●Game Changers Cardio
After your last hill
sprint, walk, jog
and stretch out
your lower limbs.Head for the hills
Elevate fat loss by finding an elevation and sprinting up it.
However, before you
lace up your runners,
remember that
“improper form can
lead to muscle pulls
or strains,” explains
former NFL player
and fitness trainer
Ky le Hu nt.
Your options: Study
YouTubevideosof
Olympic legend
Usain Bolt, pony up
forarunningcoach,
orgetoffyour
arse and find a hill.
“Hill sprints limit
overstriding, which
can protect those
easily pulled
hamstrings,” Hunt
says. “Running on anincline also forces
an aggressive arm
and shoulder drive,
which translates
to better sprinting
mechanics when
yousprinton
flat surfaces.
So, in a way, hill
sprints act like a
running coach.”
If you prefer to
run indoors on
a treadmill, set
the incline at
12 to 15 degrees and
aimtosprintfor
10 to 15 seconds at
a clip, Hunt advises.
Regardless of
where you run,
spend 10 minuteswarming up your
joints and muscles to
prime your body to
sprint. After your last
hill sprint, walk, jog
and stretch out your
lowerlimbs.“Your
heartrateand
breathing will return
to resting levels, and
you’ll rid toxins from
musclestosupport
recovery,” says Hunt.M
Manyofusprefertorunonlywhenit’sanecessity,
likewhenthetraindoorsareabouttocloseor
the cops are hot on our trail. Preference aside,
running — particularly sprints — is tough to top
as a calorie burner. One 2012 study out of Colorado State
University in the US found that just 2.5 minutes of sprinting
burned upwards of 200 calories throughout the day.Just 210
seconds of
hill sprinting
burns 200
calories a day.MF CHALLENGE
THE SPRINT WORKOUTMountain slider
25M
Pretend you’re
stepping over a
15cm hurdle with
each stride.30cm Hurdle
Running Drill
25M
Pretend you’re
stepping over a
30cm hurdle with
each stride.Hip swing
10 PER LEG
Stand upright,
hold an anchor
point, then swing
one leg with a
straight knee 10
times. Switch legs.Uphill Sprint
25M
Repeat six times.Walking
Hamstring Stretch
10M
Reach for the ground
in front of your toes.
(Keep your grounded
knee bent slightly.)
Raise the opposite leg
for counterbalance.Walking
Groiner Stretch
10M
Take a step forward,
drop your back knee to
the ground, and keep
your head up as you
bring your chest to your
extended knee. Place
hands on the floor to
maintain balance.Walking
Quad Stretch
10M
While standing,
grab one foot and
pull it toward your
butt. Take one step,
then repeat with
opposite leg.NOTE
Rest as long as it takes
to walk back to the
bottom of the hill. Hold
each stretch for two
seconds.