[Hades]

I've been doing a sprinting workout for just a month now but I can tell it's already a winner, though it is intense. It's only 24 total minutes of workout (including rest intervals) per week but I've already dropped at least ten pounds of bodyfat and gained some muscle in my hamstrings and calves.

This is good for springtime to get ripped for the beaches but I was too lazy to do this earlier. I thought that my manual labor job would cause me to lose more weight, but it did not despite me (basically) standing up, walking, and doing farmer's carries eight to ten hours a day.

Find yourself a nice grassy hill that's about a hundred yards. More or less is fine but I consider this a good intermediate hill. The hill I use is pretty steep so it's effective.

Jog up the hill once and do some arm circles, butt kicks, and a few knee bends to get loosened up. I usually run shirtless to get some sun.

Here's the meat and potatoes.

Get a stopwatch and set the timer for 12 minutes.
Sprint up the hill, walk or jog down it, and sprint again. When sprinting, use very aggressive arm action like the olympic sprinters on TV because it does help you run faster. Rest when you must. Eight to ten rounds is a good bet because you'll probably be dragging after about eight minutes.
Just bust ass for the twelve minutes and when the timer is up, leave.

The beauty of this is that it's steady-state. As you get stronger at sprinting you'll be able to sprint more and faster inside of the twelve minutes and rest less. Supposing your legs are strong already you will likely get a little sore in the hamstrings starting out, but keep doing it and eventually you'll just feel fresh.

Once you do this hill sprint workout (twice per week preferably) for two months or so you can reevalute your program and see if you want more volume.
My guess is that you'll be happy with what you see.

[MMM]

So you have seen a measurable increase in the size of your calves and hamstrings using this program alone, without doing any lifting?

[Hades]

(08-09-2013 03:16 AM)MMM Wrote:  

So you have seen a measurable increase in the size of your calves and hamstrings using this program alone, without doing any lifting?

Is that a subtle way of asking "Do you even lift"?

My calves are both 16.5-17 inches around and I've put on a little better than half an inch in circumference on both of them. This happened despite leaning out quite a bit.
I know that my hamstrings have gotten bigger from doing sprints (sprinting is explosive and stimulates fast twitch muscle) because I've doubled the number of pistol squats I can do on a leg in just a month, which is not typical. I do two or three leg days a week.
Swinging a heavy ass 105# T-handle also got a lot easier.
If you've never done them and jump right into hill sprints you're going to put on some newbie hypertrophy in a hurry.

[MMM]

(08-09-2013 03:54 AM)Hades Wrote:  

Is that a subtle way of asking "Do you even lift"?

LOL. Not at all, I was just curious as to the gains that could be made by sprinting alone and/or in combination with lifting. I’m going to give it a whirl and report back. Do you do the sprints on the days you lift or alternate days? My legs are toast on squat days and I couldn’t see going out and running sprints after squats.

[TheCaptainPower]

I also do hill sprints, great way to burn fat. I like to do 10 sets about 100 meters each...

[phil81]

yep 10 by 100 meter sprints is one of my favorite workouts

it is common in crossfit, they usually limit the rest period to 90 seconds, makes it very intense

i like the sprint 100m and walk back slowly, getting enough rest to focus more on speed and explosiveness

[Cr33pin]

I wanna do these as I always read good things about them and I tried them a few times before I moved to NC and they were definitely a good work out.

But theres no damn hills here on the flat ass east coast -__-

[Hades]

(08-10-2013 10:27 AM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

I wanna do these as I always read good things about them and I tried them a few times before I moved to NC and they were definitely a good work out.

But theres no damn hills here on the flat ass east coast -__-

Sprinting on a beach (or even a sand dune if they exist there, no idea to be honest) is a great substitute.

[Marmite]

You could always sprint up flights of stairs.

[AntiTrace]

(08-10-2013 10:27 AM)Cr33pin Wrote:  

I wanna do these as I always read good things about them and I tried them a few times before I moved to NC and they were definitely a good work out.

But theres no damn hills here on the flat ass east coast -__-

You can do essentially the same thing on a treadmill at the gym.

I just did a 30 min sessions of 60/120s at 15 degree incline.

Run for 60 seconds (you can try to sprint, but 60 seconds is a long time). Use whatever speed is required to make you have to mentally push out the last 10 seconds or so.

Then set the treadmill speed to 2.5-3.0 miles and walk for two minutes.

[obrero]

You don't need a hill to get a solid sprinting workout.

I do 5 sets of 400m runs on a nearly flat surface with 3 mins. of rest in between each interval. It's great to throw this into your 100m sprints.

It's an extremely difficult workout when done correctly. Don't pace, go all out every effort.

It's so difficult because people rarely exercise this energy pathway, (glycolytic) which is used in efforts that last about a minute. A pretty standard 400m run for people who have a decent amount of fitness is just over 1 min.

In the later sets, 3-5, when you start to fatigue, your time will increase, causing your body to use they glycolytic pathway for slightly longer than it is capable of being used.

If you have a really slow or really fast 400m, adjust the distance of the run so your first, fastest set is about 1 minute 5 seconds.

[phil81]

(08-11-2013 07:39 PM)obrero Wrote:  

You don't need a hill to get a solid sprinting workout.

Yep, find a high school track or stadium. You can do sprints and then run up and down the stadium stairs.

Avoid anything but completely flat surfaces for 50m & 100m sprints when you are truly "sprinting" like you are trying to win a gold medal or being chased by a rottweiler. Easy to sprain an ankle on very small bumps in the surface that you wouldn't otherwise notice.

[Nascimento]

I like speed training and sprinting workouts. I don't do them often, but I try to do them once or twice a month. My idea is that at the very least my muscles are able to maintain explosive power for whenever I end up playing a sport competitively. Despite not doing much cardio work besides this, I'm still fast and resistant whenever I do play a game of soccer, basketball, football etc.

I usually do this on a track. Warm up extensively (I've pulled hammies in the past due to lack of a proper warmup) and then do short 50-100 meters sprints a few times.

I want to try these hill sprints. I can't think of any hills nearby though that are steep or long enough. How different do you think it is doing training on hills, as opposed to a track?

[betterthanyou]

This is a good workout to do for 10 min after your compound movements (bench, pullups, squats/deads). This is how you get strong, fast, and shredded as fuck

[Virtus]

The Litvinov Workout

[Mage]

Sprinting is a good training, part of my routine.

(08-09-2013 03:16 AM)MMM Wrote:  

So you have seen a measurable increase in the size of your calves and hamstrings using this program alone, without doing any lifting?

Why does everything has to be measured by size gains? Why is this bodybuilding paradigm so prevalent?
Sure it won't add as much quadriceps size as squatting with a barbell so why even ask? But it has other benefits: sprinting uphill is both cardio and resistance training in one and you can do it in fresh outdoor air. It is middle ground between strength, speed and endurance training for those who want it all balanced like martial artists or just any sensible person. If someone cares only for size then he definitely shouldn't sprint. Just dwell in gym among machines and do as little other activity as you can.

[Savonarola]

Bumping this thread.
I find that 4 or 5 x 200m sand sprints at the beach is a killer workout. Maybe 45 seconds rest between each.
Go balls out, 100% each time.
It takes about 10 minutes and you'll feel it all day.
Also make sure that the sand is loose, not packed. That makes it much harder.
And pump your arms; it helps.

[Tail Gunner]

I started high intensity interval training (HIIT). I sprint as hard as I can for thirty seconds (I literally pretend that a tiger is chasing me) and then recover for ninety seconds. I run on a hard-packed dirt road. My goal is a total of eight sets totaling sixteen minutes. Then I will slowly increase the sprint time in five-second intervals while keeping the recovery time the same. If you cannot start with a thirty second sprint, start with less and work up.

If you want to learn about the health benefits of HIIT (12-16 minutes supposedly has the same physiological health benefits as 45-60 minutes of cardio), you can google "Dr. Mercola and high intensity interval training." He stays up-to-date on the emerging research and science of HIIT.

[Ski pro]

I don’t think you even need to do thi much.

My interval sprint work is
6x 75% warm up runs of 60yards or so.
6x 100% sprints of the same distance.

Takes about 20 mins, about once every 7-10 days.

You’ll be amazed how cut even a basic sprint program like this helps you to get when combined with lifting, general walking around and a good clean diet

[Savonarola]

(02-09-2019 03:57 PM)Ski pro Wrote:  

I don’t think you even need to do thi much.

My interval sprint work is
6x 75% warm up runs of 60yards or so.
6x 100% sprints of the same distance.

Takes about 20 mins, about once every 7-10 days.

You’ll be amazed how cut even a basic sprint program like this helps you to get when combined with lifting, general walking around and a good clean diet

This is exactly what I do when I'm not near the beach. After a preliminary 1/4 mile jog, 5-6 sprints of moderate intensity, then another 5-6 sprints of balls-out running. The type where if you lose control there'd be no way to stop from eating pavement. Then walk home for cooldown.

Do that once a week and the benefits are really terrific. It lasts for days. Add a weekly soccer game onto that and cardio is pretty much taken care of.

[godfather dust]

I'm going to start jogging (not sprinting) on a concrete hill next to my apartment. I haven't been playing much basketball so need to strengthen my cardio.

I need to buy a pair of New Balance running shoes (I only have basketball and dress shoes.) Any tips on not getting hurt? Is it a bad idea to jog a concrete hill? Want to avoid shin splints/knee stuff.

[Atomic]

(04-01-2019 05:09 PM)godfather dust Wrote:  

Any tips on not getting hurt? Is it a bad idea to jog a concrete hill? Want to avoid shin splints/knee stuff.

Long distance running on concrete starts to suck as the impact is harder. But short sprints are not a problem (or never have been with me).

Sprinting on concrete is actually good as you get maximum traction and little "dig in".

Knee problems come from bad form or repeated hard impact heel strikes. Heel strikes = the way normal people run, where you strike the ground with your heel first and roll your foot forward. This is unnatural and due to our conditioning to use shoes. I recommend a mid-foot/toe strike for sprinting (and just running in general). It minimizes knee problems is more of a natural way to run. Do some quick youtube searches if you have questions.

Shin splints shouldn't be a problem with sprints once or twice a week. Shin splints come from repeated exercises with excess heel strikes (and toe strikes to a lesser extent) without proper rest time. It is more of a beginner long-distance runner problem. But you could run into them with hill sprints.

So work the sprints with mid/toe strikes once or twice a week. Slowly up the number of sprints/mileage (if doing distance running). You shouldn't have any serious problems outside of general muscle fatigue.

Definitely stretch before/after. Get a foam roller and foam roller before/after.

This comes from general sprinting/short distance (3 miles and below) running experience. I'm not a huge sprinter/runner so you there may be better advice out.

[Old Fart]

(04-01-2019 05:09 PM)godfather dust Wrote:  

I'm going to start jogging (not sprinting) on a concrete hill next to my apartment. I haven't been playing much basketball so need to strengthen my cardio.

I need to buy a pair of New Balance running shoes (I only have basketball and dress shoes.) Any tips on not getting hurt? Is it a bad idea to jog a concrete hill? Want to avoid shin splints/knee stuff.

You don't need special running shoes. There are even barefoot runners who believe that shoes are bad for you!

[Tail Gunner]

(04-01-2019 05:09 PM)godfather dust Wrote:  

I'm going to start jogging (not sprinting) on a concrete hill next to my apartment. I haven't been playing much basketball so need to strengthen my cardio.

I need to buy a pair of New Balance running shoes (I only have basketball and dress shoes.) Any tips on not getting hurt? Is it a bad idea to jog a concrete hill? Want to avoid shin splints/knee stuff.

I suffer from underpronation, so I need a really comfortable running shoe. Six months ago, after doing some research, I found that there was a consensus that the Hoka One One Bondi Six was the most comfortable running shoe out there. I do HIIT sprints and I am happy with them. It is hard to find them discounted.

[RatInTheWoods]

Sprinting through sand is also a great workout