Several of you sent in enthusiastic messages and comments after the last treadmill workout I posted, saying it was "harder than it looks on paper," but also raving about the challenge and vowing to work up to the advanced-level options in the 30-minute cardio routine.
Your response was, in a word, Badass. I mean, THAT is the spirit of this Badass Army: Finding a new challenge and deciding, "I am going to conquer this. Maybe not today, but I'm going to keep at it until I master it."
Lots of people hate the treadmill. They'd rather do sprints on a track or vary their pace out on the pavement to mix up their routine. I've done it myself when training for the marathon or even 15Ks and 5Ks. It's a great way to torch calories and built strength and endurance.
But the treadmill, even for outdoor junkies, offers you the chance to create inclines you might not be able to find outside and to easily measure and track -- and push -- your speed. So I am giving you Badasses a new treadmill workout, this one a pyramid that has you starting flat and at a moderate speed, then gradually inclining the "road" while picking up the pace, before going back down the other side of the pyramid.
I do the cycling equivalent of this in my Spinning classes - it gets the heart rate up and really works the legs. It's a compact, but intense 30-minute cardio blast. Give this one a whirl, and tell me what you think. I just did this one a few days ago, and holy glutes!
Also, I'm including a new mix I put together to keep your head boppin' while your quads are pumpin'.
As with all of these workouts, know thyself and don't be afraid to start at a lower speed and incline at first if that's where your heart and legs tell you to be. You will work your way up in no time! And if this feels too easy, boost the speed and/or incline so that it is challenging. Now get to work!
Badass Treadmill Pyramid
- 4 minutes: Warmup, jogging pace, incline at zero
- 2 minutes: Incline at 1.0, pace at 6.0
- 2 minutes: Incline at 1.5, pace at 6.2
- 2 minutes: Incline at 2.0, pace at 6.4
- 2 minutes: Incline at 2.5, pace at 6.8
- 2 minutes: Incline at 3.0, pace at 7.0
- 2 minutes: Incline at 3.5, pace at 7.0
- 2 minutes: Incline at 3.5, pace at 7.3
- 2 minutes: Incline at 3.0, pace at 6.8
- 2 minutes: Incline at 2.0, pace at 6.4
- 2 minutes: Incline at 1.5, pace at 6.2
- 2 minutes: Incline at 1.0, pace at 6.0
- 4 minutes: Cooldown, incline at zero and jogging pace
Badass Pyramid Mix
- Meet me Halfway (CPR Dance Remix), IndyQ
- Music, Madonna
- White Shadows, Coldplay
- TiK ToK, Ke$ha
- Fighter, Christina Aguilera
- Eye of the Tiger, Survivor
- C'Mon n Ride It (The Train), Quad City DJs
- Walk This Way (Workout Mix), The Workout Heroes
- Rehab (ARA Mix), Power Music Workout
- Morning After Dark, Timbaland
- Bust a Move, Young MC
- Ecstasy, Rusted Root
Coming up: Brace your Badasses and bust out your penance beads for the post-Super Bowl Friday Confessional...
