When it comes to developing stamina, the treadmill provides an excellent training option. With the right type of training program, it will allow you to develop your endurance, cardiovascular efficiency, lose weight, build strengthand overall stamina efficiently and effectively. In this article, we identify the best treadmill running workouts for stamina.
What is Stamina?
Most people think of stamina as being the same thing as endurance. Stamina is the ability to endure excellent repetition over time. As you can see, this is more than just keeping going. So building stamina includes doing excellent repetition of an event – in our case exercise – with letting fatigue break down your form.
When you are running on a treadmill you are in a much more controlled environment than when you’re running outside. As a result, you are better able to monitor your form in order to ensure that your form is on point.
There is a slight but important difference between stamina and endurance. Stamina is the ability for a muscle group to continue performing at maximum capacity and without loss of form, whether you’re training for weight loss or for overall fitness. Endurance training simply involves the ability to keep going, regardless of the quality of the action. So, building endurance is not so dependent on quality of exercise.
How to Train for Increased Stamina on a Treadmill
Before you even step onto the treadmill when training for stamina, make sure that your shoes are tied up nice and tight. You should also perform a good warmup that loosens your legs. Include a little bit of stationary cycling and some leg swings.
Before we get into what you should do to improve your stamina on the treadmill, let’s cover off what you should not do. Do not run for 30 minutes at a moderate steady pace as this will not improve your stamina. What you need to do, instead, is to challenge yourself with something uncomfortable that will push you out of your comfort zone. Treadmill interval workouts are ideal for this.
Good stamina treadmill workouts are short and intense, in other words a HIIT treadmill workout. That is because you cannot maintain the high intensity you need for an effective stamina workout for very long. Aim to spend around ten minutes on your stamina interval workouts, excluding warmup and cooldown.
Start with the treadmill on a 3.0 incline and begin a fast walk. Start at a level 3. After every minute increase the intensity by one level. Keep going until you are sprinting at Level 11. To make progressive advancement begin subsequent sessions at Level 4 and build up to Level 12.
While you are running you should focus on your running mechanics. Monitor yourself so that your form is as good in the sprint phase as it was in your earlier lower intensity minutes. Think about your breathing as well as the proper running mechanics. You should be getting a good arm pump and be at a slight forward lean. Drive your knees forward and make sure that your foot strike is on the balls of your feet rather than your heels. You want your entire body to be moving forward rather than going side to side.
When you are running on a treadmill you will be able to notice how efficient your movement is compared to running outside. As we mentioned at the outset, perfect repetition is the key to developing stamina, so this is a critical aspect of your development.
How to Master Your Treadmill Form for Stamina Training
The biggest mistake that most people make on the treadmill is that they run too close to the front of it. When you run that close to the console, however, you are restricting good running form. Your range of motion will be limited, preventing you from running with a natural stride.
Simply move back a few inches from the front of the treadmill. This will allow you to get a natural gait and arm movement in. You should also avoid looking down at the running belt when you are running as this will put undue strain on your spine, especially in the neck. Looking down may also make you feel dizzy.
In terms of foot strike, at a low treadmill speed it is ok to strike with your mid foot. However, with increasing speed, you should be striking with your forefoot. Be sure not to overstride when you are running. You want your foot to land underneath your body rather than in front of it.
In terms of posture, your body should have a slight forward tilt to it. This engages the strong muscles of the back and core to stabilize the body and help with shock absorption. Many people, especially those who run on a treadmill in a gym, have the habit of looking up and over the treadmill at a TV screen. This is not a good idea. Tilting your head back too much like this is bad news for your spine.
Keep your eye line on the top of the monitor and your head will remain in the right position.
When it comes to the positioning of your arms, the biggest mistake that people make is to swing their arms left to right across their center line. This is often done subconsciously as a way to preserve energy. However, this type of motion can lead to excessive side to side pivoting which can in turn create problems with your hips and spine.
Your goal should be to drive your arms parallel to your legs. Avoid the tendency to overswing your arms and keep your hands relaxed.
Wrap Up
The key to developing stamina when you are running on the treadmill is to do a cardio workout that is challenging, such as a sprinting workout. Just going for a moderate pace intensity 30 minute jog simply won’t cut it. The workout described above allows you to gradually increase your intensity until you hit the point where you feel like giving up is ideal. It is when you push just a little past this point, without sacrificing your form, that you begin to build stamina and endurance. So interval training is the key.
For most people healthy living is the goal, whether it be improving your stamina or to burn more calories, having a balanced meal plan is crucial. You will find healthy recipes on our site that you can use.
