Treadmill workouts are having a moment. In 2018, we saw a run-aissance that made it the hottest piece of equipment in the boutique fitness world, with running studios popping up all over, including Precision Run, Mile High Run Club, and most recently, Rumble Training. But you don’t need to book yourself a spot at Barry’s Bootcamp every time you want to treat yourself to a treadmill-based HIIT workout, because in this month’s Trainer of the Month series, Nike Run coach Jes Woods is leading us through four treadmill-based workouts that you can do in the gym or at home if you’ve got a machine of your own.
First up? A 14-minute series that takes place both on the treadmill and the mat, so that you can your cardio and strength training in in the course of one quick session. The workout uses short bursts of high intensity followed by even shorter recoveries, and is sure to leave you breathless. “The whole point is to get your heart rate up and keep it up,” says Woods. “Right when that heart rate is about to come down, you’re going to bring it right back up.”
Ready to try it for yourself? Hop on the treadmill and watch the video above.
10 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill
2-minute warmup: Take an easy warmup in either a walk or a light job (or some combination of the two). Ease into the run—be sure not to start off super hot.
1 minute at 70% effort: This speed should feel faster than the warmup, but slow enough that you could still be somewhat conversational (as in, you could speak a few sentences before needing to catch your breath). If you’re a runner, this should be the equivalent of your half-marathon pace. If you feel totally out of breath after this first interval, back off of the speed a little bit.
30-second recovery: Decrease your speed; walk or jog to recover.
1 minute at 70% effort, 4% incline: Bring your treadmill to a 4% incline, and crank the speed back up to your 70% pace (though it will feel more like 90% effort this time, since you’ll be running uphill). As the incline increases, you’ll want to take quicker, shorter, choppier strides than you normally would on a flat road, leaning forward into the hill and keeping your shoulders tall.
30-second recovery: Decrease your speed first, then incline; walk or jog to recover.
1 minute at 80% effort: This should be 0.5 MPH faster than your 70% effort pace, or equivalent to your 5K or 10K pace.
30-second recovery: Decrease speed; walk or jog to recover.
1 minute at 80% effort, 5% incline: Bring your treadmill to a 5% incline, and crank the speed back up to your 80% pace.If your legs are tired, crank your arms harder—it will help propel you.
1-minute recovery: Decrease speed, then incline; walk or jog to recover.
1 minute at 100% effort: Go all out, and push your speed up to 100% effort. This should be the fastest speed you’ve gone all day—the maximum pace you can hold for one minute, and leave you breathless.
1-minute recovery: Decrease speed; walk or jog to recover.
4 minutes of HIIT on the floor
30 seconds of jump squats: Start with your legs shoulder width apart, then pop them out wide. Go down into a squat and touch the ground with one hand, then jump back to standing. Alternate which hand is touching the ground each time you squat, and repeat for 30 seconds.
20-second recovery
30 seconds of plank shoulder taps: Starting in a high-plank position, tap your left shoulder with your right hand and return to start. Then, tap your right shoulder with your left hand. Activate your core to protect your back and keep your body in a straight, solid line to keep your hips from swaying throughout the move. Repeat for 30 seconds.
20-second recovery
30seconds of mountain climbers: Starting in a high plank position, alternate driving each knee toward your chest to get your heart rate up—think of this as running on the floor, and go quickly enough to get your heart rate up.
20-second recovery
30 seconds of toe tap crunches: With your back flat on the floor, bring your legs up to a 90-degree angle and flex your feet. Reach your finger tips up toward your toes, pulling your shoulder off of the mat and engaging your core while keeping your lower back firmly planted on the ground. Repeat for 20 seconds. For the last 10 seconds of the move, keep your shoulders lifted and pulse your fingers toward your feet.
Still working on mastering the perfect plank? Steal these tips from the move’s world record holder. Plus, why one buzzy run studio (that rhymes with Shmarry’s Shmootcamp) recently added spin bikes into their offerings.
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