Hill Sprint
The movement itself — 8 to 15 seconds of maximum effort up a steep gradient, walked down, fully recovered. The rep inside a hill sprint session.
The lesson
- 01
Find the right hill
8 to 12% gradient on firm ground — grass or asphalt, not loose gravel. You only need 40 to 60 metres; the rep ends well before the hill does.
- 02
Arrive warm
10 to 15 minutes of easy running, then 3 or 4 strides on the flat. Don't touch the hill until your legs feel springy.
- 03
Drive up for 8 to 15 seconds
Standing or rolling start, maximum effort. The gradient caps your speed for you — that's what makes an all-out effort safe here.
- 04
Lean from the ankles
Forward lean from the ankles rather than folding at the waist. Aggressive arms, high knees, push all the way through each stride.
- 05
Walk the whole way down
90 seconds to 2 minutes, every rep. There's no heart-rate target and no cardiovascular goal — this isn't interval training.
- 06
The test
Every rep should feel sharp and powerful. If you're still breathing hard when the next one starts, you haven't recovered — wait longer.
- 07
Stop early rather than late
4 to 8 reps. End the session the moment a rep feels slower or sloppier than the one before, and stop immediately for anything sharp.