Training youth athletes is a multi-million dollar business. Families spend thousands of dollars to ensure their child has “equal” opportunity. But you do not need to spend that kind of money. Our online membership (for only $10 a month) makes training affordable if you are willing to do a little of the work yourself.

Some of our Youth Fitness online members have asked us how to train when they do not have access to any equipment. To answer that question, I wanted to share a secret with you that many great athletes (and our top trainers) utilize — hill training.

LaDainian Tomlinson, Walter Payton, and Jerry Rice have all espoused the benefits of “hill” training. Jerry Rice probably had the most difficult hill workout of all by running approximately a timed 2.5 mile. In fact, Mike Singletary, the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers believes in hill training so much that he had a 45°, 45 foot long hill known as “pain” built at the 49ers training facility. Singletary was quoted as saying “All the guys that I know that worked out on a hill, they were a cut above some of the other competition around the league and they had long playing careers. So I’m excited about the hill and it just adds another dimension to our workout.”

I believe hill training is simply one of the greatest training regimens possible. Hill training develops leg strength, leg endurance, and power, just to mention a few physical components. Hill training also develops something else that is hard to put a label on. It develops something special inside a person who looks at a hill, challenges it and overcomes it.

Types of hill training are broken up into two components:
1) The first is hill training for speed. Our online members workout lists running “with resistance”, and that resistance can most certainly be running up a hill. Keep in mind that you want to be able to run as fast as possible and keep the three foundational components to speed training as your guiding principles:
• Intensity – As fast as possible
• Distance – No more than 30 yards
• Rest – Full recovery

2) The second type of hill training is what we referred to earlier in this article. This involves the type of hills that will simply challenge your overall athletic development. A hill falling into this category can be anything from a 2.5 mile hill like Jerry Rice ran, or a shorter hill, with a steep incline and very little rest time.

You pick your poison! Both types of hill training are great for athletic development and hills are absolutely free to use. Even though hill training is free, it will cost you everything you have as an athlete. If you want to take your training to another level, implement some intense hill training. If you are an online member, our hill training protocol can be found in the football and Lax workout sections. If you are not a member yet, click here and sign-up for only $10 a month.