Hills pay the bills - even on a treadmill

Training Hills on the Treadmill

We all know that hills are essential for improving running strength, but how do we get the benefits of hill training on a treadmill and what is the right setting for a moderate incline? 

Treadmill benefits

Treadmills are an incredible tool for runners - offering a great way to simulate outdoor running while avoiding yucky weather, dark runs, traffic, and other distractions. As a treadmill fan myself, I’ve picked up a few tricks to help you make the most of your treadmill workouts, so let’s dive in.

In many of the Femmi programs, we incorporate hill work because of the incredible benefits hills offer. Not only do hills boost strength, but they also improve running form. When you run on an incline, you’re battling resistance (aka gravity), which recruits more muscle fibers, strengthening your body as you push upwards and forwards. And when you add speed to the mix? Well that my friend is a winning combo. You will be tapping into even more muscle fibers, intensifying the workout and building greater strength. It’s not just about getting stronger; the added resistance of hills also improves your running form. When you’re running fast uphill, your body naturally adjusts to maintain form - your stride shortens (which encourages a proper foot strike), and your arms and legs work in harmony to help you push you forward. This strengthens your form, efficiency, and posture, which will serve you well in both your hill workouts and regular runs.

How do we nail a hill workout on a treadmill?

I could go on about my love for hills (and trust me, I do), but let’s get to the real question: How can you set your treadmill for a moderate incline hill workout?

The short answer: set your incline to a gradient of 3-5. A gradient of around 3 is a good place to start for a moderate hill session, as this allows you to still maintain speed while benefitting from the added resistance. If you go beyond 5, it will become challenging to keep your pace up, and you might not get the same speed benefits.

Here’s a real world example

If you’re doing a workout like 6 x 20-second hill strides with a 1-minute recovery walk (as prescribed by Femmi), I’d recommend starting with a 3% incline. This will give you enough resistance to build strength and improve form while still allowing you to move at a decent pace.

As for the recovery period: once your stride is done, I suggest lowering the treadmill incline to zero, reducing the speed to a walking pace, and resting your feet on the sides of the treadmill (off the moving belt). To stay safe, hold the arms of the treadmill while you get off the moving belt and lift your weight up. When getting back on lift your weight off again and only get fully back on when you feel your feet catch up with the belt’s pace. This keeps things steady and ensures you’re not juggling incline and speed changes mid-stride.

Remember, hills really do pay the bills. And with the right techniques and settings, you can get the same benefits on the treadmill as you would outdoors!