Exercise of the Week: Hill runs

by Carrie Lane, Director of Sport Performance

 Quality force production is a priority for most athletes, regardless of the level of endurance or sprint demands of their sport.  Traditional sprint mechanic drills, such as the Mach series (A skips, B skips, etc) do an excellent job of training the various nuances of efficient force production.  But many athletes and coaches have limited time to learn and teach complex sprint drills that may not have much transfer to their sport.  Some simpler activities that also train force production are steep stair skips and runs.   These activities force appropriate shin angles, step patterns, hip drive, and posture with very little cueing.  I use them often for runners and non-runners to teach mechanics but also as a strength exercise and a low level plyometric activity.