Continuous and Interval Treadmill Workouts

Continuous training is what the vast majority of runners perform when they step on their treadmills. It’s one the best ways to build a solid aerobic base on which to build more specific types of fitness. It’s also one the easiest types of training when it comes to monitoring your heart rate. Essentially, it involves running a set pace, usually for 20 to 45 minutes.

Interval training is much more demanding. It consists of shorter bouts of activity performed in quick succession and at a higher intensity. For example suppose you know can run 3 miles in 20 minutes flat. You could break the 3 miles up into 6 half mile intervals and aim to run each interval in 3 minutes… a pace you wouldn’t sustain running 3 miles continuously.

The intensity of a continuous training session should ideally be dictated by your heart rate. As a rule of thumb you should aim for a target heart rate zone of 70% to 80% of maximum heart rate (maximum heart rate is calculated by subtracting your age in years from 220).

With interval training you can afford to push the intensity of each interval up slightly. Your target heart rate might be 75% to 85% maximum. Of course this varies with the length of each interval.

Sample Continuous Training Session

  • Warm up – 10 minutes light jog or walk at approximately 50% to 60% maximum heart rate.

  • Workout – 20 to 45 minutes at a pace that corresponds to 70% to 85% maximum heart rate. For example, a 50 year old has a maximum heart rate of 170bpm (220-50). Their target zone ranges from 119bpm to 136bpm (70% - 80% of 170).

  • Cool down – 10 minutes light jog or walk at approximately 50% to 60% maximum heart rate.

    Sample Interval Training Sessions

    Basic Intervals
    This is as straight forward as interval training gets. Feel free to change the distance and number of intervals based on your fitness level.

  • Warm up – 10 minutes light jog or walk at approximately 50% to 60% maximum heart rate.

  • Workout – Run 0.5 miles at the highest pace you can maintain. Rest for 3 to 5 minutes and repeat. Complete a total of 6 to 10 intervals making a note of your total running time i.e. how long it has taken you to run 6 half miles not including rest time.

    Don’t use heart rate to dictate the pace at first because unless you are well conditioned you won’t sustain half a mile at 80% of your maximum heart rate. Just run at a pace you think you can maintain. Aim to reduce your total running time each session but try to keep each interval the same pace rather than trying to run the last half mile as fast as you can. As you get fitter you can add extra intervals.

  • Cool down – 10 minutes light jog or walk at approximately 50% to 60% maximum heart rate

    High Intensity Intervals
    This session requires you to use rate of perceived exertion which very easy. We'll use a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being very, very easy and 10 being all-out, maximal exertion. Be warned this routine although short at 20 minutes, is very intense. Be very careful running on the treadmill at high speed.

  • Warm up – 10 minutes light jog or walk at approximately 50% to 60% maximum heart rate.

  • Starting at a level 5 you are going to work up and down the scale of exertion for 4 cycles. Here's how it looks minutes by minute...

    Min 1 - Run at a level 5 out of 10. That might be a walk or a strong run depending on your fitness level
    Min 2 - Run at a level 5
    Min 3 - Increase the speed to a level 6 out of 10
    Min 4 - Increase the speed to a level 7 out of 10
    Min 5 - Increase the speed to a level 8 out of 10
    Min 6 - Increase the speed to a level 9 out of 10
    Min 7 - Decrease the speed back to a level 6
    Min 8 - Increase to a level 7
    Min 9 - Increase to a level 8
    Min 10 - Increase to a level 9
    Min 11 - Decrease back to a level 6
    Min 12 - Increase to a level 7
    Min 13 - Increase to a level 8
    Min 14 - Increase to a level 9
    Min 15 - Decrease down to a level 6
    Min 16 - Increase to a level 7
    Min 17 - Increase to a level 8
    Min 18 - Increase to a level 9
    Min 19 - Increase to a level 10
    min 20 - Decrease back to a level 5

  • Cool down – 10 minutes light jog or walk at approximately 50% to 60% maximum heart rate.



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