Why Athletes Use Treadmills

Are you looking to get a stronger, leaner, and more defined physique? Look to your favorite athletes for one of the most powerful tricks in the game…also known as the treadmill. It’s no secret that athletes have been using treadmills for years. Whether it’s basketball, baseball, football, or tennis, athletes are constantly moving, and in most cases, they need to move fast – which is where the treadmill comes in. The treadmill is a perfect way to train the body to stay strong, tough, and injury-free. Read on for more about how athletes use the treadmill to train.

To start, the treadmill is a great way to teach and learn proper running mechanics. Running is an integral part of nearly every sport out there, so it’s important that athletes are doing it right. Because most athletes are visual learners, placing a treadmill in front of a mirror will help them see what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. In addition to seeing themselves hard at work, a coach will often stand next to the treadmill and provide verbal feedback so athletes will hear how to correct their movements and techniques. Hearing these cues will make it easier for them to make improvements on the court, field or track.

Next, the treadmill is an outstanding way to increase explosive power. Running on a hill improves power, but running uphill on a treadmill can be even more effective because it won’t slow down! A treadmill forces an athlete to run at a consistent speed along with the treadmill belt, and from a training perspective, this is an amazing tool to improve power and keep the player moving at a brisk speed.

Last but definitely not least, treadmill training programs help with precision. These programs prove that speed, duration, and power can all be controlled, showing an athlete the power output per unit body weight that he/she will need to produce at each speed and grade.

According to Stack.com, the below treadmill workouts will get you training like a pro in no time.

Workout 1

To increase speed, athletes should perform short and intense workouts that feature intervals between 5-15 seconds. Anything shorter will make it harder to get to your top speed, and anything longer may affect your form.

• Set your treadmill to 75% max speed.
• Sprint for 5-10 seconds and rest for 20-30 seconds.
• Repeat for specified reps and add .5 to 1 mph between sets.

Complete 2-5 reps with 2-minute rests between sets.

Workout 2

Running on a treadmill decreases stride length and ground contact time. Since there’s a belt pulling your legs, you won’t need to put as much force into the ground to move forward – this is an issue since a longer stride typically means more speed. Instead, it’s recommended to set the incline to at least 1%. This will force your legs to put more power into the ground and increase your stride length, too. Start with a lower incline, and increase it slowly as you move forward in your training.

• Set your treadmill to 75% max speed at a 1% incline and jog for 1-2 minutes.
• Increase the incline to 6-7% and adjust the speed to 75-80% max, running for ¾ of a mile.
• Decrease the incline to 1 or 2% and jog for 1-2 minutes.
• Increase your incline to 8% and adjust the speed to 85-90% max, running for ½ mile.
• Decrease the incline to 1 or 2% and jog for 1-2 minutes.
• Increase the incline to 10-12% with a speed of 100% max, and run for ¼ mile.
• Decrease the incline to 1-2% and jog for 1-2 minutes.

Complete 1-5 reps and do not allow your form to break.

Remember when Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles tendon? Of course you do – it made nationwide news. Well, what you may have not seen on TV were the ways Kobe rehabbed his injuries. Kobe shared a video of himself running on an anti-gravity treadmill, and while it’s tough to see exactly what’s going on, you can clearly see he’s making progress. Check out the video here, and while you’re at it, be sure to watch this video of NFL star Chad Johnson running 24 miles per hour at a slight incline – it’s absolutely insane! These are just 2 major sports stars who use the treadmill during their off time – others include Lebron James, David Beckham, Pau Gasol, James Rodriguez, and more.