Before I joined Orangetheory Fitness a couple years ago, I thought running on the treadmill was incredibly boring. Sure, I'd slog through the 30 minutes, but I rarely increased my speed or pushed myself; it's no wonder my endurance didn't improve. At Orangetheory, however, I push myself to go faster and get my heart rate up thanks to the structured intervals during the treadmill portion of the class.
And when I can't make it to the studio to get my fix of hitting the orange zone and earning my Splat points, I still want that intensity when I run on the treadmill on my own. To get a sample of what a treadmill workout from Orangetheory feels like, POPSUGAR tapped OTF coach Tim Brown, ACE, regional fitness director for Missouri, who gave us this 27-minute running workout.
Orangetheory uses three paces for running: your base pace, which is a comfortable speed you could keep for the full class if you had to; your push pace, which is about 1 to 2 mph faster than your base pace and gets your heart rate up; and your all out pace, which reaches your max heart rate and is 2 or more mph faster than your base pace. There are also different levels for joggers and runners: joggers usually start around 4.5 to 5.5 mph for base pace while runners start at 5.5 mph or higher. Of course, these numbers are just a guideline; you can determine your overall comfort level and limits, which may mean taking it slower or pushing yourself to go faster.
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This workout should be done at a 1.0 incline for each block. Tim also recommends starting with two to three minutes of walking at 3 to 4 mph and walking for another minute in between blocks (these walking intervals are factored in Block 1 and Block 2 in the charts below), and cooling down with a couple minutes of walking (also factored in at the end of the chart). Although not required, it would be helpful to use a wearable heart rate monitor, such as the OTbeat Burn, to track your heart rate and make sure you're hitting the percentages listed below.
Block 1: Distance Running (14 Minutes)
| Time | OTF Pace | Heart Rate % of Max |
Jog Speed (MPH) |
Run Speed (MPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00-2:00 | Walk | 70 or below | 3.0-4.0 | 3.0-4.0 |
| 2:00-4:00 | Base | 71-83 | 4.5-5.5 | 5.5 + |
| 4:00-7:00 | Push | 84-91 | 5.5-7.5 | 6.5 + |
| 7:00-9:00 | Base | 71-83 | 4.5-5.5 | 5.5 + |
| 9:00-12:00 | Push | 84-91 | 5.5-7.5 | 6.5 + |
| 12:00-13:00 | All Out | 84 + | 6.5 + | 7.5 + |
| 13:00-14:00 | Walk | 70 or below | 3.0-4.0 | 3.0-4.0 |
Block 2: Speed Running (13 Minutes)
| Time | OTF Pace | Heart Rate % of Max |
Jog Speed (MPH) |
Run Speed (MPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14:00-15:00 | Base | 71-83 | 4.5-5.5 | 5.5 + |
| 15:00-16:00 | Push | 84-91 | 5.5-7.5 | 6.5 + |
| 16:00-17:00 | Base | 71-83 | 4.5-5.5 | 5.5 + |
| 17:00-18:00 | Push | 84-91 | 5.5-7.5 | 6.5 + |
| 18:00-19:00 | All Out | 84 + | 6.5 + | 7.5 + |
| 19:00-20:00 | Walk | 70 or below | 3.5-4.5 | 3.5-4.5 |
| 20:00-21:00 | Base | 71-83 | 4.5-5.5 | 5.5 + |
| 21:00-22:00 | Push | 84-91 | 5.5-7.5 | 6.5 + |
| 22:00-23:00 | Base | 71-83 | 4.5-5.5 | 6.5 + |
| 23:00-24:00 | Push | 84-91 | 5.5-7.5 | 6.5 + |
| 24:00-25:00 | All Out | 84 + | 6.5 + | 7.5 + |
| 25:00-27:00 | Walk | 70 or below | 3.0-4.0 | 3.0-4.0 |