Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The time-saving benefits of hill-sprints

By Marcus Martinez

There aren't very many workouts that can boast extreme health benefits combined with time-savings; hill-sprints is one exercise that can. When comparing workout times between hill-sprint training, which can provide rapid benefits in strength, endurance, and fat loss, to traditional forms of cardio like treadmills and stair-climbers, it's easy to see how much more efficient your time can be used.

Get the best results in the shortest amount of time can be achieved with hill-sprints. If you think that training longer has better results, look a marathon runner's body versus an Olympic sprinter. If you had a choice, which one would you like to look like?

By training using efficient workouts like kettlebell exercise and hill-sprints, you can save time and avoid injury. Strength coach Charles Staley stated:

Due to the inclined surface, maximum limb speed cannot be attained and thus serves as a safety barrier for your precious hamstrings! However, in the process, your posterior-chain muscles (low-back, glutes, hamstrings and calves) get an incredible strengthening effect! In other words you don't have to worry as much about pulling muscles or hyperextending anything as you would with flat-surface sprinting and you get a tight back side. That's win, win.

You can benefit for an entire day from doing hill-sprints, which will save you time in the first place. Hill-sprinting increases your metabolism allowing you to burn more calories.

In order to train safely, you need to make sure that you warm-up enough for your body to handle the additional strain that the workout will cause. In addition, make sure that you cool down for a while afterwards to get your heart-rate back down after the high-intensity workout. To get started, try this hill-sprint program:

Warm-up for five minutes doing side-lunges, push-ups, and squats

Jog up a hill for 25 yards, 2x

25-yard sprint up and walk down, 3x

Sprint up 35 yards, walk down, 3x

Sprint up 45 yards, walk down, 3x

50 yard hill-sprint up, walk down-repeat 2x-rest 30 seconds

Cool down by walking around and stretching until your heart-rate drops

This is just a sample so if it is too hard or too easy, vary the distances, rest periods, and number of sprints.

Few other workouts are as powerful and beneficial as hill-sprints. Try doing them for 2 to 3 times a week for a month and you'll feel the benefits in everything else you do. If you're looking for a high-impact, time-saving routine, you found it. - 15438

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