4 Quick and Effective Treadmill Workouts
By: David Runners Blueprint
Tags: Runners, Fitness, Workout

If you don’t like the treadmill or you’re short on time, you can still burn a lot of calories and get an effective treadmill workout without spending a lot of time on the machine.

Here are four quick and effective (and also fun!) treadmill workouts.

1 / 30-second Sprint Intervals

Whenever I do this workout, the time flies by and I’m soaked in sweat by the end. If you’ve never done any speedwork before, make sure you follow these rules for speed training.

Start by walking at an easy pace for one minute. Continue warming-up with an easy jog for 5 minutes. You should be at a conversational pace. This will get your blood pumping and your muscles warm and ready for a workout.

Pick up the pace to a hard effort (heavy breathing) for 30 seconds. Recover with 90 seconds of easy jogging.

Repeat the sprint/recovery intervals 9 more times (18 minutes total).

Finish with a 4-minute cooldown at an easy pace — easy jog or brisk walk.

Total treadmill time: 30 minutes

2/ Side Stepping Workout

This workout combines running and walking with some good ‘ole side shuffles, which will really work your glutes and quads.

Warm up by walking at an easy pace for one minute. Continue warming-up with an easy jog for 4 minutes.

Return to walking pace and then, as you hold onto the side rail, turn your body to the side, get low in a squat position, and then start side-shuffling your feet. Don’t try to get fancy and cross one foot over the other. Continue side stepping for 30 seconds and then return to walking forward.

Pick up the pace to an easy, conversational running pace for 2 minutes. Then bring the pace back down to walking for a 30-second interval of side shuffles on the other side.

Continue with 2 minutes easy running/30 second of side shuffles (alternating sides) until you’ve been at it for 20 minutes.

Finish with a 5-minute cooldown at an easy pace.

Total treadmill time: 30 minutes

3/ Walk the Hills/Run the Flats

If you like alternating between running and walking, this is a good one for you. You’ll really work your glutes with the hills.

Start with a 5-minute warm up of easy jogging or brisk walking.

Increase the incline to 1% and walk for 1 minute.

Lower incline to 0% and run at a comfortable pace for 1 minute.

Increase the incline to 2% and walk for 2 minutes.

Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 2 minutes.

Increase the incline to 3% and walk for 3 minutes.

Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 3 minutes.

Increase the incline to 4% and walk for 4 minutes.

Lower incline to 1% and run at a comfortable pace for 4 minutes.

Finish with a 5-minute cooldown of easy jogging or brisk walking.

Total treadmill time: 30 minutes

4 / Calorie-Blasting Pyramid Workout

This workout combines running and walking intervals and burns a ton of calories.

Start with a 3-minute warm up of easy jogging or brisk walking. Then do the following intervals:

30-second sprint/30-second walk

1-minute sprint/1-minute walk

2-minute sprint/1-minute walk

3-minute sprint/1-minute walk

4-minute sprint/1-minute walk

3-minute sprint/1-minute walk

2-minute sprint/1-minute walk

1-minute sprint/1-minute walk

30-second sprint/30-second walk

Finish with a 2-minute cooldown of easy jogging or brisk walking.

Total treadmill time: 30 minutes