Hill Sprints

Running hills or running at an incline uses the athlete’s body weight as resistance. Hills make the muscles that propel the body forward work harder, which in turn causes greater muscle power. Studies show that running up hill can have 2-3 times greater effect on muscles than running on flat ground. The technique that the athletes should use to run up hill should be more of a bounding style focusing on power rather than speed. This forces that athlete to have a good high knee lift and triple extension from the hip, knee, and ankle. Bounding uphill is more important than running for speed because if an athlete tries to run uphill too fast it can lead to poor running mechanics.

Benefits of running hills:

• Improves acceleration

• Improves turnover

• Improves stride length

• Develops coordination

• Develops core strength

When speed training make sure you add hill training 1-2 times a week into your program for optimal results.

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