6 Best Treadmill Exercises To Burn Fat
When you first start training then the treadmill is a novelty machine that makes cardio workouts easy and convenient. After a while, however, the “run on the spot” routine can become dull and drab, especially once your fitness levels start to increase. This is usually when you begin to crave more of a challenge and you want to burn fat faster because you know your body is capable of this feat.
A treadmill workout doesn’t have to be monotonous. With a little imagination and great determination, you can up the ante and turn what was once a plain old run into a session that not only torches fat but gives you a full body workout too! We dare you to try out the routines below and set your body up for the ultimate fitness challenge – here goes!
20-Minute Beatdown
We’re going to dive right in and start with one of our more challenging routines, the 20-minute beatdown! This is a 20-minute blood-pumping muscle-popping routine that requires strength training and a whole lot of stamina.
* Please note, this work out is not for amateurs!
Start by setting your treadmill to a running speed of 9/10mph so that you’re moving slightly faster than a jogging pace. The aim is to now alternate 1-minute runs in between 1-minute sets of chin-ups and push-ups. The goal is to do 5 sets of each exercise and 10 1-minute runs all in the span of 20 minutes. For example:
- Spend 1-minute doing as many chin-ups as you can.
- Run for 1-minute.
- Spend 1-minute doing as many push-ups as you can.
- Run for 1-minute.
Repeat this set 5 times i.e. 20-minutes.
If you need to rest or catch your breath in between, that’s OK, try your best and enjoy the workout variations.
GutCheck Hill Sprint
If you want to build muscular-mass and torch fat at the same time, then this challenge could possibly be the routine you need. Be warned, however, it’s gruelling!
Start by setting your machine to a 15% incline at 10mph. Jump right on and start running, staying on for as long as you can (max time). Do not stop until you simply cannot bear any more and then jump off. Rest on the side for 2 minutes before hopping back on for 10-second sprints with 20-second breaks in between. Repeat these 10-second sprints until your muscles start to tighten or until your body cannot take any more. Rest for 1 minute and then cool down with a 15% incline walk at 3-3.5mph for 12-minutes.
This routine can be summarised as follows:
- Sprint on a 15% incline set at 10mph for as long as you can.
- Rest for 2 minutes.
- Sprint at 10mph for 10-seconds at a time, with 20-second intervals in between.
- Rest for 1-minute.
- Walk for 12 minutes at 3-3.5mph while keeping to a 15% incline.
Well done! If you followed through with this workout from start to finish, you deserve a pat on the back followed by a protein shake to help you soothe your exhausted muscles.
The “Get Peeled”
Ready to peel away your fat layer for unrelenting layer? The “Get Peeled” routine is one of our quicker workouts that still burns buttloads of extra weight while keeping to a fun routine that also helps to build and tone muscles.
This regimen starts with varied push/pull-ups which are then followed by a 1/4-mile run/sprint. This way you can alternate cardio with strength training. The set is as follows:
- 15 pull-ups
- 20 push-ups
- 10 chin-ups
- 15 narrow push-ups
- 1/4mi Run
Repeat this set for another 5 rounds (so 6 in total).
This is an awesome routine that targets both your lower and upper body without putting too much strain on the body at any given time.
The 2-Mile Turn-Up
Ready to turn up the speed? While the 2-mile Turn-Up is a simple run routine, we feel that using distance as the variable for speed is enough to spice things up just ever so slightly. This is a full cardio workout that helps you to push the limits of fitness – taking you to new levels.
The aim of the game? Start out at a speed that is a comfortable stride for you. You then need to adjust your settings to increase by 1mph after each 1/4 mile. For instance:
The speed changes every 1/4mi: 7/8/9/10
As the first mile ends, start at your entry speed level once again and repeat the speed increases until you have covered two miles.
“Hill Sprint” Intervals
Running is one thing, but if you really want to get the fat burning as you strengthen calf and thigh muscles, then sprinting up an incline will do the trick. These “Hill Sprint” intervals allow you to do just this, and then some!
Set your treadmill to run at 7mph with a 15% incline. Carefully step onto the machine in mid-stride and sprint for 30 seconds. Now, rest on the sides for 30 seconds. Repeat this action for 3 more rounds (4 in total) and then lower your incline down to 12% and increase your speed to 8mph. Repeat this set for 4 rounds.
Continue these sets for 16 rounds in total by following this pattern:
- Set speed to 7mph with a 15% incline. On/off for 30 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
- Set speed to 8mph with a 12% incline. On/off for 30 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
- Set speed to 9mph with a 9% incline. On/off for 30 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
- Set speed to 10moh with a 6% incline. On/off for 30 seconds. Repeat 4 times.
Grab your water and gym towel because you’re going to need to wipe away the sweat after this one!
VO2 Challenge
This challenge is similar to the VO2 Max test used by American wrestlers to get their bodies into the ultimate shape as they build strength and stamina. While this is not an interval challenge, it certainly is an interesting one! Are you ready for this?
Start with your machine running at 7mph and set it at a 2% incline. Sounds easy, but here’s the catch! Keep the speed constant but raise the incline by 2.5% every 2 minutes. Stay on the treadmill for long as you can, pushing yourself to complete exhaustion. For example:
- Run at 7mph for 2 minutes at a 2% incline.
- Run at 7mph for 2 minutes at a 4.5% incline.
- Run at 7moh for 2 minutes at a 7% incline
- Continue to raise the incline by 2.5% until you simply cannot push yourself anymore.
Cooling Off
Remember that any gruelling workout should be followed by a 5-minute cooling down session. You can lower your treadmill’s speed so that you can enjoy a brisk walk or you can step off the machine to stretch and relax your muscles. End your routine off with a low-fat protein bar and a cold shower. Goodbye fat!
