With the weather starting to shift to our typical, snowy winter, we have two options:

Either halt all cardio workouts and start all over again in May when it’s nice outside or bring our cardio workouts inside for the next few months to continue making progress.

Since you’re reading this article it’s safe to assume that you’ll be choosing the latter option, but where do you start? I’m sure you already know that simply jumping on a treadmill and hitting the big green “Quick Start” button is not only incredibly boring but also not the best way to reach your goals.

So, where do we start?

What you’ll find below are 3 basic treadmill workouts you can use immediately to continue making better progress whether your goals are to improve conditioning or overall fat loss.

Beginner Treadmill Workout - Walk/Jog Workout

If you’re just starting out with treadmill workouts, start with this simple interval based format to get your body used to the impact and stress of jogging.  

Set the treadmill to a 2.0 incline and alternate between 2 minutes of brisk walking with 1 minute of jogging x 10 rounds.

If this feels too easy, modify to 1 minute brisk walking and 1 minute jogging x 10 rounds.

Intermediate Treadmill Workout - The Pyramid

Start off at a brisk walk (i.e. 3.5 mph) and increase the speed by 1.0 every minute for 10 minutes. Then decrease the speed by 1.0 every minute for 10 minutes. Finish off by walking for 5 minutes to cool down.

Customize this workout by stopping the speed increases when you feel you’re at your max speed for 1 minute whether that means you go longer than 10 minutes or shorter than 10 minutes.

 Advanced Treadmill Workout - Metabolic Resistance Combo

This workout combines interval training on the treadmill with resistance training exercises to maximize your fat loss results in the shortest workout time.

Set the incline between 5.0-10.0 and speed between 5.0-10.0 depending on your fitness level.

Round 1 - 30 second hill sprint / 30 second Rest / 30 second Push Ups / 30 second Rest

Round 2 - 30 second hill sprint / 30 second Rest / 30 second Dumbbell Bent Over Row / 30 second Rest

Round 3 - 30 second hill sprint / 30 second Rest / 30 second Mountain Climbers / 30 second Rest

Round 4 - 30 second hill sprint / 30 second Rest / 30 second Plank / 30 second Rest

Repeat for 3 total rounds.

If this is your first time doing this workout, complete 1 round only.

These 3 treadmill workouts will be a great place for you to start and will absolutely enhance your fat loss results.

Not to mention it’s much more fun than simply slugging away for 30-60 minutes at the same pace.