Hill sprints are a popular training method many athletes, including NFL players, use to improve their speed and explosiveness. It goes all the way back to Walter Payton, who used to do hill sprints every day.

Walter Payton was known for their dedication to hill sprints. Walter taught it to friend and player for San Francisco 49ers Roger Craig. Rodger showed it to teammate Jerry Rice, and Rice showed it to other players like Barry Sanders. Jerry Rice is a Hall of Famer.

• He was one of the fittest NFL players until 2004.
• He used hill running for long-distance uphill runs.
• Hill running builds your lower-body muscles and is an incredible cardiovascular workout.

Jerry said he did hill workouts because it gave him that endurance he needed toward the end of the game. It allowed him to be at my best in the fourth quarter.

The Benefits of Hill Sprints

• Increases leg strength and power: Running uphill forces your muscles to work harder. This adaptation leads to greater strength and power development.
• Improves running form: Hill sprints make you drive your knees high, and maintaining a forward lean is essential for speed and acceleration.
• Enhances cardiovascular fitness: Hill sprints are a very challenging cardiovascular workout.
• Increases speed and explosiveness: Training your muscles to generate more force translates and transfers into faster acceleration and greater speed on the field.

Hill sprints offer numerous benefits. I do hill sprints twice a week. I use a hill to accelerate faster as well as enhance top-end speed.

Here’s a sample hill running program I did that was designed to improve speed, power, and explosiveness.

Acceleration- Explosive/ Short Sprint

Warm-up (before each session):

• 5-10 minutes of easy jogging
• Dynamic stretches

Monday

• Find a hill or mark off on the hill about 20-30 yards.
• Get into your start position- two, three, or four-point stance.
• Sprint as fast as you can up the hill for 20 yards.
• Walk back down, rest for 2-3 minutes, and repeat 6-8 times.
• Focus on power and explosiveness with each sprint.

Wednesday- Complex Sprinting

• Sprint two times, as fast as you can, up the hill from your start position. Rest 1 minute between each sprint.

• After you rest, sprint on normal ground, no hill three times. Rest 2-3 minutes between each sprint.
• Repeat the process two times.

Friday

• Repeat Monday

Long Hill Run- Distance

Warm-up (before each session):

• 5-10 minutes of easy jogging
• Dynamic stretches

Monday:

• Hill Sprints: Find a hill with an incline 100-200 meters long.
• Sprint uphill at 80-90% effort for 10-15 seconds.
• Jog or walk back down to recover.
• Repeat 6-8 times.

Wednesday- Complex Sprinting

• Sprint up the hill bear, hugging a light sandbag for about 50 yards.
• Ditch the bag and finish the sprint for 50 yards without the sandbag.
• Rest for 3 minutes and do it five times.

Friday:

• Longer Hill Repeats
• Run uphill at a comfortably hard pace for 1-2 minutes.
• Jog or walk back down to recover.
• Repeat 4-6 times.

Important Considerations:

• Progression: Gradually increase the number of repetitions, distance, or incline of your hill workouts as your fitness improves.
• Listen to Your Body: If you experience pain, reduce the intensity or the volume and prioritize rest and recovery.
• Variety: Incorporate different types of hill workouts to challenge your body in various ways. For example, try short, steep hill sprints one week and longer, gradual hill repeats the next.
• Technique: Focus on maintaining good running form during your hill workouts to maximize benefits and prevent injuries.

Remember, this is just a sample program. Adjust it based on what you can do, your fitness level, and your goals.

Check out my INSTANT STRENGTH book for total strength, speed, and power programs.

To maximize stability, mobility, and flexibility, check out my book, THE BALANCED BODY.

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