Hurdles Archives - Track and Field Toolbox

5 Hurdle Mobility Drills That Instantly Improve Hip Speed

July 17, 2026 by

Eric Kramer, Asst Coach – Sprints/Hurdles, Grand Valley State University

Full video on Glazier Drive: Drill & Workout Ideas for all Hurdles

You can see all 144 videos in Glazier Drive with a Track & Field Membership

OVERVIEW

This clip is a coach walking through hurdle mobility drills using footage.

The coach uses her early reps (some technically imperfect) as teaching points for what to fix and why each drill matters.

DRILLS COVERED

One-Step Drill – Athlete places only one foot down between hurdles. Coach notes she should stay more on the ball of the foot.
Two-Step Drill – Same idea but with two steps between hurdles. Should be alternated leg-to-leg (lead with left, then right) to build balance and mobility on both sides.
Bent Leg Over the Top – Works both feet over each hurdle to build abductor/adductor strength. Foot should stay dorsiflexed. For younger/developmental athletes, always move in the same direction as hurdling (never backward, to avoid falls if they clip a hurdle). More advanced, disciplined athletes can go either direction.
Straight Leg Drill – Similar to bent leg version but with a straighter leg (slight bend is fine). Arm action should be emphasized here too — it builds coordination and core strength useful for hurdlers and sprinters alike.
Over-Unders – Only one foot should touch down between hurdles, with the athlete rotating and sliding the trail leg under the hurdle without touching ground. Good for opening the hips; coach sometimes has athletes sway under the hurdle to reinforce hip-opening.
Popovers – A remedial/foundational drill used heavily at camps, for young/developmental athletes, and for athletes returning from injury (e.g., hamstring) or newer to hurdling (like decathletes/heptathletes). Done over very low hurdles (as low as 6 inches) to isolate proper rhythm before increasing height or speed.

KEY COACHING PHILOSOPHY

Rhythm vs. Tempo – The coach stresses that rhythm should remain constant across all drills and hurdling speeds; only tempo changes. He flags this as an area where many hurdle coaches use terminology incorrectly.
“Get In, Get Out” – Coach is critical of this common cue, arguing it ignores what happens between hurdles (athletes can develop a “gallop” instead of proper rhythm).
Repetition & Patience – Correcting rhythm issues took roughly 20 reps spread across multiple sessions, even at low hurdle heights.
Development Mindset – The coach is direct about pushing athletes to change technique, even if it’s uncomfortable, framing it as necessary for competing at a high level (e.g., national championships).

INTENDED USE

The coach mentions sharing this type of video with camp athletes so they have reference exercises to practice on their own.

The Major Energy Systems of Sprint/Hurdle/Jump Training

June 17, 2026 by

Eric Kramer, Asst Coach – Sprints/Hurdles, Grand Valley State University

Full video on Glazier Drive: Jumps for 400m in One Model

OVERVIEW

This is a coaching talk on the science of energy systems as applied to sprint and hurdle training. The coach explains that understanding energy systems matters because it shapes both how athletes train and how they recover, including why sleep affects hormone production (like HGH) and overall training benefit.

ATP AND THE BASICS OF MUSCLE ENERGY

The talk starts with the fundamentals: energy is the capacity to do work, and muscles run on adenosine triphosphate (ATP), stored directly in muscle cells. When the body needs energy, ATP breaks down into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) plus a phosphate molecule, releasing the energy that drives muscle contraction. The body then resynthesizes ATP by reattaching a phosphate to ADP, keeping the cycle going. Since muscles can only store a limited amount of ATP, it has to be continually replenished, which is why ATP alone only fuels about the first 30-40 meters of a race (roughly 4-6 seconds).

THE THREE ENERGY SYSTEMS

Track and field training draws on three systems: anaerobic alactic, anaerobic lactic, and aerobic. Anaerobic alactic is the dominant system in jumps, throws, and the very start of sprints. Anaerobic lactic covers events like the 4×100, 200m, 400m, and hurdle races. The aerobic system only really comes into play in races longer than 400 meters, which is why a sprints-focused program spends little time on aerobic training, though some distance-background athletes may add light aerobic work on their own.

ANAEROBIC ALACTIC SYSTEM

This system covers roughly the first 0-10 seconds of effort and doesn’t require oxygen, meaning an athlete could theoretically hold their breath through a 100m dash or a jump/throw, though it wouldn’t be efficient. Creatine phosphate (CP) is central here, helping store ATP and creatine in muscle tissue for use in competition; the coach mentions he doesn’t push creatine supplementation but won’t discourage athletes who ask about it.

ANAEROBIC LACTIC SYSTEM

This system extends out to about 40 seconds, the point where oxygen debt starts to set in. It explains why 100m/200m sprinters and short hurdlers can recover and race again within 20-30 minutes, while 400m runners hit a wall of pain near the final 100 meters as lactic acid builds up. This system still draws on ATP and CP but adds glycogen (stored in muscle and liver) as fuel. The coach notes a practical coaching implication: high school 300m hurdlers often struggle transitioning to the collegiate 400m hurdles because they’ve never trained past the 40-second mark, which is why he evaluates a recruit’s flat 400m time before committing to them as a 400 hurdler.

AEROBIC SYSTEM

This system kicks in around 70 seconds and powers events of 800 meters and beyond, using glycogen, fats, and proteins depending on duration, and requires oxygen throughout. The coach frames this as largely outside his sprint-focused program’s scope, more relevant to distance runners and longer endurance events like marathons.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR COACHES

The throughline is that recovery (sleep, hormone production) is tied directly to which energy system was trained, that race distance and event type dictate the dominant system at play, and that recruiting/training decisions, like vetting hurdlers for a 400m transition, should be informed by which system an athlete has actually trained.

“Feed the Cats” Hurdles: Coaching Rules

February 6, 2022 by

In the video below Coach Alec Holler shares his rules for coaching hurdles. Coach Holler’s philosophy is rooted in his father Tony Holler’s “Feed the Cats” Speed Training Program.

The “Feed the Cats” program is revolutionizing the sport of track and field with its “Less is More Approach”

Here is Coach Alex Holler’s Rules

2 Hurdle Rule
10 Hurdle Rule
Always Discount
Always Spike Up
Always Max Effort

Coach Holler explains each rule in the video below.

This clip is taken from his complete hurdling course. If you are interested in learning more about the Feed the Cats Sprint-Based Hurdling Program CLICK HERE

Or if you would like you can Get the Complete 13-Course Feed the Cats Program Here

The video has audio so please make sure your speakers are on. Click the arrow to play

Low Impact Hurdle Drills

March 18, 2021 by

Tony Holler is the track coach at Plainfield North High School. Tony retired from teaching chemistry after 38 years in the classroom and has 40 years of coaching experience (football, basketball, and track). Tony Holler is a member of Illinois Track & Field Hall of Fame and Co-director of Track Football Consortium along with Chris Korfist. Holler created the revolutionary, “Feed the Cats” in 1999.

We are providing this drill to give you ideas on how to enhance your current practice drills. The idea is not to implement it exactly as is, but rather to tweak it to make it fit your system.

There is sound with the video, so please make sure that your sound is on.

This is a Vimeo video, so you will need to be on a network that does not block Vimeo videos.

If you would like to see more information about Coach Holler’s entire presentation, click this link: Feed the Cats: Sprint-Based Hurdling by Alec Holler

Training Takeoff and Touchdown for Hurdles

March 11, 2021 by

Training Takeoff and Touchdown for Hurdles with Georgia Tech Assistant Coach Nat Page.
Nat Page is in his 24th year as an assistant coach for the Georgia Tech track & field program. He is responsible for coaching field events, including high jump, long jump and triple jump, as well as the men’s and women’s sprint hurdle events.

In this presentation, Coach Page shows a variety of dynamic hurdle specific static and moving stretches, designed to help improve flexibility and range of motion in athletes.

We are providing this drill to give you ideas on how to enhance your current practice drills. The idea is not to implement it exactly as is, but rather to tweak it to make it fit your system.

There is sound with the video, so please make sure that your sound is on.

This is a YouTube video, so you will need to be on a network that does not block YouTube videos.

For more information about The Best of Championship Productions – Track & Field: 75+ Hurdles Drills, click here: The Best of Championship Productions – Track & Field: 75+ Hurdles Drills – Track & Field — Championship Productions, Inc.