Easy At-Home Full-Body Treadmill Workouts
It's really no surprise that the treadmill is one of the most-used pieces of equipment in any gym or home setup. But most people use it just to walk or run without even realising what a gold mine it can be for full-body workouts. After all, using a treadmill for cardio is wonderful, but using one for cardio and strength training is even better. Here are some easy at-home workouts you can try out on your own treadmill, at your own pace. They may even transform the way you think about treadmills. In fact, it just might become your new favourite machine.
Walk Backwards
This is a very simple, easy way to start using your treadmill's full potential. Simply face the other way and put the incline on 5% and on 2.5 kph. Leave your hands on the support bars until you feel steady enough to walk freely. This really helps to target your quads. Want to push harder? Increase the speed or incline to make it more challenging.
Use Bodyweight
Who says you have to be on the treadmill the entire time? You can get an amazing cardio and strength workout by hopping off to do bodyweight exercises and then jumping back on for another burst. It's recommended to choose 3 strength exercises of at least 12 reps each, ideally 1 lower body and 2 upper body. Then do a 30-second sprint on the treadmill the 4th exercise in the circuit. Repeat this circuit 4 times and take note of your time to try beat it moving forward.
Add Weights
Using a pair of wrist weights and ankle weights can also be a simple and effective way to burn even more calories and increasing endurance. Wrist weights are safer to use than hand weights or dumbbells on a treadmill. These can cause an unhealthy spike in your blood pressure due to the tight grip you use to hold them. You could also drop them and cause injury. With wrist weights you can swing your arms wide and work out your upper body with ease while you walk or jog.
Try Resistance Bands
Few strength training tools are as portable and versatile as the resistance band. You can also work every single body part with a band when you're on the treadmill. Now that you are already getting a good lower body workout from your treadmill, adding additional resistance band movements throughout your workout can give you that extra benefit of working your upper body at the same time.
You'll want to start off with a lighter band and work your way up. You can sprinkle in upper body resistance movements like the Bow and Arrow, Chest Press, Rear Delt Flyes, Overhead Press, Biceps Curls and Overhead Triceps Extensions just to mention a few while you walk or jog on the treadmill.
Walk Backwards
This is a very simple, easy way to start using your treadmill's full potential. Simply face the other way and put the incline on 5% and on 2.5 kph. Leave your hands on the support bars until you feel steady enough to walk freely. This really helps to target your quads. Want to push harder? Increase the speed or incline to make it more challenging.
Use Bodyweight
Who says you have to be on the treadmill the entire time? You can get an amazing cardio and strength workout by hopping off to do bodyweight exercises and then jumping back on for another burst. It's recommended to choose 3 strength exercises of at least 12 reps each, ideally 1 lower body and 2 upper body. Then do a 30-second sprint on the treadmill the 4th exercise in the circuit. Repeat this circuit 4 times and take note of your time to try beat it moving forward.
Add Weights
Using a pair of wrist weights and ankle weights can also be a simple and effective way to burn even more calories and increasing endurance. Wrist weights are safer to use than hand weights or dumbbells on a treadmill. These can cause an unhealthy spike in your blood pressure due to the tight grip you use to hold them. You could also drop them and cause injury. With wrist weights you can swing your arms wide and work out your upper body with ease while you walk or jog.
Try Resistance Bands
Few strength training tools are as portable and versatile as the resistance band. You can also work every single body part with a band when you're on the treadmill. Now that you are already getting a good lower body workout from your treadmill, adding additional resistance band movements throughout your workout can give you that extra benefit of working your upper body at the same time.
You'll want to start off with a lighter band and work your way up. You can sprinkle in upper body resistance movements like the Bow and Arrow, Chest Press, Rear Delt Flyes, Overhead Press, Biceps Curls and Overhead Triceps Extensions just to mention a few while you walk or jog on the treadmill.
Train Right