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Categories: Bigger Stronger Leaner

Tip: The 10-10-10 Treadmill Sprint Workout

Too hot to sprint outside? Too cold? No worries. Head to the gym. This workout is so intense you won't have much time to care that you're on a cardio machine.

What You'll Need

Any treadmill that can provide at least a 10% graded incline.

  1. Start by standing with your feet on the outside edges of the treadmill (not on the belt). Set the machine on a 10% incline and a speed 1-3 miles per hour faster than what you normally jog. If you normally jog at 6 mph, start the program at 7-9 mph. Let the treadmill build up to your desired speed and incline.
  2. Once the treadmill is humming at full-speed, jump on and sprint for 30 seconds. As soon as you finish, grab the sides and jump back onto the non-moving part of the deck.
  3. Rest for 30 seconds, repeating this cycle for ten "reps" or rounds.
  4. With each round, try to increase the speed of the belt until you're able to achieve 10 rounds at 10 miles per hour at 10% incline.

Remember that after every 30-second sprint, you rest 30 seconds. As an example, a build-up workout might look something like this:

Rep Speed Incline Sprint
1 7.0 mph 10% 30 sec.
2 7.0 mph 10% 30 sec.
3 7.5 mph 10% 30 sec.
4 7.5 mph 10% 30 sec.
5 8.0 mph 10% 30 sec.
6 8.5 mph 10% 30 sec.
7 9.0 mph 10% 30 sec.
8 9.5 mph 10% 30 sec.
9 10 mph 10% 30 sec.
10 10 mph 10% 30 sec.

Then, at your next workout, increase the speed by .2 mph (that's point two mph, not two) for each rep, trying to get up to full-speed early in the reps.

A great twist on this challenge that uses the same time intervals – 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off – is the 30-30-10 Treadmill Push Challenge. In this variation, instead of sprinting on a moving belt, you push against a static belt when the treadmill is off.

Simply step onto the belt, place your hands on the front handles of the display, and start pushing as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat until you make it to 10 rounds.

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