No time to get to the gym? No problem. Just head for the hills. One of the best ways to get in shape and lose fat is to do hill sprints. Not only is this method of training super effective but it takes a very short amount of time to perform and doesn’t cost a thing. Below is a basic hill sprint workout that you can perform on any hill in your local neighborhood. So if your ready for an ass kicking, fat burning, lung bleeding good time please read onward.
Your first job it to scout out a hill in your area. The hill doesn’t have to be too steep. The steeper it is the harder it will be so find one that is just enough to really challenge you. The hill should also have about 30-40 yards of length to sprint up. Now when I say sprint up, I mean SPRINT up! This means 80-90% intensity. You should be out of breath when you get to the top. There is no lollygagging here or the program will not work.
The Warm-up:
Start with a light dynamic warm-up which should take about 8-10 minutes. Here is a sample of one of the warm-ups we use. Start with 2 minutes of jumping rope, light jogging, jumping jacks etc. Then perform the warm-up in the video below. Once you finish the warm-up below do one sprint at about 50% effort. Rest 1-2 minutes. Do another sprint at 75% effort. Rest 3-4 minutes and begin the workout.
The Workout:
If you are new to hill sprints or haven/t done them in awhile then start with 6 sprints (if you can) and build up from there every 2 workouts.
Set 1: Sprint 30-40 yards up hill as fast as possible. Then walk back down to the bottom
Set 2: Immediately Sprint 30-40 yards up hill as fast as possible. Then walk back down to the bottom
Set 3: Sprint 30-40 yards up hill as fast as possible. Then walk back down to the bottom
Set 4: Sprint 30-40 yards up hill as fast as possible. Then walk back down to the bottom
Set 5: Sprint 30-40 yards up hill as fast as possible. Then walk back down to the bottom
Set 6: Sprint 30-40 yards up hill as fast as possible. Then walk back down to the bottom
Curse me out then lay there and have a conversation with God as you try to catch your breath.
Important notes:
- It is imperative that you sprint 80-90 %maximum effort. This is not a fast jog.
- As soon as you reach the top immediately begin to walk back to the bottom
- As soon as you reach the bottom IMMEDIATELY sprint back up
- If you are not able to maintain this pace then take slightly longer rest intervals and/or start with less sets, 3-4 hill sprints for example.
It is important not to worry about getting all 6 sets but that the intensity is 1000%
Once you reach 6 sets in a workout do the workout again for 6 sets 2-5 days later and then move up to 7 sets the workout after that. Continue to do the same thing until you reach 12 sets.
Once you finish your last set try to gradually cool down by walking around and doing some light static stretching until your heart rate comes down.
The total workout time should only take a maximum of about 30 minutes including warm-up, workout and cool down. Any longer and you were not doing it right.
This workout is really tough, Please be sure to consult your health care professional before starting and/or trying a new workout program.
To summarize, if you are trying to lose fat, get in better shape or improve your running speed and endurance than hill sprints can help. Give this workout a go and let me know what you think in the comments? Until next time go kick some ass!
Yours in health.
Kevin
