traditional sprint workouts on flat ground often coincide with pulled hamstring muscles. This is not a problem on the hill. The reason you are less prone to injury is that you cannot reach maximum speed when running up a gradient as gravity and tiredness put the brakes on you.
Hill Sprints help prevent overuse injuries
Due to the high intensity of hill sprints you can only perform a handful of them until you are absolutely smoked. The actual distance you travel is tiny in comparison to the folks who head out for long distance runs a couple of times a week. This means you are far less likely to suffer the common chronic overuse injuries that plague long distance runners.
Hill Sprints reduce the impact on your joints
Your joints take less of a beating when you perform hill sprints because your foot has a shorter distance to travel before it hits the ground. Again this is great for keeping your body healthy.
Hill Sprints are free
No one is going to charge you a monthly fee to run up a hill. You get to escape to the outdoors and challenge yourself in the elements.
Conclusions
So there you go, a whole host of reasons to start getting hill sprints into your training routine. You will hate them, but you will also love them!! Are hill sprints the holy grail to fitness training? No, but then there is no such thing. Are they brutally effective? Absolutely.
In this blog post I am going to examine some of the benefits you can derive from these cruel but brilliant workouts;
Hill Sprints will improve your cardiovascular fitness
This needs little explanation, just try sprinting up a hill and see how your heart and lungs respond at the top? Unless you are an athletic freak your heart and lungs will go into overdrive and this is after just one run. See how you feel at the end of 10!!
Hill Sprints will improve the efficiency of your energy systems
This goes hand in hand with my first point. Hill sprints create an enormous demand on your energy systems (anaerobic and aerobic) leading to more efficient conversion of fuel to energy. This helps improve your stamina and endurance meaning you will no longer cough up a lung when you run to catch a train or when your playing football in the park with your friends.
Hill Sprints will burn fat and drastically improve your body composition
I think you will be hard pressed to find a workout that is more effective at burning fat and improving your body composition than hill sprints.
Hill sprints target almost every muscle in the body in particular the large and powerful muscles of the legs and hips. The combination of strength, speed and stamina needed in these muscles to drive your body up the hill produces a cascade of lactic acid which helps trigger the release of potent fat burning hormones such as HGH.
In addition the high intensity of hill sprints will create a high level of Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) that will keep your metabolism elevated for a sustained period of time after you have finished the workout. Some people refer to this as an 'afterburn' effect of exercise.
If you want to drastically alter the composition of your body then get your nutrition in check, do some strength training and supplement with a couple of hill sprint sessions a week. You will be lean in no time!!
Hill Sprints will make you more effective on the sporting pitch
Almost all field sports involve high intensity efforts followed by periods of active recovery. Hill sprints mimic this perfectly. Furthermore the intensity of hill sprints will far outweigh anything that you do on a sporting pitch. This is a good thing because when you come to play your sport you will feel like you could run forever!
Hill Sprints bridge the gap between strength workouts and conditioning
If you are short on time, then hill sprints provide more bang for your buck than almost any other form of training. Sprinting up a hill with a decent gradient will help strengthen all the major muscles groups in your lower body whilst simultaneously giving your heart and lungs one hell of a workout.
Hill Sprints help prevent pulled hamstrings
Traditional sprint workouts on flat ground often coincide with pulled hamstring muscles. This is not a problem on the hill. The reason you are less prone to injury is that you cannot reach maximum speed when running up a gradient as gravity and tiredness put the brakes on you.
Hill Sprints help prevent overuse injuries
Due to the high intensity of hill sprints you can only perform a handful of them until you are absolutely smoked. The actual distance you travel is tiny in comparison to the folks who head out for long distance runs a couple of times a week. This means you are far less likely to suffer the common chronic overuse injuries that plague long distance runners.
Hill Sprints reduce the impact on your joints
Your joints take less of a beating when you perform hill sprints because your foot has a shorter distance to travel before it hits the ground. Again this is great for keeping your body healthy.
Hill Sprints are free
No one is going to charge you a monthly fee to run up a hill. You get to escape to the outdoors and challenge yourself in the elements.
Conclusions
So there you go, a whole host of reasons to start getting hill sprints into your training routine. You will hate them, but you will also love them!! Are hill sprints the holy grail to fitness training? No, but then there is no such thing. Are they brutally effective? Absolutely.
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