The Treadmill Is Back! Workout Tips You Can Use at Home or in the Gym

— -- The treadmill is back! The once-monotonous machine is finding its groove again.

The machine is making a comeback in fitness classes, and celebrities including Heidi Klum, Shakira and Zoe Saldana are sprinting their way to great shape on treadmills.

Fitness experts Anna Kaiser, Alycia Stevenin and David Siik appeared on “Good Morning America” today to talk about the benefits of treadmill workouts.

Kaiser is a celebrity trainer and founder of AKT InMotion, and her new AKTread puts strength training choreography on the treadmill. Stevenin is master trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp, and Siik is an Equinox instructor and creator of Precision Running.

They shared the following extra tips that you can use at home or in the gym:

Kaiser’s Tips

Up and Over

Start walking on the treadmill at 3.5 mph with hands gripping on each handlebar. Lift your body into the air by putting all your weight on your arms, and straightening them completely. At the same time, move your legs in a running motion in the air, lifting knees as high as you can to your chest. Set your feet back down, take one step on the moving treadmill, and repeat the slow, controlled jumping motion with the opposite leg in front. Repeat this movement for 60 seconds.

Leg Lifts

Turn off the treadmill and stand centered. Using your arms for support, sit back into a squat position, crossing your right leg underneath your left. Stand back up to center, lifting your right leg up so your foot is against the left knee. Repeat 10 times on this side; switch sides and do 10 more reps.

Mountain Climber

With the machine switched off, put your arms on the front part of the treadmill with legs out behind you in a plank position. Then, slowly start running with your legs, moving the belt manually. If you start to speed up too fast, slow down your running to a more controlled, deliberate movement. Keep your tummy tight into your belly button, and be careful not to arch your lower back. Do this for 60 seconds.

Chest Pull-Up

With the treadmill switched off, sit underneath the handlebars at the top of the belt, and reach arms up to hold on. Bend knees and place your feet flat in front of you, shoulder-width apart. Using just your arms and abs, pull your entire body up toward the handlebars. Keep your tummy tight and be careful not to arch your back. Slowly lower back down the sitting position, controlling the movement completely with your arms. Do 10 full pullups.

Stevenin’s Tips

Here's a 20-minute treadmill routine from Stevenin.

Warm Up Section

5 minute jog at speed 5.0 - 6.0, incline at 0.0 (warm-up section)

Incline Run Section

1 minute: increase speed by 1.0, incline at 0.0

1 minute: decrease speed to 5.0 - 6.0, incline 0.0

1 minute: maintain speed, increase incline to 5.0

1 minute: increase speed to 7.0 - 9.0, maintain 5.0 incline

30 seconds: recover, walking speed is 2.5 - 4.0, incline is 0.0

30 seconds: increase speed to 5.0 - 6.0, incline 10.0

30 seconds: increase speed to 7.0 - 9.0, maintain 10.0 incline

1 minute: recover, walking speed is 2.5 - 4.0, incline is 0.0

Speed Run Section: incline is 0.0 entire time

1 minute: jogging speed of 5.0 - 6.0

1 minute: increase speed to 7.0 - 9.0

30 seconds: jogging speed of 5.0 - 6.0

30 seconds: sprint at 8.5 speed or higher

30 seconds: recover, walking speed is 2.5 - 4.0

1 minute: increase speed to 7.0 - 9.0

30 seconds: jogging speed of 5.0 - 6.0

30 seconds: sprint at 8.5 speed or higher

30 seconds: recover, walking speed is 2.5 - 4.0

30 seconds: sprint at 8.5 of higher

30 seconds: recover, walking speed is 2.5 - 4.0

1 minute: sprint at 8.5 of higher

30 seconds: recover!

Siik’s Tips

Form. Get away from the front of your treadmill. Also be sure to not swing your arms across centerline, keep arm drive parallel to legs. It counterbalances forces for a healthier back and hips as well as works your core into a tighter leaner stomach!

Incline. No need to keep sprinting on steep inclines, find a balance of speed and incline and keep fastest speeds on inclines under 6%. That's also what makes us unique. And you must do some incline as well as flat, for balance.

Recovery. Be diligent! Make your recovery as exact and meaningful as your interval, you'll do more work than everyone else.

Distraction. Do not be on your phone checking emails and texting. Put it down and focus on the workout. It will go by faster and you'll enjoy it so much more!

Consistency. Never give up the run. Amazing results in running come with consistency. Just 1-3 days a week can turn your entire fitness life right around!

Siik's “Lightning and Thunder” Routine

This two-segment run creates a serious “storm.” The ultimate goal in this run is to build speed in the first half, then stack on incline in the second half. It is called “Lightning and Thunder” because like every great storm, thunder comes after lightening. You will build lightning speed and then feel the crack of incline thunder. Speed grows gradually in the first and third segment.

Inclines range from 0%-5%.

Duration of intervals range from 60 seconds up to 90-seconds

Recovery periods get longer as intervals get longer.

SEGMENT 1

Duration: 13 minutes

Speed: ADD 0.3 mph to each interval after the first (arriving 1.0 mph faster in THIS segment)

Incline: 5% - 0%

Intervals: 60 seconds x6

Recoveries: 1 minute, moderate walk/jog

HOW TO: Imagine your fastest 60-second Sprint. We call that a PR. Simply start this workout exactly -2.0 mph slower than that goal and the challenge will be perfect. Note that we won’t actually hit that speed to start, and there is good reason!

SEGMENT 2

Duration: 15 minutes

Speed: Segment 1 ending speed, and remains constant on every interval

Incline: 0% on first 60 seconds of each interval than 1-5% for additional 30 seconds

Intervals: 90 seconds x 5

Recoveries: 90 seconds, moderate walk/jog

*THE REVEAL: This segment contains the “REVEAL”, which means that runners must start this segment with the speed they left off on in the previous segment (see example) but now extend all intervals to 90 seconds by adding an additional 30 seconds of incline, without slowing down! Lightning has struck, now thunder will roll!

This segment uses only one interval speed, but for the last 30 seconds you increasingly add incline 1-4%.