beginning intervals on treadmill

[DaTruth]

Hey, I am starting to do cardio now. I used to do about 30 mins jog on the treadmill every day for the last month. Now I want to start doing intervals on the treadmill. My question is, should I start off with a tabata interval? Or something more like 30 sec on 30 sec off? And how many cycles, and sets? I have tried 30 work, 30 sec rest, but although I am exhausted afterwards, it feels like I could continue going on for more sets.

 

[RedNeckJiuJitsu]

When I do sprint intervals, I don't even think about the treadmill, because there'd be such a possibility of a fail moment for me in there.

You'd probably be alright with tabata sprints, like guerilla cardio (4 min warm up, 4 min 20sec on/10sec off sprints, 4 min cool down), and then increase how many intervals you do or how long your intervals are as you make progress.

 

[NoPain]

Well i dont think it matters where u sprint , i do it on the treadmill also .

most of the time i go like 30 sec sprint 100 % / 30 sec jog 50 % and repeat that like 10-15 times.

i do some slow jogging outside , but when i go hard my shins and lower back will hurt so badly .

my advice just build it up on the readmill , start with 30 sec sprint / 30 sec jog repeat it 6 times .

 

[gracie_barra**]

Hey, I am starting to do cardio now. I used to do about 30 mins jog on the treadmill every day for the last month. Now I want to start doing intervals on the treadmill. My question is, should I start off with a tabata interval? Or something more like 30 sec on 30 sec off? And how many cycles, and sets? I have tried 30 work, 30 sec rest, but although I am exhausted afterwards, it feels like I could continue going on for more sets.

IMHO , 30 minutes steady jogging on a tread mill is not a strong enough base to incorporate intervals. Back in HS wrestling a lot of us would build up to 3-4 miles at 7.5-8 min/mile pace on the track(which is really not that fast at all, a lot of top college teams can shit out 7 min miles on the worst days), before we started sprinting/intervals. And when we did do intervals we always did them outside on the track or on a hill. I would look at strengthening the base to a steady 8 min/mile jog for 3-4 miles on the track before I tackle intervals- but that's just me.

 

[lukey]

4 min warm up then 1 min on 30 sec off is what I do.

 

[Endo]

One minute on? You cannot seriously be pushing yourself to your limit then. My max is 30 seconds at a full sprint. That's giving it all I got and staying level with a very high speed, if not the fastest I can possibly go. Unless you are a professional sprinter, I'm not seeing it.

Try 30 seconds of just balls to the walls and then tell me you were keeping that pace for one minute.

 

[paolo27th]

It totally depends on what you are trying to work. Read the stickies at the top to get an idea. Also, remember, sprints aren`t something you use all the time. Twice a week, 3-4 weeks at a time is all you should be doing. And as someone said already you may want to run longer than 30 minutes before you consider doing sprints.

 

[48mpg]

doing all out sprints on a treadmill would be tough. even more so when you are just starting out. How do you know how fast to set it at when you are running at top speed? also you are stuck with the acceleration of the treadmill which, in my experience, is way slower than what you should be capable of on the street. also, realize running on a treadmill is quite a bit different than running on the street as far as how you stride.

 

[DaTruth]

Thanks. I just basically looked at the Jon Chamberg DVD and he has a bit on tabata sprints on treadmills. He says even if you bring in a guy off the street to start getting in shape that he would start with intervals and no jogging. Jogging is a "march of death" according to him. So for those who might be familiar with this type of training please give me some input.

Today I tried tabata intervals, so I did a 5 min warm up. Then did 8 cycles of 20 sec on 10 sec rest of 7.5pmh 10-incline. Followed by 5 minutes walk. Followed by 8 cycles of 20s work 10s rest at 8.0mph 10-incline. Followed by 5 mionutes walk. Followed by 8.5 mph cycles of 20s work 10s rest at 8.5mph 10-incline. Followed by 5 minutes walk. I was sucking in air pretty heavily at the end of the last tabata cycle.

 

[gracie_barra**]

Thanks. I just basically looked at the Jon Chamberg DVD and he has a bit on tabata sprints on treadmills. He says even if you bring in a guy off the street to start getting in shape that he would start with intervals and no jogging. Jogging is a "march of death" according to him. So for those who might be familiar with this type of training please give me some input.

Today I tried tabata intervals, so I did a 5 min warm up. Then did 8 cycles of 20 sec on 10 sec rest of 7.5pmh 10-incline. Followed by 5 minutes walk. Followed by 8 cycles of 20s work 10s rest at 8.0mph 10-incline. Followed by 5 mionutes walk. Followed by 8.5 mph cycles of 20s work 10s rest at 8.5mph 10-incline. Followed by 5 minutes walk. I was sucking in air pretty heavily at the end of the last tabata cycle.

I'm not sure what he means by no jogging , but I think he means the really long, slow granny jogs that go on for hours. Those of course are not necessary for combat sports. I would however seriously recommend that you

1. run on the track
2. not jog, but be able to RUN, at least 4 miles at a decent pace before you start sprinting

3. I would not recommend tabatas on a tread mill since those are supposed to be max effort runs and I mean, BALLS TO THE WALLS sprints where you do not pace yourself. The tread mill defeats the purpose by having a set pace which maybe way under your limit and it is also mechanically powered which is different from running on the track. If you do tabatas sprints right, you should feel like dying after the 4th or 5th and if done properly, should even be totally unfinishable on your first try. The reason tabatas work is because regardless of your fitness level you go at your max- without pacing. If you pace yourself, you are doing it wrong.

 

[DaTruth]

I'm not sure what he means by no jogging , but I think he means the really long, slow granny jogs that go on for hours. Those of course are not necessary for combat sports. I would however seriously recommend that you

1. run on the track
2. not jog, but be able to RUN, at least 4 miles at a decent pace before you start sprinting

3. I would not recommend tabatas on a tread mill since those are supposed to be max effort runs and I mean, BALLS TO THE WALLS sprints where you do not pace yourself. The tread mill defeats the purpose by having a set pace which maybe way under your limit and it is also mechanically powered which is different from running on the track. If you do tabatas sprints right, you should feel like dying after the 4th or 5th and if done properly, should even be totally unfinishable on your first try. The reason tabatas work is because regardless of your fitness level you go at your max- without pacing. If you pace yourself, you are doing it wrong.

You make alot of sense. Thanks. (no sarcasm)

 

[hovito]

Forget treadmills, find some good hills and hit those up.

 

[JoeMTL]

You can do Tabata on the treadmill with the incline really high. 20 secs on and 10 off. If you are doing them properly, after 8 sets you should have to lie on the floor from exhaustion when you are done

 

[DaTruth]

Forget treadmills, find some good hills and hit those up.

I live in the flattest area of Canada, and our winters are not exactly warm. I'll try that in the summer though, thanks.

 

[Machete Juarez]

with the threadmill, i'd do half or quarter mile intervals twice a week, increasing the number of sets every two.

 

[JRT6]

You can do Tabata on the treadmill with the incline really high. 20 secs on and 10 off. If you are doing them properly, after 8 sets you should have to lie on the floor from exhaustion when you are done

Agreed. Just hop off the belt during the rest instead of trying to speed up and down.

If you had to run distance before you could run sprints then football players everywhere would be fucked.

 

[pimpstrocity]

If your going to do intervals I'd rather be on a bike/elliptical where you are controlling the speed. If you want to run, i'd just do it on the street.

 

[Nick Kilian]

I have to say once I get in the weight range that i feel 'fit' I start the treadmill sprinting. I put the treadmill on the highest incline/highest speed and just do 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. by the 3rd one I need to do 30 seconds on 1 min off. I get 5 in. Each week I try to do one more and lessen the amount of 1 min offs to 30 seconds off. after about 6-8 weeks i can do a lot more. start small and work your way up.

I do feel a lot better for sparring and rolling when doing sprints. I am actually going to start them fairly shortly as my fight is in 2.5 months. It sucks it has to be the most mentally painful workouts I do

 

[gracie_barra**]

Agreed. Just hop off the belt during the rest instead of trying to speed up and down.

If you had to run distance before you could run sprints then football players everywhere would be fucked.

Football players couldn't last one round in an MMA fight or a 6 minute wrestling match.

 

[JRT6]

Football players couldn't last one round in an MMA fight or a 6 minute wrestling match.

The premise was you have to do LSD distance before training sprints. Football is just one of countless examples that makes that premise silly.