Cover Star Thom Evans Shares The Go-To Exercise That Keeps Him Feeling and Looking His Best
Thom Evans is no stranger to putting in the leg work. The multi-time Men’s Health cover star and former international rugby player (plus erstwhile Strictly Come Dancing contestant) is used to applying a bit of hard graft in the pursuit of performance. But when it comes to building real fitness, plodding along on a treadmill just doesn’t cut it for Evans.
‘I like to get out in the park and do hill sprints... there’s a pretty severe hill near me,’ he tells Men’s Health, in our latest cover interview.
He's not joking. At 64 meters, Primrose Hill – the hill that he’s referring to – is one of the highest natural spots in London, and you’re facing down some seriously steep elevation to reach the top.
Aiming to reach the top of the hill as quickly as possible, before walking back down and going again, is a recipe for a serious fitness challenge.
Evans grins: ‘It's definitely a lot of pain, but very enjoyable afterwards.’
But if you’re not willing to take the word of an international rugby star turned Team GB athletics hopeful, we’ve got the science to back it up. A 2018 study showed that performing hill sprints led to a significant improvement in VO2 max, resting heart rate, speed, and endurance – all while helping to build the muscles in your lower body.
To boot, hill sprints may also reduce the impact on your joints versus high-intensity running efforts on the flat: the incline means the ground is coming to you which results in shorter strides and less impact on the ground, leading to less wear and tear.
But, for Evans, it’s not just about quads of steel and perky glutes, but working the heart and lungs, too: ‘It’s one thing going to the gym, but I’ve always felt my healthiest when I’m getting in a good lung-bust’.
Men’s Health’s recommendation? Find the steepest hill or longest staircase you can and work in bursts of 10-30 second all-out effort sprints, followed by resting for 1-2 minutes to ensure you're putting in maximum effort on each bout.
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