Make Your Treadmill Workout WAY Less Boring
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Let’s be real, sometimes running on the treadmill can get real bor-ing. But the best thing about taking your miles to the tread is that you have plenty—and I mean endless—ways to switch it up.
Vary the speed and incline, go for an active recovery run, or crank out a quick and effective HIIT treadmill workout. To challenge your body, try one of these 12 treadmill workouts from top trainers on your next gym day. And who knows, you may even learn to (dare I say it?) love this cardio machine.
1. Your Power Workout
This workout is all about 60-second sprints. To figure out a solid speed, consider your steady state pace—the pace you can maintain for about 25 to 30 minutes—says Ellen Latham, ACE-certified personal trainer, creator and co-founder of Orangetheory Fitness. Then go 2mph faster than that speed. “The goal is to try to match or slightly increase the speed from the previous effort,” she says. “The purpose of this style of interval training is to increase your muscles' ability to produce power on the treadmill.” You’ll also improve your turn-over rate and anaerobic endurance.
Time: 16 to 20 minutes
5 minutes: Warm-up (walk or jog)
1 minute: Steady state pace
1 minute: Sprint
Repeat the minute intervals 6 to 10 times, alternating steady state pace and sprint
5 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)
2. The Treadmill Strength Workout
Keep your treadmill at a 1-percent incline whenever you reach your steady state pace—this is your recovery period. You’ll increase the hill height from there to turn up the burn on your backside and your hamstrings. “By increasing the incline, you will increase the effort it takes to maintain your speed at that incline,” says Latham, the curator of this workout.
Time: Starting at 15 minutes
5 minutes: Warm-up (walk or jog)
1 minute: Steady state pace at 1 percent
1 minute: Maintain pace at 2 percent
1 minute: Maintain pace at 1 percent
1 minute: Maintain pace at 3 percent
Continue alternating 1 minute at 1 percent, then 1 minute at a higher incline, increasing by 1 percent every time, until you have reached the highest incline on the treadmill (or as high as you can go). Maintain steady state pace throughout.
5 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)
3. Your Endurance-Building Workout
Push your steady pace—that speed you can comfortably maintain for about a half hour—through longer and longer intervals in this workout from Latham. You’ll increase your speed for one to three minutes, with an active recovery after that. “The longer you increase speed, the longer your steady state pace,” says Latham. Breathe deep and focus on running long and strong!
Time: Starting at 17 minutes
5 minutes: Warm-up (walk or jog)
1 minute: 1–2mph above steady state pace
1 minute: Steady state pace
2 minutes: 1–2mph above steady state pace
2 minutes: Steady state pace
3 minutes: 1–2mph above steady state pace
3 minutes: Steady state pace
Repeat until fatigued, always matching your steady state pace recovery with the duration of your effort.
5 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)
Want a quick workout off the tread? Try this full-body sequence from trainer Anna Victoria:
4. The RPE Run for Beginners
“Beginner runners tend to gravitate toward running workouts that lend a lot of room for breaks,” says Karli Alvino, NASM-certified personal trainer, coach at Mile High Run Club. “This following program has a lot of intervals, as well as room for improvement.” Because of this, it's a good intro to tread workouts. FYI: RPE stands for "rate of perceived exertion," and you can find it indicated on your tread. On a scale of 0 to 10, think of 0 as an effort equivalent to relaxing on the couch, 5 a recovery jog that’s easy enough for you to talk, and 10 your all-out sprint, explains Alvino.
Time: 38 minutes
5 minutes: Warm-up (dynamic stretches, walk or jog)
90 seconds: Light run (RPE 6)
1 minute: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
90 seconds: Run at 3 percent incline (RPE 6–7)
1 minute: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
90 seconds: Hard run (RPE 8)
1 minute: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
90 seconds: Hard run (RPE 8–9)
2 minutes: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
90 seconds: Hard run (RPE 8–9)
2 minutes: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
90 seconds: Hard run (RPE 8–9)
2 minutes: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
2 minutes: Run at 3 percent incline (RPE 6–7)
90 seconds: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
2 minutes: Hard run (RPE 7–8)
90 seconds: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
2 minutes: Breathless run (RPE 8–9)
90 seconds: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
30 seconds: Sprint (RPE 10)
90 seconds: Recovery walk (RPE 3–4)
30 seconds: Sprint (RPE 10)
2 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)
5. The Experienced Runner’s Strides Workout
If you regularly run races and you’re familiar with your pace and exertion levels, step into this workout, stat. “The intervals begin with strides, move up and down a hill, and then progress through tough levels of exertion, ultimately culminating in two short sprint bursts,” says Alvino, who created the routine. "Strides" require you to go for a quick, fast burst with an exaggerated stride. Aim for an RPE of 6 for those intervals—just above your conversational jog.
Time: 26 minutes
5 minutes: Warm-up (walk, jog, dynamic stretches)
1 minute: Strides (RPE 6)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 5)
1 minute: Strides (RPE 6)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 5)
3 minutes: Jog at 4 percent, then 6 percent, then 3 percent (RPE 6)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 5)
2 minutes: Moderate run (RPE 7-8)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 5)
90 second: Hard run (RPE 8-9)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 5)
1 minute: Hard run (RPE 9)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 5)
30 second: Sprint (RPE 10)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 5)
30 second: Sprint (RPE 10)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 5)
2 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)
6. The Advanced Runner’s Speedy Workout
You can keep this workout to just over 15 minutes or repeat a few times for a longer (and seriously sweat-inducing) program. “There's a touch of incline as the hard work begins, and it ends with a 30-second all-out sprint,” says Alvino, who designed this workout, too.
Time: 15 minutes
5 minutes: Warm-up (dynamic stretches, walk or jog)
30 seconds: Strides (RPE 6+)
30 seconds: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 6)
30 seconds: Strides (RPE 6+)
30 seconds: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 6)
1 minute: Jog at 4 percent incline (RPE 7)
1 minute: Flat road recovery (RPE 6)
2 minutes: Hard run (RPE 8–9)
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog (RPE 4–5)
1 minute: Hard run (RPE 8+)
30 seconds: Sprint (RPE 10)
2 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)
7. Your Hill-Focused, Stamina-Building Workout
Strengthen your cardio endurance and improve your muscular endurance (or how long your muscles can work) with this program. “Muscular endurance allows you to perform a skill more effectively, and you achieve it through developing muscular strength at lower loads and high repetition," says Michaela Ragaas, NASM-certified personal trainer, education and training manager at Technogym, who designed this incline workout to do just that.
Time: 30 minutes
4 minutes: Warm-up (establish comfortable pace and mix in lateral walks, high knees, and butt kicks)
HILL 1:
1 minute: 3-percent incline run (comfortable pace)
1 minute: 0-percent incline active recovery walk or jog
1 minute: 5-percent incline run (a step above comfortable pace)
1 minute: 0-percent incline active recovery walk or jog
1 minute: 5-percent incline run (a step above comfortable pace)
1 minute: 0-percent incline active recovery walk or jog
1 minute: 3-percent incline run (comfortable pace)
2 minute: 1-percent incline (recovery pace)
HILL 2:
90 seconds: 4-percent incline (a step above comfortable pace)
30 seconds: 0-percent incline active recovery walk or jog
90 seconds: 30percent incline (a step above comfortable pace; aim for 0.5mph higher than last incline)
30 seconds: 0-percent incline active recovery walk or jog
90 seconds: 2-percent incline (a step above comfortable pace; aim for 0.5mph higher than last incline)
90 seconds: 0-percent incline active recovery walk or jog
90 seconds: 1-percent incline (a step above comfortable pace)
HILL 3:
1 minute: 1-percent incline (recovery speed)
2 minutes: 3-percent incline (a step above comfortable pace)
1 minute: 1-percent incline (recovery speed)
2 minutes: 3-percent incline (a step above comfortable pace)
3:30 minutes: Cool down (walk or jog)
8. Chase That Speed And Incline Treadmill Workout
“Speed is considered one of the most fundamental components of fitness performance,” says Ragaas. To pick up your pace and build your strength, you’ll focus on both speed and inclines during this workout. Don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable!
Time: 10 minutes
1 minute: Easy pace at 4-percent incline (think warm-up speed)
1 minute: Moderate pace at 4-percent incline
1 minute: Hard pace at 4-percent incline
1 minute: Easy pace at 2-percent incline (think active recovery speed)
1 minute: Moderate pace at 2-percent incline
1 minute: Hard pace at 2-percent incline
1 minute: Easy pace at 0-percent incline
1 minute: Moderate pace at 0-percent incline
1 minute: Hard pace at 0-percent incline
1 minute: Recovery jog or walk at 0-percent incline
9. Strong Legs Treadmill Workout
Build your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves with this treadmill workout that also incorporates strength moves, created by Ragaas. Bonus: It will help improve your core stability—a key to better, faster mileage.
Time: 13 to 16 minutes
4 minutes: Warm-up (jog)
30 seconds: Squats (off the tread)
1 minute: Walk
1 minute: Walking lunges (at 3 mph or comfortable pace)
30 seconds: Sprint at max speed
Repeat from the squats for 2–3 rounds
3 minutes: 8-to-15-percent incline walk
10. The Pyramid Workout
Matthew Meyer, ACE-certified personal trainer and run coach at Mile High Run Club, likes to base his workouts (like the one below) on rate of perceived exertion (RPE), so you float through it by paying attention to how you feel. Keep in mind 1 is an easy effort and 10 means you give it all you’ve got. For this pyramid workout, in particular, warm up at a 1 to 5 RPE, go easy at a 6 to 7 RPE (a sustainable pace), and your pushes should feel challenging and leave you breathless (your 10K or 5K pace) at an 8 or 9 RPE. “This will build endurance and get you used to increasing effort,” Meyer says.
Time: 16 minutes
30 seconds: Walk
30 seconds: Easy (nice and comfortable)
1 minute: Walk
1 minute: Easy
90 seconds: Walk
90 seconds: Easy
2 minutes: Walk
2 minutes: Easy
90 seconds: Walk
90 seconds: Easy or Push
1 minute: Walk
1 minute: Easy or Push
30 seconds: Walk
30 seconds: Easy or Push
11. The 20-Minute Hill Workout
Get comfortable with taking on inclines and pushing your pace on those hills! Meyer designed this workout to help you build up to a faster speed at higher inclines, giving you time to recover between climbs. Remember that "push pace" should leave you breathless—but it’s just below your max effort.
Time: 20 minutes
5 minutes: Warm-up (walk or jog)
1 minute: Easy pace at 1-percent incline
1 minute: Easy pace at 2-percent incline
1 minute: Easy pace at 4-percent incline
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog
1 minute: Easy pace at 1-percent incline
1 minute: Easy pace at 4-percent incline
1 minute: Easy pace at 6-percent incline
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog
1 minute: Push pace at 1-percent incline
1 minute: Push pace at 3-percent incline
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog
1 minute: Push pace at 1-percent incline
1 minute: Push pace at 5-percent incline
2 minutes: Cool down walk or jog
12. The Fartlek Speed Play Workout
You might have heard of Fartlek workouts for a road run—you speed up from tree to tree or when a red car passes you. Well, you can mimic that same speed game on the tread. Meyer shows you how with this workout, which mixes easy intervals with pushes at an 8 or 9 RPE and hard runs at your all-out effort. Go hard, go fast, and have fun! Feel free to mix up your speed as you go.
Time: 27 minutes
5 minutes: Warm-up (walk or jog)
1 minute: Easy
1 minute: Push
1 minute: Easy
1 minute: Push
2 minute: Recovery walk or jog
1 minute: Easy
1 minute: Push
1 minute: Easy
1 minute: Push
2 minute: Recovery walk or jog
1 minute: Easy
1 minute: Hard
1 minute: Recovery walk or jog
1 minute: Easy
1 minute: Hard
5 minutes: Cool down walk or jog
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