Wednesday February 27, 2008 - Your Hill

Where is your hill?

Jerry Rice has a hill. In a career that has established him as the greatest receiver to play football, Jerry’s training regimen became infamous. The trademark of his training is a two-mile hill outside of San Francisco. On a regular basis Jerry and his stopwatch still battle that hill. Some days Jerry wins, some days the hill wins. More important than the physical conditioning required to sprint up a two mile hill, is what the hill represents – the obstacle, the opponent, the challenge. Where is your hill?

One of our goals of the Wisdom of the Warrior Blog is to encourage you to NOT be satisfied with your current level of fitness, to CHALLENGE yourself, and to keep IMPROVING!

While I currently prioritize crossfit, cardio and sport specific training are still very important. Cardio training can be great fun and I encourage you to enjoy outdoor activities like cycling, swimming, jogging, and other sports. One of the most effective ways to accomplish efficient, powerful cardio with hill sprints.

For maximum fat loss it is best to do these hill sprints first thing in the morning after only consuming some water. Don’t start with a two-mile hill like Jerry Rice. The hill I found today in Atlanta is actually about 100 yards in length. After a 4-5 minute warm up, time yourself as you ascend the hill as quickly as possible. Eventually this should be an all out sprint, but do the best you can. Then jog slowly back down and repeat. The entire duration of your workout can be as brief as 10-20 minutes. I typically warm up for a few minutes, sprint my hill 10-15 times and
then cool down.

This workout is more effective for fat burning than a one-hour low intensity jog. Without getting into the science of why, there are advantages of pushing your body to the high intensity required of a sprint. Compare the physiques of sprinters to marathon runners some time. Interval training also works well in conjunction with our small frequent meals to increase our bodies’ metabolism.

So find your hill and begin your regular battles. Like Jerry Rice you will find there are many benefits to conquering your hill. In addition to the great cardio workout, you form a great mental pattern of conquering your challenges. I find a sense of accomplishment and focus
in completing hill sprints. You may find that the other “hills” in your life become more manageable as you make hill sprints a part of your routine.

Don’t be satisfied, challenge yourself, and keep improving!