Treadmills are one of the most popular and useful pieces of gym equipment ever constructed. You have total control of every aspect of your workout, the weather is irrelevant, and you don’t have to worry about darkness and careless drivers yapping away on their cell phones.
But let’s face it. Treadmills can be boring. Like a hamster on its wheel, you can run to your heart’s content, and the view never changes. Incorporating intervals and strength training into your treadmill routine will spice up your workout, and get you in shape faster than ever before. Here are a few workouts that take less than 30 minutes to complete but don’t skimp on results.
The Uphill Workout
The uphill workout combines intervals and hills to challenge your leg muscles while sending your metabolism into overdrive. Start with a slow 5 minute warmup. Then run 1 minutes at about 80% of your max. speed. Recover for 1 minute with a walk, and then go right into 3 minutes of a medium pace at a challenging incline. Repeat this 5 minute sequence 3 times total, then cool down with a 5 minute flat walk. After you try this workout a few times, try increasing the incline a few degrees.
The Upper Body / Treadmill Workout
This workout requires an exercise ball, and a pair of light dumbbells (about 5-20 pounds, depending on strength). Start with a 5 minute walk or slow jog on the treadmill to warm up. Then run a fast 2 minutes (shoot for about a 7 on a 1-10 exertion scale). Immediately hop off the treadmill, drop for 25 pushups, and hop back on for a slow 1 minute walk. Repeat the sequence 3 more times, but with a new exercise each round (medicine ball crunches, overhead dumbbell press, bent-over dumbbell rows). Use a weight that allows you do complete all 25 reps with good form, even if you need to stop for a short rest; this will ensure that your heart keeps pumping and your metabolism gets a hefty boost.
The Lower Body / Treadmill Workout
Like the previous treadmill workout, this one uses intervals and resistance to spike your metabolism, build some muscle, and rapidly improve your endurance. Instead of increasing the speed of the treadmill for your intervals, you will be upping the incline level, keeping your leg muscles working even between exercises. Begin with a slow 5 minute warmup. Raise the incline and walk or run 2 minutes at about 70-80% of your max effort. Hop off and do 25 body squats. Back on the treadmill, recover with a 1 minute walk. Repeat this sequence 3 more times using right-leg lunges, left-leg lunges, and then hip raises as your exercises. You can use light dumbbells for the squats and lunges if you prefer, but make sure you can complete all 25 reps with proper form.
The Short-On-Time 12 Minute Treadmill Workout
Sometimes, you don’t have a lot of time but still want to break a quick sweat. If that’s the case, this workout will get your heart pumping and metabolism soaring. It’s a tough one, but hey, that’s why it’s only 12 minutes.
Do this entire workout on a slight incline (2-3%). Begin with a fast walk for 1 minute. Next, turn around and walk backwards on the treadmill as fast as you can for another minute (but start slowly if you have never done this before). Face forward once again and sprint for 90 seconds, followed by a 30 second walk. Repeat the routine 2 more times. And that’s it. You’re on and off in only 12 minutes, but it’s an effective workout for building endurance and torching fat. Let’s see a hamster do that!
Sources: Running Times
WebMD
Personal experience designing workouts