This 15-Minute Treadmill Speed Workout Will Have You In and Out of the Gym In a Flash

Lauren Mazzo
·2 min read

Most people don't head to the gym with the intention of camping out for hours. While it can be nice to log a leisurely yoga practice or take your time between weight lifting sets, the goal is usually: Get in, get sweaty, get out.

If you're thinking, 'that's so me', or if you basically loathe doing cardio, then this is the workout for you. This 15-minute treadmill speed workout-which was recorded live at MyStryde running studio in Boston-is the perfect way to strategically get your heart rate soaring and get on with your day. (FYI, here's why you should pay attention to your heart rate during workouts.)

The 15-minute treadmill workout class (created by Rebecca Skudder, founder of MyStryde, and led by trainer Erin O'Hara) starts with a quick warm-up then takes you through a speed ladder: You cycle between work and recovery intervals, increasing your speed each time. You can hit "play" and follow along with the video in real time above (yes, there's music included and it's actually good), or follow the instructions below to do the treadmill workout on your own.

Use the MyStryde Stryde Guide to select your speeds during the workout. No matter what the instructions are, remember that you're picking a speed that works for you; a level 2 could be jogging at 3.5 for some people or at 5.5 for others.

Love the class? You can stream more from MyStryde right on the streaming platform Fortë-just one of the ways technology is making treadmill running way cooler these days.

Stryde Guide:

  • Level 1: Walk or easy warm-up pace

  • Level 2: Comfortable jog (you can carry a conversation)

  • Level 3: Happy pace

  • Level 4: Push pace

  • Level 5: Sprint or maximum speed

15-Minute Treadmill Workout Video

Warm-up: Start on a zero or 1-percent incline. For 3 minutes, walk or easy jog on the treadmill. Then increase speed to a low level 2 and stay there for 1 minute.

Speed Ladder

  • 30 seconds: Add 0.2 mph to find your new level 2 pace

  • 30 seconds: Increase speed to level 3

  • 30 seconds: Return to level 2

  • 30 seconds: Increase speed to level 4

  • 30 seconds: Return to level 2

  • 30 seconds: Increase speed to level 5

  • 90 seconds: Return to level 2 (or lower, if needed) to recover. Repeat the ladder once more.

Cool-Down: Return to level 2 or recovery pace for 4 minutes.