There aren’t very many workouts that can boast extreme health benefits combined with time-savings; hill-sprints is one exercise that can. When comparing workout times between hill-sprint training, which can provide rapid benefits in strength, endurance, and fat loss, to traditional forms of cardio like treadmills and stair-climbers, it’s easy to see how much more efficient your time can be used.

In half the time it takes to do a standard gym cardio session, you could receive many more benefits from hill-sprints. Think in terms of the body types between an Olympic sprinter and a marathon runner. Sure a marathon works out much longer, but would you like to look like that?

Just like kettlebell training, hill-sprints provide efficient, extremely functional results. Another reason they’re great is safety. Here’s what Charles Staley, strength coach, had to say:

Due to the inclined surface, maximum limb speed cannot be attained and thus serves as a safety barrier for your precious hamstrings! However, in the process, your posterior-chain muscles (low-back, glutes, hamstrings and calves) get an incredible strengthening effect! This means that you can avoid pulling and injuring your muscles on inclined surfaces and hit the muscles in your backside at the same time!

You can benefit for an entire day from doing hill-sprints, which will save you time in the first place. Hill-sprinting increases your metabolism allowing you to burn more calories.

Now, hill sprints are not without costs. Because you are working at an all out speed, you have to make sure that you are warmed up and can handle the stress. A heart rate monitor is a great addition to hill sprints. You always want to make sure that you cool down as well because of the intensity of the workout. Here is a sample, get-started plan:

Warm-up for five minutes doing side-lunges, push-ups, and squats

Jog up a hill for 25 yards, 2x

25-yard sprint up and walk down, 3x

Sprint up 35 yards, walk down, 3x

Sprint up 45 yards, walk down, 3x

50-yard sprint up and walk down, 2x

Walk around and stretch to cool down and reduce your heart rate

You can switch up this workout to make it harder or easier by changing the distances, rest, and the total amount of sprints.

Hill Sprints offer a powerful, calorie-burning, time-saving workout. Try hill sprints for a month 2 to 3 times a week and I guarantee you will see some major results. Remember, this is an intense, hard workout but not without reward. You will be stronger, faster, and leaner not to mention with a little extra time on your hands. Now, that’s smart training!