One-Hour Workout: Treadmill M and W’s

Fly through your next “dreadmill” session with this blend of speed and incline changes.

This week’s workout comes from Colorado-based coach and physical therapist Dr. Kevin DeGroot, PT, DPT, owner and coach at T-Zero Physio since 2016. DeGroot is an Ironman-certified coach specializing in working with injured athletes. He has competed in multiple triathlon distances up to 70.3 and has run a marathon distance (or more) 17 times, including a 200+ mile week long run across Haiti.

“As the weather begins to change and more of your training may need to be inside, the ‘Treadmill M and W’ is a workout that allows you to stay engaged and get in a great workout in 45-60 min,” DeGroot says. “Since you’re changing something every 3-4 minutes, it keeps your mind off the repetition of being on a treadmill. Your overall effort should remain fairly constant through the 30 minutes of the main set but your speed and grade will increase and decrease reciprocally.”

The workout also includes a dynamic warm-up to focus on running fundamentals that will prevent injury.

Focus on slow and deliberate movement:
Walk with rotations – Take a step forward with your right leg, keeping both feet pointed straight forward. Drive your pelvis/hips forward until you feel a slight stretch in the front of your left hip. Rotate your shoulders and pelvis to the left which should change the stretch you feel in the front of your hip. Repeat on the other leg with 10 steps per leg.

Multidirectional lunge progression – Focus on keeping your weight evenly distributed through your full foot. First lunge forward onto your right foot, then step back. Lunge right leg to 45 degrees to the right, then step back. Finally, lunge right leg to the right side at 90 degrees, step back. Repeat on your left leg. As you get more comfortable with the initial lunges, add a two-count balance on the moving leg by picking up the other leg after stepping. Five lunges each direction of standard and balance lunges.

High-knee balance walks – Standing tall, balance on your right foot while bringing your left knee up toward waist height, hold for two seconds. Repeat with other leg. Take 10-15 steps on each foot.

RDL walk – Step forward onto your right leg—keeping your weight evenly distributed along your foot—kick your left leg backwards, and bend forward at your hip until your upper body and left leg are in a horizontal line. To help balance, reach your left arm down towards your right foot. Repeat on the other leg. Take 10-15 steps on each leg.

Warm-up
10 minutes of the exercises above
5-minute jog at self-selected pace

Main Set
0-3 minutes:                4-6% grade                 50-60% race pace speed
3-6 minutes:                2-4% grade                 60-70% race pace speed
6-9 minutes:                0-2% grade                 70-80% race pace speed
9-12 minutes:              2-4% grade                 60-70% race pace speed
12-15 minutes:            4-6% grade                 50-60% race pace speed
15-18 minutes:            2-4% grade                 60-70% race pace speed
18-21 minutes:            0-2% grade                 70-80% race pace speed
21-24 minutes:            2-4% grade                 60-70% race pace speed
24-27 minutes:            4-6% grade                 50-60% race pace speed
27-30 minutes:            4-6% grade                 70-80% race pace speed

Cool-down
15-minute jog and good stretch

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