(photo by Christiana Basso)
Earlier this week, I made a whole-hearted attempt to convince you to appreciate the treadmill with a post devoted to speed workouts you can do on the treadmill. And today, I’m here to follow up that attempt with more reasoning: hill workouts for the treadmill.
When I was training for the Chicago marathon, hills were the last thing on my mind. Chicago has a notoriously flat course, and since I was doing the majority of training in Chicago, incorporating hill workouts into my training just never occurred to me. This time around marathon training, however, I’m preparing for a marathon through the horse farms of Kentucky. Beautiful? Yes. Flat? Definitely not.
Luckily, the cold weather that’s driven me to run indoors four days out of the week has also helped me simulate some hills so that I’ll be more prepared for my marathon. Here are a few of the best hill workouts on a treadmill that I’ve encountered:
Before each workout, warm up for about a mile at a 0% incline.
Hill Workout #1
A descending pyramid workout where you maintain your speed, but not your incline.
Increase the incline to 1% for one minute, then increase the speed to 2% for one minute. Repeat this until you make your way up to a 6% incline, then work your way back down to 0%. In the same format, work your way up to 5% and back down, then 4%, 3%, 2%, and 1%. Maintain your speed throughout. Finish with a one minute sprint at 7% incline.
Hill Workout #2
Also known as 6/7s, from running coach Gary Silver.
90 seconds @ 6 percent grade and marathon pace
1-minute recovery @ flat jog
1 minute @ 7 percent grade and marathon pace
2-minute recovery @ flat jog
Repeat for 6-10 sets.
Hill Workout #3
Another pyramid workout that tests your aerobic endurance. Choose a speed that’s 70-75% of your max.
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
Can’t get enough hill workouts for the treadmill? Check out these workouts, which feature pyramids, hill intervals, and long climbs!
