I live in florida and there are no hills where i am. I will be starting my gpp phase and what can i do in rplace of hill work? thx
The isorobic exerciser – or similar resistance devices with about 40 meters of rope – is one option to consider. I picked up mine from Ebay for about $60. They are expensive if bought new (http://www.isoghq.com/home.htm)
There is a similar device available from MF Athletic called The Trainer…
(http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_3512_A_CategoryID_E_265)
Either one could be a good hill replacement and a good tool for acceleration work.
Doing stadium stairs is also a good replacement for hills, if you have a sled that could work too.
Use a tire, it’s the cheapest way.
I’m not arguing that hills are not beneficial, especially for beginners, but since Charlie seems to feel (a) that hills are most useful for learning acceleration skill, and (b) that an experienced sprinter’s GPP is best kept short(er), I wonder just how important hills are for sprinters with a training age of several years.
I don’t have trouble finding hills, and I’m not totally going away from them, but I’m considering replacing some of the hill work with 4X4X60 to be better ready for the indoor season.
Any thoughts?
Depending on the rest 4x4x60 is a different stimulus. I would classify such session as 4x4x60 as neuromuscular speed endurance and would use it starting in special prep. I may do a session such as 3x3x50 with 1 min rest and 5 between sets. I would still use the hills or stadium stairs in general prep for acceleration strength and or general conditioning depending on how they are being done.
yea i was thinking stairs would be my best option. That isobaric exerciser is very expensive, i think i while get mine from ebay also. thx for the suggestions.
Towing, but never stadium stairs.
They are most often cement and the plantar flexion up each step is a double whammy.
Grass hill, dirt road hill, thats the way to go. More forgiving surface and dorsiflexion on each foot contact.
There´s another thread covering this before.
If you wanna be a sprinter, you must do what you have to do. So, if you don´t have facilities ( no hills in your city ? ) you could search for a ramp ( most of bilds have a reasonable ramp to the garage ), there´s no perfect substitute for hills as the hills on GPP are used working not only strenght but also teach the body how to run in a lean forward position - for starts.
Stairs are nearly but careful with the steps.
i would have no problem in using stadiums whatsoever.why…because stadiums teach you how to push,use the ground and extend just as in hills.the only diference is you are completing the entire leg cycle while doing hills.
can anyone advance on this??
What kind of footwear does everybody use on hills? Are street hills (cement obviously) okay are is it just too hard on the legs?
davan usually i like to see spikes due to the lack of grip on grass.as for sprinting on coment…i would say NO.not worth it…the consistant pounding could lead to unforscene probs in the long run
I don’t think I’d want to risk it on a cement surface–injury risk is way too high. I have 2 hills that are asphalt and in the 150-300m range that Kitkat1 seems to like, which I run in in regular training shoes and only in GPP (not really trying to go fast at this point), and I do not run down this hill.
I have one other which is the ideal 2-5% slope that CF has mentioned for overspeed-type training (NOT towing, just slight downhill running), and I do this only for competition/peak phase in racing flats (no equivalent grass surface), and just a few sessions. This is also an asphalt surface.
You don’t have any parkades? Most multi-level parking places will have a decent incline for the upramp. Use it.
CoachMDD,
We use wood with our stairs but expand on the landing mechanics…anything with the specs with the height and step length? We use it to unload the joints since we are using an active foot landing and the landing is less since you are not falling as much. Plantar flexing? From my observations I don’t see that…perhaps your athletes are super rich kids with ballet backgrounds or gymnastic foundations? No overuse injuries with us but perhaps since the intensity is just to keep work capacity up and not for intensity or speed days.
Not in my area. They have them in tampa but im 45 min away from tampa. I will continue to look around my city but so far no hills or garages.
There isnt really anything that you can use to replace hill work. sure there are some machines or treadmills that have incline options and that might be the best option for you if you dont have any hills around. something else that might help is stadium stairs. maybe at the local highschool or something like that but as far as actual hill work there isn’t much that can be used to simulate the form and functions attained by hill running.
DO NOT USE CONCRETE HILLs!
For god sakes don’t use concrete hills! I did one session on a concrete hill and came out with shin splintz. Also avoid any running on a concrete surface. And remember that most stairs are concrete too. Using a sled or a tyre would be my guess. But what do you do if the only hill you find only goes up 20 metres or so?
This is a lot peculiar / particular / personal.
I use to do hills once a week, it´s a 110m ramp 3% inclined where i do 4x110m at 90 to 95%.
Before this, i do 8x10m at 10m ramp 30º inclined and i don´t have any sign of shin splintz or any pain.
From my childhood to adolescence, i always run on asphalt or concrete surfaces, so, i believe this gave me the capability to do this now,
plus, when i started the sprint thig, i started in such wrong way that all my runs was performed over hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete and that time my shin was hurted and i felt some shin splintz and soreness but i believe this shock my shins prepairing me to future.