Yes, running outdoors can offer a lot of mind and body benefits. The fresh air and scenery seem to have a lot more to offer than a treadmill that leaves you stuck tackling miles inside. However! This workout is all about also has its advantages. Case in point: You can tackle specific incline workouts that get you strong and powerful to handle all the hills you encounter outdoors—and in a controlled environment. No wind or cold to hold you back.

easy jog recovery Golden Rules of Strength Training, try these three treadmill incline workouts. Each one offers a new challenge that’ll keep your body strong and your mind engaged.

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Health - Injuries

⏱️ 50 minutes

Summer Running Gear high-intensity interval session tackling miles inside.

treadmill workout schedule for a high intensity interval training session

How to do it:

  • Warm up by walking Other Hearst Subscriptions
  • Run easy easy jog recovery
  • Run for 90 seconds at a 4 to 5 percent incline at a pace that elevates your effort to the Red Zone (hard effort, breathing vigorously, can’t talk); recover with a very easy jog at 0 percent incline for 3 minutes
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  • Run easy easy jog recovery
  • Cool down by walking Other Hearst Subscriptions

Trainer Tip:

The quality of your performance on the hill intervals depends greatly on the quality of your Undertraining: Causes and Solutions in between. Make sure to go slowly enough to get your breathing and heart rate down before you attempt the next hill interval.


Incline Tempo Workout

⏱️ 45 minutes

This is an effective combination of a tempo run and hill workout. It will boost your redline threshold and will teach you how to run hills by feel, a skill that will pay off on race day.

treadmill workout schedule focused on incline tempo training

How to do it:

  • Warm up by walking Other Hearst Subscriptions
  • Run easy for 8 minutes
  • Run 5 minutes at a 1 percent incline and at a pace that elevates your effort level to the top of the Orange Zone, To help you build that drive to Best New Balance Shoes
  • Jog or walk Other Hearst Subscriptions to recover
  • Run 5 minutes at a 2 percent incline and at a pace that elevates your effort level to where it was on the previous hill
  • Jog or walk Other Hearst Subscriptions to recover
  • Run 5 minutes at a 3 percent incline and at a pace that elevates your effort level to where it was on the previous hill
  • Jog or walk Other Hearst Subscriptions to recover
  • Run 5 minutes at a 4 percent incline and at a pace that elevates your effort level to where it was on the previous hill
  • Jog or walk Other Hearst Subscriptions to recover
  • Run easy easy jog recovery
  • Cool down by walking Other Hearst Subscriptions

Trainer Tip:

The secret to running this workout optimally is to tune into your effort level (or heart rate) and find the pace that puts you in the target zone on the given day. The pace will slow as the incline increases with each repetition.


Mindfully Long Incline Workout

⏱️ 50-60+ minutes

Power Hill Workout running mindfully, tackling miles inside building endurance.

treadmill workout plan focused on mindful running with specified paces and inclines

How to do it:

  • Warm up by walking Other Hearst Subscriptions
  • Run easy for 8 minutes
  • for 2 minutes Yellow Zone or Zone 2 for heart rate; after each mile, run 2 minutes at 0 percent incline, at a faster, but controlled Orange Zone (or Zone 3 heart rate) effort to simulate the speed of running downhill; then, run 1 minute easy (Yellow Zone) at 0 percent before moving on to the next rep
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  • Run easy easy jog recovery
  • Cool down by walking Other Hearst Subscriptions

Trainer Tip:

Adjust your speed to truly run easy on the incline. If you can’t hold the incline within the easy Yellow Zone, lower the incline percentage or powerwalk it until you build the fitness to do so. Ultrarunners train and race with run-walking to keep their effort at an appropriate level, and it pays off with energy conservation during longer runs and races.


Jog or walk for 2 minutes to recover

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