Treadmill Interval Workout from Hell

The follow-up to our now infamous first treadmill interval workout is here, and it’s badder than ever.  It’s been almost a year since our first treadmill interval workout hit the press but we heard you all loud and clear since then.
Hard didn’t even begin to describe it.  Brutal?  Getting closer. 
The original was just plain ridiculous.  It took many months of conditioning for some to even make it through the entire thing.  But you know what?   Those of you who stuck with it and made it an integral part of your training, realized just how good this workout was.  This realization made itself known in the form of tight tummies, round butts, and a lean, toned appearance.
We got to thinking, it’s about time we put together a proper follow-up.  After all, who can’t appreciate the simplicity of an entire workout consisting of just a treadmill.  No running around the gym, giving evil eyes to anyone who looks like they’re about to grab that exercise ball you’re just 3 reps away from running over to use.
Just you and a treadmill.
We’re sticking to similar goals here; massive calorie burn (>800), dramatically increased EPOC, boosted metabolism, and a great 1-2 day a week workout that can quite easily slide right in with the rest of your current fitness plan.  There’s a little twist this time however…

A Little Twist…

To really push things into higher gear, we’re going to do a little work in between some of our intervals.  This time, we’re combining explosive plyometric movements with the treadmill work, to deliver one of the most intense lower body workouts you’ve ever seen.  The combination of sprinting and jumping is going to do wonders for helping you build lean, shapely muscle across your lower body, while also ensuring your heart rate stays high, and your energy systems are depleted.  By pushing yourself so far from your normal resting state, your body is going to have to work extra hard to bring you back to that pre-psycho workout state.  This is where EPOC comes along and helps you continue to burn calories well after you leave the gym.
Real quickly, EPOC refers to the number of calories it takes to get your body back to that pre-exercise state.  The further from that pre-exercise state you are, the more energy (calories) it’s going to take to get you back there.
As I mentioned last time, the speeds are suggested guidelines. Of course many of you won’t be able to run this fast at first..or even after a while.  That’s okay.  The speeds I’ve listed are appropriate for an experienced exerciser with well-established endurance.

Treadmill Interval Workout Part II

Without further adieu, let’s get right into it….

• 0-2:00 – Jog at 5 mph
• 2:10-10:00 – Alternate running each .2 mile interval at 7 mph and 10 mph. 
• 10:10-12:00 – Lower speed to 3.5 mph, perform walking lunges, alternating legs.
• 12:10-13:00 – Run at 11.5 mph
• 13:10-15:00 – Lower speed to 5 mph
• 15:10-23:00 – Alternate running each .2 mile interval at 7 mph and 10 mph.
• 23:10-25:00 – Lower speed to 5 mph, perform side shuffles (think defensive stance in basketball)
• 25:10-27:00 – Turn around and shuffle, leading with the opposite foot.
• 27:10-30:00 – Alternate running each .1 mile interval at 7 mph and 10 mph. 

30:00-40:00 – PLYO TIME!  Hop off the treadmill and get ready to burn it out with some explosive jumping movements.  I want you to perform the following circuit for 5 minutes total:
10 squat jumps/8 Russian lunges/rest 30 seconds.
For the next 5 minutes you’ll be doing this circuit:
10 twist jumps/8  mule kicks/rest 30 seconds

• 40:10-42:00 – Set speed to 5 mph, perform side shuffles
• 42:10-44:00 – Turn around and shuffle, leading with the opposite foot.
• 44:10-50:00 – Lower speed to 3.5 mph run/jog backwards
• 50:10-60:00 – Increase incline to 15%, run/jog at 4mph

Coil up like a spring and EXPLODE during the plyo portion of this workout…

That’s it – all done.  Looking back at this workout, let’s check out what we’re doing here.  We’re putting you through some hiit sprinting for distance, which I always find to be a bit more challenging than going for time.  Next, we’re hitting your body with a fast side shuffle – something it surely isn’t used to.  We keep mixing things up with different movements and speeds before we get into the real wildcard - 10 minutes of back-to-back plyometric circuits.  Your legs are going to be jelly by this point, but keep going and make a conscious effort to EXPLODE through each plyo movement.  We’ll finish things up with a little more shuffling, backwards running, and finally, burning things out with a strenuous 4mph hike at 15 degree elevation.
This treadmill interval workout is going to absolutely destroy your legs.  You’ll probably have some serious soreness after this, so be sure to give yourself adequate rest before going back at it.  Remember, this workout is designed to max out your fat burning potential, improve your endurance, and help build picture-perfect lower body muscle.  When you need to step things up a notch, want a real kick in the pants, or really want to start making progress, give this treadmill interval workout.  Just remember to thank us as soon as you’re finished cursing us.