Treadmill Interval Workout Builder (Printable)
Pick your reps, fast speed and recovery, and get every treadmill speed setting, the total session time and the distance. Start from a Japanese walking 3+3 or run-walk preset, or set your own running intervals, then print the plan.
Build an interval workout
Japanese walking 3+3
30:00total time
1.63miles
15:00 fast, 15:00 easy · average 3.25 mph
Fast at 4.0 mph (15:00 min/mile), recovery at 2.5 mph (24:00 min/mile).
See each stepYour treadmill interval plan
Japanese walking 3+3: 30:00 total, 1.63 miles (2.62 km).
| Step | Start | Do | Length | Belt speed | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0:00 | Fast 1 | 3 min | 4.0 mph | 15:00 /mi |
| 2 | 3:00 | Recovery 1 | 3 min | 2.5 mph | 24:00 /mi |
| 3 | 6:00 | Fast 2 | 3 min | 4.0 mph | 15:00 /mi |
| 4 | 9:00 | Recovery 2 | 3 min | 2.5 mph | 24:00 /mi |
| 5 | 12:00 | Fast 3 | 3 min | 4.0 mph | 15:00 /mi |
| 6 | 15:00 | Recovery 3 | 3 min | 2.5 mph | 24:00 /mi |
| 7 | 18:00 | Fast 4 | 3 min | 4.0 mph | 15:00 /mi |
| 8 | 21:00 | Recovery 4 | 3 min | 2.5 mph | 24:00 /mi |
| 9 | 24:00 | Fast 5 | 3 min | 4.0 mph | 15:00 /mi |
| 10 | 27:00 | Recovery 5 | 3 min | 2.5 mph | 24:00 /mi |
Distance = speed × time for each step; 1 mile = 1.609344 km. treadmillpacechart.com/treadmill-interval-workout/
How fast should the fast and recovery parts be?
No single speed fits everyone, so the presets use example settings you change. The CDC’s talk test describes effort levels: at moderate intensity you can talk but not sing; at vigorous intensity you can say only a few words before you need a breath.
The treadmill pace chart shows the pace for every speed.
Japanese walking on a treadmill (3+3 interval walking)
“Japanese walking” comes from interval walking training studied at Shinshu University. In a 5-month trial published in 2007, Nemoto and colleagues asked middle-aged and older adults to repeat 5 or more sets of 3 minutes of slow walking and 3 minutes of fast walking, 4 or more days a week. The slow minutes were at about 40% of each person’s peak aerobic capacity for walking and the fast minutes above 70%.
On a treadmill, the default above sets 5 sets of 3:00 at 4.0 mph and 3:00 at 2.5 mph: 30:00 and 1.63 miles (2.62 km). The study did not prescribe treadmill speeds, so these speeds are only an example. The study’s order was slow then fast; on the treadmill either order gives the same total.
Run-walk intervals
Alternating run and walk periods is often recommended to novice runners. In a randomized marathon trial (Hottenrott et al.), runners who walked for 60 seconds every 2.5 km finished in similar times to those who ran the whole way and reported less muscle pain and fatigue afterwards.
The run-walk preset uses the timings of NHS Couch to 5K week 1: a 5-minute warm-up walk, 1 minute of running and 90 seconds of walking repeated 8 times, then the rest of the 5-minute cool-down walk (3½ min, because the last 90-second walk already counts toward it). At the example 5.0 mph run and 3.0 mph walk it takes 28:30 and covers 1.69 miles. For a week-by-week walk-run plan, follow the beginner treadmill workout.
Treadmill interval workout presets
| Preset | Main set | Warm-up / cool-down | Total | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese walking 3+3 | 5 × 3 min at 4.0 mph + 3 min at 2.5 mph | None | 30:00 | 1.63 mi |
| Run-walk (Couch to 5K week 1) | 8 × 1 min at 5.0 mph + 1½ min at 3.0 mph | 5 min / 3½ min | 28:30 | 1.69 mi |
Distance, incline and calories
For running intervals, enter your own reps, fast and easy speeds and times in the builder. For any other mix of speeds and times, use the treadmill distance calculator.
For running at 5–12 mph and 0–10% incline, the treadmill incline calculator estimates the equivalent flat outdoor pace. The treadmill calorie calculator estimates energy for walking and running at a grade.
Treadmill interval workout FAQs
What is a good treadmill interval workout for beginners?
This page has two presets: walking intervals, such as 5 sets of 3 minutes brisk and 3 minutes easy (30:00 in total), or the first week of Couch to 5K: 1 minute of running and 90 seconds of walking, between 5-minute warm-up and cool-down walks (28:30 in total). The speeds are examples, not a recommendation. The beginner treadmill workout page has the full NHS Couch to 5K plan.
What speed is Japanese walking on a treadmill?
There is no single speed. In the 2007 Shinshu University study, the fast minutes were above 70% and the slow minutes about 40% of each person’s peak aerobic capacity for walking, which differs from person to person. The study did not set treadmill speeds. The default on this page (4.0 and 2.5 mph) is only an example.
Is 70% of peak aerobic capacity the same as 70% of max heart rate?
No. The study measured peak aerobic capacity (oxygen uptake) for walking. Percent of oxygen uptake and percent of maximum heart rate are different scales, so do not set the fast speed from a heart rate percentage alone.
How far will I go in a 30-minute interval workout?
It depends on both speeds. Japanese walking at 4.0 and 2.5 mph covers 1.63 miles in 30:00; distance = speed × time for each step, added together. Enter your own speeds above, or use the treadmill distance calculator for any mix of segments.
Should warm-up and cool-down be included?
The run-walk preset includes the NHS 5-minute warm-up walk and a cool-down at the walking speed. Set them to 0 to leave them out; the Japanese walking preset leaves them at 0 and counts only the fast and slow sets.
Sources
- Nemoto et al. (2007), Mayo Clinic Proceedings: high-intensity interval walking training in middle-aged and older people
- NHS Better Health: Couch to 5K running plan (week by week)
- Hottenrott et al. (2016), Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport: run/walk strategy in a marathon
- CDC: Measuring physical activity intensity (brisk walking and the talk test)
- NIST: revised unit conversion factors
Preset times follow the cited methods; speeds are examples, not medical advice. Distances use 1 mile = 1.609344 km (NIST). Updated .