Are hill sprints overrated?

Ruffyan wrote:

I'll tell you what is UNDERRATED: speed runs on a DECLINED soft but clean surface like compact dirt or smoothed gravel, only 1-2% decline, using wind as an assist as well. Allows practice to relax at higher speeds, the most crucial skillset for fast running.

What about running balls to the wall down a sketchy technical trail trying to win Strava CRs? I'm 20 minutes behind the CR on a 5-mile 4K foot ascent but the record holder on the same legit course downhill (old CR-holder holds the uphill and his downhill was a full effort).

Underrated.

I have never personally noticed much of a benefit from doing the short 10-15 second hill sprints that some coaches like, but I have noticed a huge benefit from doing slightly longer uphill sprints, particularly at the beginning of a season or any other time my legs are feeling sluggish. I'll do a handful of 200m uphill sprints, at something like mile race effort, and it really puts some pop back in my legs.

Hill sprints is a deceiving concept. When I think hill sprints I think very steep hill, as fast as you can go. These would obviously be very short.

When I read 200m hill sprints at mile effort, that's nothing like sprinting. Not saying it's not useful, just that hill training should have some more specific terminology so people know what is being discussed.

FWIW I really like doing true hill sprints as strength workouts.

Are they overrated? Well that probably depends on who is rating them.

Maybe it is just a personality or psychological thing but as a "masters runner" - I find hills very effective. If nothing else doing a workout on, a long (~ 300m) gradually steeper hill in long wet grass makes you feel like a bad a**.

The lack of impact, ability to focus on form and arm swim while the heart rate skyrockets and lactic acid builds just does it for me.

Using the hill for a variety of workouts also helps. One workout is just "hill loops" - a steady pace, up, around, "down the backside", recover through the parking lot, for 32 minutes (~ 5 loops) is really effective for me. Another is just more pure speed work - fast up, small recovery jog at the top, jog down and full recovery. To me, 4 or 5 of these simulates a 1500m/mile run where holding form becomes really difficult both nearing the top of the hill and the entire last repeat or so.

I was able to incorporate these kinds of workouts while rehabbing a broken foot and dropped my mile time from ~ 5:25 to ~ 5:10 - while also battling my 50th birthday.

Short sprints on a steep hill is very good for acceleration, and safer to the hamstrings. Think about sprinting on flat vs hill, on hills you push all the distance you sprint, while doing it on flat/track you accalerate, and your speed is increasing until you reach your maximum speed (if doing as long sprints). You can end the hill sprints session doing some flat sprints to get the legs moving faster again (shorter ground contact time), but to longer distance runners this isn´t a must. But after hill sprints the flat ones can feel really easy. I often did 4-5x50m on hills (after warming up, some drills and 4-5 relaxed hill accelerations) and then 4-5x50-60m on flat ground. I felt the difference on my acceleration after the winter when I did weekly hill (and flat) sprints.

motorcityru wrote:

I've been wondering about the effectiveness of hill sprints and how much it really improves speed on the track. Since you are going up hill, the ground contact is longer and the mechanics are different, are hill sprints are overrated tool for training?

In 2014 and 2015, I augmented my trainiing with weekly (and occasionally twice-weekly) sessions in which I'd run the following workout:

4 easy

1.5 @ marathon pace down to tempo pace

2 minute break

6 x 60 seconds up the steepest hill in town, starting a little easier on the first couple of reps and finishing somewhat harder on the last two reps. Peak HR was 180 on the first or second repeat and 185 last two repeats. (My max HR was 191)

2 x .5 mile tempo

A few shorter, faster intervals, mostly for leg speeds: strides +

1 mile easy warmdown

Within one month I was in peak shape. Within one WEEK, my long run pace had dropped 30 seconds/mile.

So this workout is NOT the same as the typical short / very fast hill sprints. But it was one of the biggest ROI workouts I've ever come across. It wasn't long enough to be a VO2 max workout. (I'd need 2:30-3:00 for that). It was mostly about quad strength and somewhat less about anaerobic capacity and stroke volume.

But damn: suddenly my stride was huge and strong. The effect was almost immediate. Within one week, two workouts, I was a different runner.

In 2014, this workout let me run 4th overall and first grandmaster on a certified 5K.

20:38 at at age 56 is nothing for the bad boys around here, but it was the absolutely best that I had in me, and it was this particular hill workout that put me there.

http://www.besttimescct.com/results/Batesville_paws14.txt

Hill sprints don't do anything because you can't run long enough repeats to reap aerobic benefits and running back down the hill gives way too much rest.

They might have benefits for mid-d or sharpening work but they're not getting you aerobically fit.

For sprinters, they're basically a supplement. It's entirely possible to have a great sprint program without them. However, if you have a good hill near you, heading out there a few times a season can be great.

Hills are great for learning acceleration because the incline actually forces you into an acceleration position. That is why we have all our sprinters and jumpers go to our hill (10% grade, wish it was lower) and do 50m all-out sprints with a 3:00 recovery.

Hill workouts are also great for hip and glute strength. Because of this, they lack a little bit in strengthening the hamstrings. That is not necessarily a bad thing though. I have never in my life seen anybody pull a hamstring on a hill workout. So if you have athletes with sketchy hamstrings, running them on an incline is a way to help prevent further injury.

A potential problem is that, yes, they do stretch out the Achilles more than running on flat land. So if you have Achilles issues, it is probably best to avoid them.

Hill repeats can really help with power and acceleration if done correctly.

patti wrote:

I agree with Coach G. Strength and power will develop while improving your form.

When I hear of hillsprints, I think of increased turnover(Speed) which comes as a result of increased strength and power! Want some speed? Do lots of hills.

It's been said before but it's worth saying again; Snell, Elliott, Coe, Walker, Ovett, Ryun all did hard sprint sessions on the hills. As did all the Kenyan greats and the north African runners. There must be something here!

Another vote for underrated. Master the art and you will never be outkicked.

mark b wrote:

It's been said before but it's worth saying again; Snell, Elliott, Coe, Walker, Ovett, Ryun all did hard sprint sessions on the hills. As did all the Kenyan greats and the north African runners. There must be something here!

This ^^

"Hit the Hills

Iten is located in the highlands of the Great Rift Valley, so hills are unavoidable. It's rare to go for more than a half mile without having to climb or descend something significant, and doing this regularly has obvious cardiovascular and muscular benefits. Most of us, however, don't live amid such terrain. Does that mean there's nothing to learn from Kenyans on this matter?

Not at all. Because in addition to regular runs over hilly courses, Kenyans place great emphasis on specific hill workouts, usually done once a week. Marathoners, milers and everyone in between does them. Most concentrate on several repeats-15 or more-on short hills that take 30 to 60 seconds to climb, with a rest jog down the hill. These workouts improve your aerobic capacity, leg strength, explosive power and range of motion, among other benefits, even if you never race on hilly courses.

Don't worry that your area might not have Iten-style hills. Kenyan Henry Rono, who in 1978 set four world records in less than three months, was once asked on what type of hills he did repeats. How steep, how long, how constant a grade, the inquirer wanted to know. "The hill," Rono replied. "Any hill.""

oheo wrote:

Underrated.

Seb, er I mean Lord Coe, did them regularly early in the season.

They are essential.

You use way more muscle fibres going up a hill compared to the flat as your muscles have to contract faster to off-set the extra lengthening from the gradient.

Read any log from the a great runner and they'll have hills. Malmo, Henro Rono, El G, Coe, Ovett etc etc etc. Never neglect the hills.

Don't overthink it either. Find a good hill and get to the top hard and jog down. Doesn't matter what length or gradient it is, just find a hill and do it. Each week add a rep or two.

Hills are a good workout for your muscles and form. they strength your legs very good they help you pick the pace up very fast at a conformable pace and help your legs lift up and it helps a lot because there is a moment in a race such as a marathon when you don't have hill workouts your legs get fatigue and you will be criss·cross your legs its just bad form.

as a runner i do some hill workouts when am getting back in shape it does help a lot with form and strength