Home› General Training Discussions

Treadmill incline?

mcohenmcohen
in General Training Discussions

I have a general question re: at what incline should I have my treadmill set when I am running indoors? I tend to run almost always by pace and not by heart rate. Obviously there is a big difference in effort as the incline goes up. I am wondering what most people tend to have the treadmill set at when they run. I tend to run at 2% most of the time but am wondering if that is too much or too little given the parameters of the EN ideal. I am in the Nov. OS. Does the answer change depending on whether we are doing OS v. race training? Thanks for any thoughts. 

Comments

  • robin sarnerrobin sarner

    There is a recent thread on this.

    1-2 % simulates outdoor running.          Of course for intervals you might want to do some "hills".

    Hi to Eau Claire.    did my medical residency there.     Some of your running should be cross country skiing?

  • MattAaronsonMattAaronson
    I set it at 1.5%.
    I've always heard people say "between one and two percent" (e.g. Robin above!), so I've always picked the middle.
    Interestingly I have a much harder time on the treadmill compared with outdoors, and I find it works my hamstrings harder...maybe that has to do with the incline.
  • Joseph LombardiJoseph Lombardi
    .5% there is no need to be higher. None. Work was done and demonstrated that the cost of wind is only a factor at speeds of 5min/mi. or faster.
  • Joseph LombardiJoseph Lombardi
    Also setting it at 2% results in an altered stride/form....

    Note: I'm not saying there isn't some benefit to you of the incline...only that it is not necessary.
  • astokes30astokes30
    Inteersting...Running Times (Dec 2011) just had an article on this and the final verdict in a study that was done was...slower than 8:30 there is really no difference. 8:30-5:2? 1% was just right. No need to go higher than 1% unless you are running faster than 5:20s! With that being said, I always have mine at 1% unless I'm doing hill repeats. I do oscillate between 1% and 2% on some runs for variety.
  • jritterjritter

     I set mine at 1% and follow the guidelines on hillrunner.com 

  • ccotstanza12ccotstanza12
    I always set the treadmill at 1.5% for the same reasons Matt mentioned. I don't really have issues running outside except with actual hills come the spring.

    Along the same lines, I don't have a foot pod with my garmin, so I am left to use the pacing numbers from the treadmill...I realize this is not the most accurate of measurements, but it's what I have right now. I use hillrunner.com to check my pacing at the 1.5% incline so I don't kill my legs by pushing 10-15 sec faster/mile. I do notice if I should be running a 8:00 min/mi, I usually need to bump it down a gear to where the pace will say 8:06 according to hillrunner. I mention this because it really does make a difference for me as to whether I can hold my paces based on a more accurate pace that accounts for incline on the treadmill.
  • mcohenmcohen
    Thanks for the info everyone.
  • Al TruscottAl Truscott
    Another thing to consider when setting the incline is how high (or low) you have on your shoes. "Minimalist" shoes with lower heels may require less incline. I set the machine @ 0.5%. Any steeper, and I start to feel to stretched.
  • Joseph LombardiJoseph Lombardi

    Not to "run this topic into the ground" no pun intended...but I am someone who actually really enjoys running on the treadmill and have found it particularly useful for doing strictly measured high quality workouts...the other reason that I like the treadmill and have found it particularly useful is for observing and improving my own running form. I always use the same treadmill at my gym and it is in a corner with full lenght mirrors in front and on the side...this allows me to watch, monitor, correct everything from foot strike, stridlenght, arm position, forward and lateral lean/aspects...etc.  am now also going to film my foot plant at different speeds....;

    Over time this has helped me first make running on the treadmill closer to outside (ie. correcting for running too upright etc. on the TM)...and then to improve my overall running form which I believe has had as much impact on improving my running efficiency as my workouts themselves...

    Anyone else find this or do this?

  • Marc RobardsMarc Robards
    @Joseph: I too enjoy treadmill running because I get instant feedback on changes in my form from the mirrors. I feel like I get at least as good of a workout as outside, though it does help using the same treadmill every time. My treadmill record is currently at 19.2 miles, but I'm itching to do a marathon on it Karnazes-style.
Sign In or Register to comment.