AMAZING Treadmill Workout!

Rachaely
Rachaely Posts: 113
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
I’m an outdoor runner – but when ice plasters the pavement, I move indoors. I alternate between the indoor track and the treadmill, but I had never utilized the “incline” feature before. Yesterday I tried a workout I found on Running Times and it is FAR too amazing not to pass along!

It can be found here: http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=15260
(Refresh the page to make the advertisement go away.)

It’s the Pyramid Workout.

Workout: The Pyramid

Set 1: steady pace 1 minute each @ 4, 5 and 6 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Set 2: steady pace 1 minute each @ 5, 6 and 7 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Set 3: steady pace 1 minute each @ 6, 7 and 8 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Set 4: steady pace 1 minute each @ 7, 6 and 5 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Set 5: steady pace 1 minute each @ 6, 5 and 4 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Personally, I did just a short warm-up and cool-down, to keep this around 30 minutes. Also, when I went down from the 8% incline to flat (end of Set 3), I took a 30-second rest when the machine climbed down because I felt like I was going to fall off.

If you have any others you love, please pass them along – I’m always up for a new challenge!
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Replies

  • Rachaely
    Rachaely Posts: 113
    PS: The machine said I burned 425 calories in a half an hour :glasses:
  • HOLY CRAP!!! 425 in 30 minutes??? I'm ON IT! Thanks for sharing!
  • thx for posting!:drinker:
  • VanessaC
    VanessaC Posts: 126 Member
    Sounds great! I will definately be trying that one out. I also had a trainer give me a good treadmill workout before my running days. Kind of the same idea, starting at an incline of 1 for two minutes and then increasing the incline every two minutes until you are up to and have completed two minutes at an incline of 10. Then move the incline back down one setting every minute until you are back to flat ground. I do this at a speed of 3.5 but you can do whatever a fast paced walk for you. This is also about a 30 minute workout.
  • mistawalka
    mistawalka Posts: 108 Member
    bumping for later - will have to have a crack at this over the weekend, thank you.
  • Rachaely
    Rachaely Posts: 113
    Sounds great! I will definately be trying that one out. I also had a trainer give me a good treadmill workout before my running days. Kind of the same idea, starting at an incline of 1 for two minutes and then increasing the incline every two minutes until you are up to and have completed two minutes at an incline of 10. Then move the incline back down one setting every minute until you are back to flat ground. I do this at a speed of 3.5 but you can do whatever a fast paced walk for you. This is also about a 30 minute workout.

    Sounds awesome! I was running between 7-6.7 for speed (running about 8:45-9:10 pace) so it was a killer!
  • This sounds like a GREAT idea. I am thinking for those of us who are WAY out of shape and just coming out of a sedentary lifestyle could maybe tailor it a bit? I think for me if I started at 1 and did 2 minutes at each stage until I got up to 5 and then went back down, that would be a really good work out for me. I would then probably walk flat until I reached 30 minutes.

    LOVE the ideas on the forum!
  • Rachaely
    Rachaely Posts: 113
    This sounds like a GREAT idea. I am thinking for those of us who are WAY out of shape and just coming out of a sedentary lifestyle could maybe tailor it a bit? I think for me if I started at 1 and did 2 minutes at each stage until I got up to 5 and then went back down, that would be a really good work out for me. I would then probably walk flat until I reached 30 minutes.

    LOVE the ideas on the forum!

    Absolutely! That's what's great about this workout is that you can definitely tailor it to your fitness level. You could walk this workout instead of run, or you could decrease the resistance (or increase)! I just loved it. And hated it at the same time of course! :)
  • mistawalka
    mistawalka Posts: 108 Member
    Well its the weekend now (at least for us downunder) so had a crack at it. I did this at a 9kph pace for both incline and recovery sets (just under 6mph) to compare it to a regular jogging treadmill workout...here's the results:

    Regular 9kph Run
    34 minutes / 5km - 480 calories

    Regular 12kph Run
    25 minutes / 5km - 550 calories

    Pyramid 9kph
    34 minutes / 5km - 530 calories


    Whilst it was more challenging compared to a straight 9kph run - it was much more interesting and I found it easier than a regular 12kph run with similar calorie burns.
  • sare26
    sare26 Posts: 13 Member
    thanks! I am going to give this a go tomorrow - anything to make the treadmill more interesting - oh and burn calories quicker!!
  • Rachaely
    Rachaely Posts: 113
    Well its the weekend now (at least for us downunder) so had a crack at it. I did this at a 9kph pace for both incline and recovery sets (just under 6mph) to compare it to a regular jogging treadmill workout...here's the results:

    Regular 9kph Run
    34 minutes / 5km - 480 calories

    Regular 12kph Run
    25 minutes / 5km - 550 calories

    Pyramid 9kph
    34 minutes / 5km - 530 calories


    Whilst it was more challenging compared to a straight 9kph run - it was much more interesting and I found it easier than a regular 12kph run with similar calorie burns.


    That's my problem; I KNOW I can run faster, but I get bored. I'd rather be playing with the incline or speed or some type of variation to keep myself interested. It makes the time go by faster, versus just running a straight run. Glad you gave it a try!
  • WOWSA! I'll be trying this one out later today on my treadmill. I get bored on it so fast, so let's see how this goes for me. Thanks for posting :)
  • jen0619
    jen0619 Posts: 414
    Trying this tomorrow morning!
  • isislc
    isislc Posts: 140 Member
    Thanks, I will definitely need to try that one.
  • kaylenlawrence
    kaylenlawrence Posts: 211 Member
    I will be checking that out tomorrow!
    thanks for the post!
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
    I may have to check this out on Monday. Thxs.
  • SDehmer819
    SDehmer819 Posts: 441 Member
    thanks for posting...I will do this later today. I need to get a running workout in today.

    So the recover time is after all 3 levels have been done and not inbetween each incline correct??

    thanks again!
  • SDehmer819
    SDehmer819 Posts: 441 Member
    That's my problem; I KNOW I can run faster, but I get bored. I'd rather be playing with the incline or speed or some type of variation to keep myself interested. It makes the time go by faster, versus just running a straight run. Glad you gave it a try!

    [/quote]



    I feel the same way!!
  • kkwellness
    kkwellness Posts: 55 Member
    What speed on you doing the treadmill at- is it a run or walk
  • SDehmer819
    SDehmer819 Posts: 441 Member
    I did it just a little bit ago and ran at a 10min pace throughout the entire thing. Was a good workout!! thanks again!
  • wandakusa
    wandakusa Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks, I might try this tomorrow. I like working on the incline. This looks like it might break up the boredom. What I think I'll do is walk during the incline and then jog during the flat portions. :-)
  • Rachaely
    Rachaely Posts: 113
    What speed on you doing the treadmill at- is it a run or walk

    I ran, but it all depends on your fitness level! That's the nice thing about this workout, you can vary the speed depending your comfort.
  • RachelReady2Run
    RachelReady2Run Posts: 40 Member
    I need to incorporate hills, but there are none where I live. So time to conquer some incline running on the treadmill! Thanks for sharing!
  • elissascotland
    elissascotland Posts: 256 Member
    Sounds a little like my 30min "treadmill burn" class I used to take - it was AWESOME.
  • deb1962
    deb1962 Posts: 36 Member
    ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A NEW TREADMILL WORKOUT AS TO NOT GET BORED..GLAD I FOUND THIS ONE ..THANKS
  • LittleNicci
    LittleNicci Posts: 284 Member
    bump
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Yes! When I really want to kick my own butt I set the incline to 5%. I do a lot of speed and incline intervals and that keeps the treadmill from being too boring. Plus, it really burns the calories. In fact, I just earned myself some ice cream this evening. Gotta go get it! :drinker:
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,364 Member
    sounds interesting :)
  • heathercicle
    heathercicle Posts: 91 Member
    Great idea! My treadmill won't go lower than 1% incline anyway so I might as well take advantage of it! haha

    Thanks for the share!
  • fitnessyeoja
    fitnessyeoja Posts: 357 Member
    bump
This discussion has been closed.