Tip: Hop On, Hop Off Treadmill Sprinting

Nothing defines a powerful athlete more than the ability to explosively move the body through space by sprinting. But a lot of lifters are unprepared for such a dynamic athletic movement. Inclined treadmill sprinting is a great alternative.

Do It Right

When doing incline treadmill sprints, it's important to master the "hop on, hop off" skill to keep the treadmill at a constant speed and incline. This will help you avoid having to wait for the treadmill to accelerate and decelerate between interval sprint bouts, which is the last thing you want to be worrying about when your goal is hammering out sprint-based finishers.

Also, by jumping onto a treadmill already moving at a high constant speed, you'll be able to skip out on the acceleration phase of sprinting, which is something most people struggle with. Jumping on and getting right to a top-end stride with a more vertical torso angle is best for targeting the hamstrings.

Simply take a few warm-up rounds to work up to your top speed, jumping on and off between bouts, and using your hands on the rails to make sure you safely hit the treadmill at the proper running speed each time. Once you're at your top-end speed with the correct incline, you'll be ready to go all-out.

How to Program It

This scheme was invented by Brent Callaway, the NFL Combine prep coach and speed guru. It's simple but sinister. Here's how to do it:

• Rounds: 10
• Speed: 10 mph
• Incline: 10%
• Work Period: 10 seconds
• Rest Period: 10 seconds

On paper this doesn't look like much, but when placed at the end of a lower-body day or a stand-alone cardio/conditioning day, it can be a killer. Fight the urge to extend the rest periods and focus on driving each and every stride with precision and power.