One-Hour Workout: Treadmill Hill Pyramid
Beat the winter blues with this treadmill workout the next time you’re at the gym.
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Every Tuesday we’ll feature a different coach’s workout you can complete in 60 mins (or less!).
This week’s workout comes from USAT Level I coach Maria Simone of No Limits Endurance. As Frank Shorter once said, “Hill training is speedwork in disguise.” If you live in an elevation-challenged area — or you’re simply trying to avoid icy repeats — this treadmill workout will help with your climbing strength.”
“Even if you don’t plan to race on hills, training with some elevation changes brings big benefits in terms of muscular endurance, power and strength,” Simone says. “As you progress, you can increase the incline percentages to ratchet up the intensity in the middle sets.”
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Treadmill Hill Pyramid
Warm-up
10 minutes easy with 1% incline
Main Set
The goal for this pyramid is to start with and aerobic effort, somewhere in the neighborhood of 70–75% of your max. Then you will maintain the same pace as the incline increases, which will increase the intensity of your effort.
8 minutes at 2% incline
6 minutes at 3% incline
4 minutes at 4% incline
2 minutes at 6% incline
4 minutes at 4% incline
6 minutes at 3% incline
8 minutes at 2% incline
Cool-down
10 minutes, no incline, easy jog. (In the final 5 minutes, you can reduce to a walk if you like.)
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