The treadmill is king of gym, used by about everyone to get in a cardiovascular workout. Yet despite the treadmills undisputed place as perhaps the most used piece of fitness gear in any gym, many find their time spent on a treadmill pure drudgery. Whatever or however you choose to distract yourself while on a treadmill, do not avoid it. Using a treadmill can help you achieve your fitness goals. Using the treadmill allows control over your workouts. On it, you can control speed and the incline of the running surface with precision making it an invaluable.
Hill Training
Training on hills is an important part of fitness training of amateur and competitive athletes. Hill training builds overall endurance, strength and cardiovascular fitness. For this hill training routine, keep the pace easy throughout the run. Begin by warming up for 1 mile, the treadmill's incline set at 1 percent. Run the next ¾ mile at a 2 percent incline, the next ½ mile at a 3 percent inclines, the next ½ mile at 4, the peak of your hill. As you, begin the decent, decrease the treadmill's incline back to 3 percent for a ½ mile, 2 percent the next ¾ mile and 1 percent for the fifth and final mile.
Three-Minute Monsters
The three-minute monster workout is a workout often done on a track. Begin with a warmup set lasting five to 10 minutes. Perform the routine by running five to 10 repeats lasting three minutes each, recovering for two minutes after each. The goal is to run each repeat at a pace slightly faster than your 5 km race pace.
Treadmill Tempo Runs
Tempo training runs can last for 20 to 60 minutes in length and are designed to increase overall cardiovascular fitness and endurance without the subjecting the body or mind to the rigors of other, more stressful training runs. Set the treadmills speed slightly slower than your race pace for the distance of your next race.
Random Interval Training
Interval training involves increasing the pace for a specific time or distance before returning to your original pace. Begin your interval workout by running an easy-paced warmup for 10 minutes. For the main set, run 20 minutes adding intervals throughout randomly lasting one minute each. Focus on increasing your foot speed with a goal of 45 strikes per foot, per minute. Complete the random interval workout with a 10-minute cooldown.
References
- Running Planet: Training: Treadmill Hill Workouts: The Foothills; Rick Morris
- Running Planet: High Efficiency Treadmill Workouts: Three Minute Monsters; Rick Morris
- Running Planet: High Efficiency Treadmill Workouts: Classic Tempo; Rick Morris
- Elite Runners World: Treadmill Workouts: Random Workouts; Sarah Lorge Butler, January 2011
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