During his Hall of Fame career with the Bears, Walter Payton’s favorite method of working out during the offseason -- and torturing teammates who agreed to join him -- was to run uphill wind sprints. Now the Bears’ current running back is following Payton’s lead.
Matt Forte told ESPN the Magazine that he first started running on hills when he was recovering from a knee injury and quickly discovered the same thing that Payton knew decades ago: It’s a great way to build the explosive muscles in a running back’s legs.
“I noticed a difference immediately,” Forte said. “I had a better burst and outran defenders.”
Forte has a hill near his home that’s steeper on one side than the other, and his workout starts with 10 sprints up the flatter side, followed by lunges on the way down. He then goes to the steeper side and does another 10 sprints, this time wearing a 15-pound vest.
Expecting Forte to become the kind of player Payton was would be too much to ask, but if he’s the kind of worker Payton was, he’s going to have a long and successful career in Chicago.
