The interval ladder workout I use to make treadmill miles fly by

If I’m being honest, I kind of dread the treadmill. I’m a runner who prefers to be outdoors, whether that’s on the trails or open roads. I like that the scenery and terrain change. The treadmill feels a bit too repetitive.

But over the years, chaotic travel schedules, sketchy weather and the occasional need to get a workout in when it’s no longer daylight have forced me inside.

To come to terms with the treadmill, I developed a structured workout that helps me stay mentally engaged and keeps the time from dragging on. I enjoy working towards that hard four-minute interval and then knowing that it only gets easier from then on.

On a physical level, my aerobic system is challenged by the effort and I get to work on foot turnover and speed. The efforts result in a rise in heart rate followed by a controlled decrease during recovery intervals. This develops both stamina and efficiency.

I recommend this session if you want to fit in quality work in less than 45 minutes, or feel the urge to do something a little spicy without being totally crushed. It’s a great way to maintain your current level of fitness or sharpen up the week before a race.

Try it and let me know what you think of it in the comments.

Treadmill interval ladder workout

The structure of this workout is quite simple. After a brief warm-up, you’ll gradually work your way up to four minutes of intensity while having consistent recovery periods between each intensity block. Once you reach four minutes of intensity, you’ll work your way back down and finish with one really intense minute.

The hard efforts should feel like you’re trying to run a fast 5K. You should feel like you’re working hard, but you should be able to maintain the same pace for the entire interval and feel in control.

You should truly be recovering during the recovery periods. This means an easy jog which could mean a small step up from walking. You want to make sure your legs and lungs are ready to push the next hard effort.

Warm-up

Five minutes of easy jogging with the treadmill set at 1% incline to better mimic outdoor running.

The ladder up

• 1min hard effort / 1min easy recovery
• 2min hard / 1min easy
• 3min hard / 1min easy
• 4min hard / 1min easy

The ladder back down

• 3min hard / 1min easy
• 2min hard / 1min easy
• 1min hard

Cool-down

Five minutes of easy jogging or walking.