Some runners are familiar with the term speed training or speed work. It is a type of training where speed is the dominant factor.
You run faster than usual at short intervals, making it easier to run faster in the next one. Short drills are famous for increasing the overall speed of the runner.
Types of Treadmill Speed Training
There are many types of speed training, and they have different names. These are high-intensity Fartlek, Tempo, Sprint, and Interval training.
Fartlek is a speed game for runners in certain types of speed training. They have different names, but each includes a sprint for a specific time and then a slower sprint such as cooling down and repetition.
You should add this speed training to your weekly routine unless you are familiar with running very short distances at high speed. It is challenging for the body, but it is a worth workout that will give you an idea of how fast you can run.
You want your body to get familiar with it quicker, and as such, there are changes to the cardiovascular system and the entire body that occur when you expose yourself to such stressing workout.
Additional Exercises for better result: Besides, consider weight lifting or weight training to increase speed. As you gain muscle, especially in your legs, you can work harder. Speed training on the treadmill also increases muscle mass.
However, if you want to optimize your results, weight training will help. Take a look at Usain Bolt’s leg size, and you’ll understand what this means.
Below is an outline of a variety of speed exercises that are high-intensity sprints and interval exercises. You can decide whether to use an incline or not but if you want to make it more difficult, do it faster.
First, you will need to add some speed treadmill exercises that are good to use and give you some variations and an idea of what you can do faster.
Speed Training Program for Beginners
Any speed work will make you faster, but sprints and interval training is the ultimate one. Below is an example of each of these forms of workouts. Remember that wherever you set the speed, set the speed that best suits you. People are all different and maybe fast for some and slow for others. The exercise spirit is a quick run and then a slower cool-down period, and that is what you should target to achieve.
1. Sprinting Treadmill Workout
The most important part of this training is the sprint. Go as quickly as possible to complete the routine, but eventually, you will feel exhausted.
You can increase the length of the cooling cycle if necessary, and you can even take longer before starting the next sprint. What is essential is to make sure that you finish the sprints and you feel warm.
Training example:
- 5 minutes warm-up to 6 mph
- Run at 20 km / h for 20 seconds
- Cool-down run at seven mph for 40 seconds
- Repeat 6 to 9 times or until you feel the exhaustion
- 5 minutes of recovery at 6 miles per hour
2. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
It is a little different from running because you run fast for a little longer, which is the nature of HIIT. You should feel like you’ve completed an intense workout, like the above sprint.
Again, the speed and duration of recovery depend on you and your natural running speed. Just ensure that this is your only exercise of the day, and so it has to be intense.
Training example:
- 5 minutes warm-up run at around six mph
- Run fast at 15 km / h for 40 seconds
- Cool-down run at seven mph for 50 seconds
- Repeat 5-8 times or up to exhaustion.
- 5 minutes of a recovery run at 6 miles per hour
After completing any of these exercises, you should have the feeling of exhilaration. Something similar to what you do when you do a long run, or some other workout pushes you to your limit.
They are the aspects that will bring new life into your exercise routine and keep you motivated. It is especially true when you discover how easy it is to run when you are racing at an average speed.
3. Fartlek Training
The Fartlek training comes from a Swedish word which means quick game. It combines endurance training and speed to help challenge yourself on all fronts. The Fartlek exercise forces your body to adjust to different speeds, while most activities focus only on one or two rates. Actual Fartlek training also involves continuous running. Recovery intervals should be light runs and then walking or complete rest.
Example workout:
- Jog at a light effort for 5 minutes
- Race for 2 minutes using moderate effort
- Sprint at high speed for 1 minute
- Run for 1 minute
- 1-minute sprint
- Race for 2 minutes
- Jog for around 5 minutes
- Repeat or cool down
The best thing with Fartlek exercises is that they target the effort, not pace, and so there is no pressure to maintain a specific speed each time you run.
Even slow running is difficult on some days, and some other days you may feel like you can fly. Fartlek training allows these natural variations without feeling uncomfortable with your pace.
4. Bodyweight HIIT
You don’t have to limit yourself to running or walking just because you’re on a treadmill. Season it by adding weight exercises between your walks or runs. Be creative: focus on a muscle group or carry out a full-body routine.
Either way, adding weight training to your treadmill routine will help you develop strength in your muscles apart from endurance which is essential for improving speed.
If you want to do a bodyweight HIIT treadmill exercise, stop running and do bodyweight exercises on the back of the treadmill. Depending on the crowd in your gym, strategic treadmill selection may be necessary, but it is doable.
Example workout:
- Easy 3-minute easy run
- 1-minute sprint
- 20 squats in the air
- Ten seat ups
- Five push-ups
- Repeat the procedure two to four times.
You can increase or decrease the repetition of each movement and the running duration at any time, depending on your fitness level. Ensure you choose the appropriate running shoes that will support your performance and help you achieve your goals.
5. Hills and flats
Nothing screams leg-burning than doing an exercise on a slope. Running and even going uphill have good benefits for fitness. It helps develop power and strength in the hamstrings, buttocks, quads, and calves. It also increases heart rate, creates core stability, and increases speed.
Training example:
- Warm-up with a short walk or jog for 5 minutes.
- Raise the slope to a higher level and walk for 3 minutes
- Lower the incline to the base level and run for 3 minutes.
- Repeat this indefinitely: go uphill three and walk on the ground for 3.24 minutes (four laps).
If you have running experience, you can take both the flats and incline intervals. Challenge yourself by running faster on the ground. The more you run or climb hills, the easier it will run on a flat surface. It is a great tactic when you are practicing for a flat race.
Speed Training For Athletes- Does it Helps?
Runners and athletes with experience will understand the benefits of practicing speed. Although athletes have a course that they can use and accurately measure distance, only a treadmill can show an accurate rate.
While people talk about athletic runners, athletes of all types of sports utilize a treadmill during regular exercise, which is generally more comfortable than outdoors.
You may need to have a treadmill or use the facilities of a gym that has several machines available. In many cases, people come in and exercise on a treadmill and then go home.
You will notice this in the sprints and then in the cool-down runs, and of course, you will know that they have a lot of experience and want to work at speed.
Speed training is an essential part of improving speed in many sports. As you train running on a treadmill, you can use many different calculations to determine what is best for your sports.
It includes the exact speed you require and the duration of the race. It is not possible to measure your speed on the running track, and so a treadmill is advisable as all the information you need is on the console.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, many exercises involve running, and the faster the speed, the better. You will like to speed train because it is a change in your regular running schedule. You will see and feel the results in a matter of weeks.
At week 3, your average pace may seem to be a light workout, or if you run outdoors, you will feel you can run faster, and your route will be over quicker. You will not feel much exhaustion if you do the same workout at a higher speed. In general, it is advisable to try out a treadmill if you aim to get faster.