{"id":63825,"date":"2021-12-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-15T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/\/uncategorized\/ultimate-conditioning-the-benefits-of-hill-running"},"modified":"2021-12-15T18:04:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T23:04:22","slug":"benefits-of-hill-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/benefits-of-hill-running\/","title":{"rendered":"The Benefits of Hill Running \u2014 More Speed, Better Mechanics, and Power"},"content":{"rendered":"

I grew up in the late \u201970s and \u201980s, have been an athlete my entire life, and have loved football for as far back as I can remember. So one of my favorite training stories from the mainstream media as a kid was the hill that legendary running back Walter Payton used to condition himself in the off-season<\/strong>. Look anywhere on the internet and you can find stories of Payton\u2019s out-of-this-world conditioning, how he would bring athletes from all sports to train with him, and how they would all ultimately tap out from exhaustion<\/a>. He\u2019s one of the NFL\u2019s most prolific runners, arguably one of the greatest of all time, and the hill was his secret.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been coaching<\/a> for almost twenty years now, and I am obsessed with hill running. I have Payton to thank for this, and since speed is the ultimate goal<\/a> in all of my programs, hills (or stairs for those of you who don\u2019t have a suitable hill close by) are an absolute must in any speed or conditioning program<\/a>. I\u2019ve spent the bulk of my career split between Cal Poly and San Jose State and both places have significant hill\/stadium inclines that are perfect for hammering my athletes.<\/p>\n

Why Hills?<\/h2>\n

Strength and power <\/a>are critical when we are talking speed, especially during the acceleration phase<\/a><\/strong>. Forty-yard dashes, great running backs darting through a seam, a batter racing down the first base line trying to beat out a throw, or a forward exploding to the hole, the sudden burst of speed<\/a> is the most important factor. It\u2019s the first three to five steps that determine the success of the effort.<\/p>\n

Watch the NFL combine<\/a>. When you see the athletes run their 40s, it\u2019s the start that is the greatest determiner of a good time. Inversely, when you see a guy stumble out of the gate or take a sloppy step, you can rest assured that the time will be less than impressive.<\/p>\n

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Hill Sprints for Speed & Strength | Josh Bryant<\/div><\/div>
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