When it’s time to go to the gym, most people are drawn to instinctively hitting weight. It’s certainly an understandable behavior, as weight training plays a role from building muscle and increasing strength to burning fat and even heart health.
However, it has been shown to be more effective than treating weight training or aerobic exercise to get the best results towards any comprehensive training plan (size, performance, or health), including cardiovascular training. (1) (2)
It means making time to go outside or jumping on the best treadmill you can find, for some weather resistance. Treadmill training often brings the fear of slow, painful throws while staring at the gym’s TV monitor, but it can help you train more effectively when increasing your intensity with interval training. Below are some detailed training to make your next treadmill session a more productive and (relatively) enjoyable experience.
Hit Treadmill Workout
Hit Treadmill Workout for Fat Loss
For many people in the gym, when they make the decision to lose body fat, jumping into the treadmill is often considered a PAR for the course, along with reducing calories and skipping desserts. Rather than recording miles after footnanming miles, you can increase fat burning by applying high intensity intervals to your next treadmill session. Interval training has been shown to be more efficient and effective than steady-state aerobic programming. (3)
Speed Interval
This is one of the most common ways to perform interval-based treadmill training. Alternating high-intensity, fast-paced running with low-intensity, slow pace walking will effectively balance the balance between output and recovery for an efficient training session.
Use your judgment when setting the speed of the treadmill, as “fast pace” and “slow pace” are related to your own abilities. In the fast part, we aim for a more intense run rather than a full sprint. For recovery periods, you usually use a slow, simple jogging or quick walk.
Using this approach to intervals there are two potential means of progression. You can add more interval periods to increase your overall training time. This will gradually increase your workout, but also increase the amount of work you are doing in each session.
You can also keep the same number of intervals while gradually reducing the remaining period with each “set”. By reducing the remaining 10-15 seconds a week, I ask my body to maintain high power at maximum recovery. This increases overall training intensity. Both methods are effective and can be used sequentially. Start reducing the 2- or 3-week break period each week and adding a weekly interval.
This workout can be performed on the first day, two to four times a week to improve your overall recovery. Do not perform training immediately after training your feet with weight, as there is a possibility of cumulative fatigue in hip, knee and ankle stabilizers.
Treadmill interval
- How to do it: Set the treadmill to a very low slope (1-3 percent). It steadily increases the speed to a fast pace. As soon as you reach your ideal speed, you start looking at the clock and maintain the desired period. After reaching the target time for the fast period, steadily decrease the speed and maintain a slower pace of the desired time.
- Set and representative: A fast pace of 30 seconds, a 10 “set” and a slow pace of 60 seconds. A total of 15 minutes of training time.
- Break time: There is no rest during intervals.
hiit treadmill workout for conditioning
Improved conditioning in conditions synonymous with durability and cardiovascular health can be a welcome side effect of most types of treadmill workouts. Taking a strategic approach to interval treadmill sessions allows you to adjust your training to gain more efficient and more specific conditioning benefits.
On/Off Treadmill Circuit
This circuit-based treadmill workout may look unconventional, but it offers holistic conditioning and high-intensity sessions and has been shown to be more effective than medium-paced aerobic exercise. (4) Rather than alternating active periods of fast running during recovery walking periods, this approach alternates between using weight movements or dumbbells (for convenience) and stable (maximum) running with more traditional exercises. You are essentially a “superset” that runs the treadmill with traditional exercises.
Exercise acts as a form of “active recovery” from a hard run rather than walking at strength to take a rest period or recover. This allows you to continue training while you breathe in as your cardiovascular system recovers.
This plan requires a bit of tweaking as it repeatedly goes in and out of the treadmill (as the name of the workout suggests). It also requires a little planning and ideally requires extra space near the treadmill itself.
This workout can be adjusted to incorporate a variety of exercises to train more muscle groups. Select one exercise for each muscle and alternate between treadmills, first body parts, treadmills, second body parts, treadmills, third body parts, and more.
This method can also be performed in a more basic way, focusing on a single body part throughout the session, using different exercises at each interval. This method works particularly well with AB exercises, allowing you to turn your session into “2-on-1” cardio and AB workouts.
For safety, avoid using lower body exercises such as squats and lunges, as excessive fatigue in the leg muscles can increase the risk of running-related injuries. Regardless of the part of your body you are trained, make sure you don’t reach absolute muscle damage. This will result in unnecessary body stress and shock recovery. Perform this workout for 2-3 days a week.
Treadmill run
- How to do it: Set the treadmill to a very low slope (1-3 percent). Gradually increase your speed until you reach a moderately challenging pace. Faster than a simple jogging, but less than a hard sprint. Keep pace for the duration of the set before slowing down. The treadmill continues to move, so if you can safely lower the treadmill At a very slow speedit may be easier to start the next interval. Safety is paramount, so if you need to stop the treadmill completely between intervals, do so.
- Set and representative: 12-16 “set”
- Break time: There is no rest before moving on to the next exercise (alternative exercises at each interval).
Push – Up
- How to do it: Place your hands and toes on the ground, fall into the classic push-up position, then place your hands just outside your shoulder width. Keeps the line straight throughout your body. Don’t let your hips fall to the ground or spike up to the ceiling. Bend your arms and lower your body, aiming with your elbows facing the sides. It moves at a relatively slow pace with total control. Go down as low as possible before pressing full lockout.
- Set and representative: 6-8 x 10-12
- Break time: You will not rest before you return to the treadmill.
2 Dumbbell row
- How to do it: Stand with dumbbells in each hand hanging by your side. Keep your back straight and hinge forward with your hips, bend your knees slightly. They turn their hands and head towards each other throughout the movement. Drive your elbow up and down until the weight closest to your thumb is near your rib. Please pause before pausing.
- Set and representative: 6-8 x 8-10
- Break time: You will not rest before you return to the treadmill.
hiit treadmill workout for beginners
Whether you’re new to the gym or new to cardio, you can’t always jump into intense workouts. However, you can become familiar with training methods using HIIT while building a base for conditioning and general fitness.
Inclination interval
This approach uses the underrated advantage of the treadmill, rather than running on slow, fast running. Most treadmills can reach a slope of 12-15%. If you’re new to treadmills, take the time to test its functionality before training.
The goal is to maintain a stable walking pace during training, using slopes to add (and reduce) difficulty throughout the session. Aim for a short slope during high intensity intervals. Ideally, it’s within two or three points of the maximum machine setting. If 15% is capable, use at least 12%. If 12% is the maximum, aim for 9 or 10%.
Low intensity intervals reduce the slope to 1%. The speed should not change for any time. Choose a speed that allows for a comfortable walking pace during low intervals and maintain the setting as with increasing tilt. This workout can be run 3-4 days a week.
One key to maximizing your tilt treadmill workout is to resist the urge to hold the railing. Shake your arms naturally whenever possible. One thing is to temporarily need a handrail for safety or balance. Hanging from them to support themselves during high slopes is counterproductive as it reduces body workload.
Treadmill Walk
- How to do it: Set the treadmill to a 1% slope at a comfortable walking speed, start the first interval and maintain the pace for the desired period. After the target time, steadily increase the slope to the target percentage. Once you reach the target, maintain the desired time pace before returning to a lower slope at the next interval.
- Set and representative: 10-12 “set” with 1 minute low slope and 1 minute high slope, total training time of 20-24 minutes.
- Break time: There is no rest during intervals.
How to warm up your Hit Treadmill workout
Just because you’re using a treadmill doesn’t mean you can skip the warm-up. A thorough warm-up is not only beneficial in preventing injuries. It has been shown to improve performance during training. (5) It will help you to make sure you actually put “high strength” in your high strength intervals.
For a good warm-up, try to block your time with HIIT workouts. Just don’t plan to show up, run for 10-15 minutes or leave. The time spent warming up will prepare your ankles, knees, hips and back for a run, improving overall blood flow and ensuring even more productive sessions.
Hit Treadmill Workout Warm-Up
- Pause and calf lifted weight squat: Stand with your feet almost shoulder-width apart. Go down to the lowest squat possible. Pause at the bottom position for 2 seconds before standing upright. At the top position, a calf bump will rise to your toes. Perform 10 repetitions.
- Ramp and twist: Start at the push-up position. Step your left foot into the position where you have rushed. Raise your left arm and reach the ceiling. Aim to feel the upper stretch of your hips, core and back. Change your hands to the ground and return to your feet. Repeat on the other side. Run four people on one side.
- Treadmill pyramid run: Start on the treadmill and start at a slow walking speed. Every 20-30 seconds, increase a few points a few points until you reach a challenging running pace. Maintain this speed for 3-5 minutes, then reverse the process and slow it down gradually.
Better outcomes with ups and downs in intervals
Training in a stable state can take part in the overall training program. A sure monotonous walk will help you relax and general recovery. But when the time comes for a hard, productive workout, some high-intensity interval training packs more results into less time. Narrow your goals, choose the right training and make effective use of the treadmill.
reference
- Schroeder, EC, Franke, W. D., Sharp, R. L., & Lee, DC (2019). Comparative effectiveness of integrated training for risk factors for aerobic, tolerance, and cardiovascular disease: a randomized controlled trial. PLOS 1, 14(1), E0210292. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210292
- Ho, SS, Dhaliwal, SS, Hills, AP, & Pal, S. (2012). 12-week effects of aerobic, tolerance or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obesity in a randomized trial. BMC Public Health, 12704. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-704
- Viana, R. B., Naves, JPA, Coswig, Vs, De Lira, Cab, Steele, J., Fisher, JP, & Gentil, P. (2019). Is interval training a magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing medium-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53(10), 655–664. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099928
- Sultana, R. N., Sabag, A., Keating, S. E., & Johnson, N. A. (2019). Effects of low-volume, high-intensity interval training on body composition and cardiopulmonary fitness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine (New Zealand, Auckland), 49(11), 1687–1721. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40279-019-01167-W
- Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). The effects of warming on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, twenty four(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181c643a0
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