How to Strength Train on a Treadmill

While the treadmill is generally used to provide a cardio workout, that’s not all the machine can do. You can use the treadmill to help your strength training routine, as well. Get a full body workout by creating an interval plan that combines cardio and bodyweight exercises, or create progressive plans that take advantage of varied speeds and inclines to build lower body strength. You can even walk on an incline to help tone your muscles if you are new to strength training or recovering from an injury.

EditSteps

EditCreating an Interval Plan

1. Take time to warm up. Warm up your body by incorporating a brisk walk into the first three to five minutes of your workout. Walk at a speed that is fast enough to require an effort to maintain, but not so fast that you start to alter your breathing pattern.^[1]
   
   • Generally, the recommended speed for a warmup walk is 3.5 to 4 mph (5.5 to 6.5 km/h), but you should adjust the speed for your level of ability and comfort.
2. Determine your run intervals. Work in two and three minute segments for 30 to 60 minutes total and create a plan that alternates running at your natural speed, jogging, sprinting, and brisk walking. Leave every third or fourth interval open for a strength exercise.^[2]
   
   • Try not to set two similar activities next to one another. Don’t, for example, create a session that has jogging followed by walking followed by jogging.
   • Sprints should not outnumber the walking or jogging intervals in your plan.
   • Test yourself on a treadmill to find your jogging, natural running, and sprinting speeds.
3. Plot out your strength intervals. In the intervals left open for strength training, determine what body weight strength exercises you want incorporated into your workout. Common exercises include push ups, crunches, planks, squats, burpees, and resistance band exercises such as side steps and rows.^[3]
   
   • You may opt to practice more than one exercise during an interval. For example, you may hold a plank for 60 seconds, then squat for 60 seconds during a two minute interval.
   • You can also opt to keep a pair of dumbbells next to the treadmill to use for exercises such as squats and rows to add more resistance.
4. Plan your strength training intervals to fit your weekly routine. If you choose to exercise twice a week, for example, focus on whole-body exercises. If you choose to work out five times a week, target different muscle groups each session.
   
   • Remember to plan recovery days, as well. Try to not strength train more than three consecutive days without rest.
5. Cool down at the end. Once you have finished your workout, plan three to five minutes to cool down. This may include another brisk walk, or deep stretches such as lunges and bends to help keep your muscles from cramping.^[4]
   
   • If you focused your strength intervals on a particular area of the body, such as the abs, focus your stretches on that area, as well.

EditDeveloping an Incline Running Plan

1. Create a preliminary program. If you are looking to build lower body strength, an incline running plan can help you build up your glutes, hips, and leg muscles. Start with a gradually increasing incline plan, such as:^[5]
   
   • 1 mile (1.6 km) with no incline
   • 0.75 mile (1.2 km) at two percent
   • Half a mile (0.8 km) at three perecent
   • 0.25 mile (0.4 km) at four percent
   • Half a mile (0.8 km) at three perecent
   • 0.75 mile (1.2 km) at two percent
   • 1 (1.6 km) mile with no incline
2. Build up endurance. As you feel more comfortable with your incline workout, start building endurance by increasing your inclines. As you find your workouts are less challenging, generally every week to two weeks, increase the incline on each interval by one percent.^[6]
   
   • Your workouts should raise your heartrate but not cause you so much strain that it’s difficult to breathe or that your muscles lock up. If you find a workout is too intense, dial it down.
3. Vary your intervals. Create variation and mimic the impact of running hills by varying your incline and speed. Go from high inclines to relatively flat ones and then back to greater inclines, and adjust your speed as necessary to keep your heartrate up. Some treadmills have a built in function for such a workout, but if you’re planning one on your own, you could try:^[7]
   
   • Half a mile (0.8 km) at nine percent
   • 0.75 (1.2 km) mile at four percent
   • A mile (1.6 km) at eleven percent
   • Half a mile (0.8 km) at fifteen percent
   • 0.25 (0.4 km) mile at two percent

EditWalking Uphill

1. Start with a gradual incline. A steady uphill walk or jog is a well-regarded way to help build muscle strength, especially for those who are just starting to strength train or those recovering from injury. Start with a gradual incline to help build your leg and core muscles. ^[8]
   
   • Warm up for five minutes by walking at a brisk pace with no incline.
   • Set your incline to something gradual to start, generally no more than about eight percent.
   • Walk consistently at that incline for 25 to 35 minutes.
2. Raise your incline. As you build your lower body muscles, you can start to increase your incline. Go up gradually as you feel your workouts become easier. Try to avoid increases larger than two percent at a time to avoid fatiguing your muscles.^[9]
   
   • The steeper the walk, the more challenging for your muscles. You should feel your muscles getting tired, but not to the point where you cannot continue to walk or fail to properly support your body weight once your workout is finished.
3. Add resistance. You may opt to wear a weight belt or ankle weights, or carry small hand weights as you walk to add resistance and build greater strength. Weight belts and ankle weights are good for engaging the core and increasing overall resistance, while hand weights can help you strengthen and tone your arms.^[10]
   
   • Always be careful when using weights during an aerobic exercise. Make sure ankle weights and belts have a quick release option, and do not use hand weights that you cannot easily pick up and move.
   • Also, keep in mind that wearing ankle weights is like putting a load at the end of a long lever, which is your arm or leg. This can strain your joints and cause serious joint injuries or muscle, tendon, or ligament strains and tears. Do not wear ankle weights or carry dumbbells for longer than one minute. Take them off after one minute and take a break before putting them back on.

EditWarnings

• Always consult a doctor before starting an intense workout routine or making major changes in your diet and training plans.
• Avoid using your treadmill as a prop for exercises such as pullups or dips unless you are working closely with a certified personal trainer.

EditSources and Citations

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