Hill Sprints for Speed

They're brutal. Why would anyone wish to put themselves through this hell? You're thighs are burning and you can taste your breakfast coming back up but you know that if you don't allow hill sprints to brake you they will make you.

Hill sprints are valuable for improving your running gait. When performed correctly you will be forced to raise your knees higher. You will also fire up your posterior chain. Your gluteus muscles and hamstrings will have to work harder to overcome gravity.

Hill sprints are better for running specific mobility than running on the flat. Consider the way the hip needs to hinge to make your way up a mountain. The faster you go the longer your strides need to be. Your strides displacement will go from a simple horizontal action to a horizontal/vertical mix.

Hills are more efficient at strengthening your muscles. A larger range of motion means that more muscle fibres are recruited. For example, a higher knee raise will result in better lower gluteus activation.

Ensure that you perform hill sprints at lease once per week for a high intensity blast. This session should last up to 30 minutes and involve sprints that are 30m in length at the most. This will keep the session speed specific. Always run on the flat after a hill session to take full advantage of that muscle activation as it will have you braking the sound barrier!