My favorite hill these days is Miller Avenue Hill in Highland Park in Brooklyn, New York.
The first thing to understand is that you shouldn’t go all out if you’re new to mountain sprinting.
And if you’re really out of shape, you might want to just walk uphill or just jog uphill. Please trust me on this. If you want to be sore for a few days or feel like throwing up, don’t take my advice.
So how far and how long does it take?
Before I answer, here’s a sample hill sprint workout:
1. Warm-up: Run uphill at half speed 60-100 yards (12-30 seconds)
Walk back and rest for 1 minute.
2. Run uphill at half speed 60-100 yards (12-30 seconds)
Walk back and rest for 1 minute.
3. Run 3/4 speed uphill 60-100 yards (12-30 seconds)
Walk back and rest for 1 minute.
4. Run 3/4 speed uphill 60-100 yards (12-30 seconds)
Walk back and rest for 1 minute.
5. Sprint near full speed 60-100 yards (10-25 seconds)
Walk back and rest for 1 minute.
6. Same as #5
7. Sprint at full speed 60-100 yards (10-25 seconds)
Walk back and rest for 1 minute.
8. Same as #7
9. Optional: Run at half speed for 60 to 100 yards (12 to 30 seconds)
Walk back and rest for 1 minute.
10. Optional: Same as #9
This is a sample hill sprint workout that I have used many times to get amazing conditioning. The good thing is that it only takes 15-25 minutes 2-3 times a week. Of course you can do more, but most of the time it won’t even be necessary.
People are surprised but highly skeptical when I tell them how effective these hill sprints are and how they can build muscle, lose body fat, and boost your metabolism. Just take a look at the incredible physiques of sprinters to get an idea of the many benefits of sprinting.
As much as people love running slow long distances, it’s not going to give you the same value for your money as sprints, or better yet, hill sprints. The results speak for themselves.
So you may wonder: Is that all it takes? A quick and easy workout like the one described above. In all honesty, the answer is yes! As the training is not very long, you may think that it is easy but the truth is that it is an advanced training.
In fact, I recommend that you start with much easier workouts (especially if you are new to this).
Here are some ideas to get you started if you’re a beginner:
1. Start with just 6 intervals
2. Run at half speed and only up to 60 yards. Advanced training asks you to
run up to 100 yards.
3. Run all your intervals at half speed and see how you feel for the next few
days. Many people feel very sore after this training.
4. Rest 1-3 minutes between intervals
5. Use a flat surface or a lower slope
6. To progress you can:
– add intervals up to 10
– add more rushing yards until you reach 100
– use a hill
– run 3/4 speed