Inclined treadmill and stairmaster
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Hi Everyone,
I have listened to the last few podcasts from Evoke Endurance. In several of the podcasts, Scott and the guests mentioned the huge benefit of using inclined treadmill and stairmaster for intensity training to boost speed. I wonder how practically this has been achieved. My personal experience of using these machines has been main around aerobic training. For intensity training, I found it super difficult to for example increase/decrease speed of the treadmill while running. For the stairmaster, many machines doesnt even have a speed option and one can only set the resistance level on the steps.
Also what would be a program on these machine looks like roughly? For example, would it be something like a twice a week running session on the machines where each session I set the machine 5% faster?
Thanks a lot advance for any advice.
Guang
It is my experience that the more you can control and monitor the intensity and measure the progress of high-intensity workouts the better will be your results. There is a reason professional road and track runners do their intervals on a track or at least on a course where they can control the pace. Same for swimmers and cyclists. The pace/power they use is determined as a percentage of a recent time trial, race, or test. This is not so common with mountain runners. I and one of our coaches, Jack Kuenzle, have used it to very good effect. Jack credits this type of training for much of the success of his 10-month-long string of FKTs. Tom Evans credits it with his last season’s success. Before that my skiers won multiple national championships and very strong World Cup results using a variation of this type of training.
You will give up a little specificity by being on a machine but the control and measurable progress more than outweigh that disadvantage in my experience. I have not done this on a stair master but will ask Jack to comment and see if he will divulge some of his methods.
On an incline trainer, you need first to establish “race pace”. With Tom I used a vertical km time trial at 25% grade. Others can use something analogous for their test. For XC skiers we used a 1600m roller ski time trial on a track. That way you know an all-out pace you can just barely manage. The training protocol involves building endurance at this pace by improving the aerobic support in the muscle fibers needed just below this pace. You’re increasing the size of the vacuum or aerobic capacity in those fibers. The protocol I have used with World Class long-distance mountain runners and World Cup Cross Country skiers is as follows: Use 95% and 90% of TT pace.
Warm up 10min flat run.
@10% 1200m @ 75% VK chk lactate
+ @15% 1200m 100% VK chk lactateWorkout @25%.
Using 95% and 90% of your VK avg pace.
5x 3min@90%+1min@95% continuous rest
2min break to check lactate
5x 3min@90% + 1min @95% continuous
2min break to check lactate.
10min cool down jog and hike at 5%
TOTAL OF 10 X 4 MINUTES WITH ONLY 1-2 MIN BREAKS TO CHECK LACTATE
Done 1 x every 7-10 days
Each workout. Very important: IF FEELING STRONG, REST, RECOVERED (If you don’t feel like this don’t do the workout. Take a couple more easy days.
To progress this series: In each workout you reduce the 90% time by 15 seconds and increase the 95% time by 15 seconds. By the end of the progression, you will be doing 1 minute at 90% and 3 minutes at 95%. Part way through Tom felt the paces were getting too easy and we increased them to 97% and 92%. You can also do another VK TT when you feel the training effect kicking in. Then recalculate the percentages. I’ve done it both ways.
This is a structured progressive training program that most mountain athletes are not accustomed to and some have pushed back against doing this. I have never in over 12 years of using this approach with a broad swath of elite athletes had this not provide outstanding results.
CAVEATE> This is for a very well-trained athlete with a high aerobic threshold. A time trial done on the same course at one’s aerobic threshold should give a time of about 90% of the race pace. If not you need more base training. Disregard this a warning at your peril.
Earlier in the base period, you will have done a block of Hill Sprints Start with very short (10-12 seconds maximum effort to teach your brain to recruit the most forceful fibers done on a very steep hill. between 6-10 reps with 3 minutes recovery. 1x/week We continue the hill sprints into this progression period. With Tom most weeks also included one steady state tempo effort or progressive distance run where the pace intcreases throughout the run.
I know this is a lot but you asked…….Is this as simple as going to a hill and running up it hard for a few minutes and repeating it several times? Not by a long stretch. But, have that big aerobic base before you start this.
I hope this helps the curious and high-level athletes.
Scott
Hey Jack Kuenzle here.
I second everything Scott said above. I do my efforts a little bit differently. I vary the length and speed of the working intervals a bit week to week. I focus on progressing one aspect of the workout each week (speed, time at intensity, decreasing rest, weight (if applicable)). I focus on keeping the speed flat across the workout or increasing speed across the workout. I consider having to decrease the speed of the machine during the workout as a bit of a failure. I am able to progress effectively like this, but I have a large history of training and estimation of how I am feeling and how much I am capable of (intensity wise) on a given day. Without this, or while programming for someone else, I would recommend using a more fixed structure like what Scott suggested above. How I structure speed work:
Longer interval work: Total time at intensity between 40 and 80 minutes. Intervals between 8 and 15 minutes. Rest intervals between 1 and 3 minutes. Fatigue is carried between intervals.
Shorter interval work: Total time at intensity between 16 and 22 minutes. Intervals between :30 and 6 minutes. Rest intervals between 1 and 5 minutes. Good recovery between intervals.
For 2022, I was training for ultra length efforts and only did the longer interval sessions. Based on Kilian’s success during 2022 with shorter interval work, I may implement the same for 2023. I did shorter and longer interval work in 2021. All of my speed work is on a treadmill (optimally 25% or steeper) or stairmaster.
To some of your specific questions, I never have personally seen a stairmaster where resistance is adjusted. Try and find one where speed is adjusted. I typically record speed in my log as SPM. Be sure to note the make of the machine as speed associated with each SPM can vary widely between machines. On a similar note, treadmills need to be calibrated. Speed can vary quite widely between machines.
On the adjusting speed issue, try hopping off the belt at the end of your working interval. Establish a personal standard as to when you increase the speed. I always increase the speed starting 5 seconds before the start of the interval. That 5 seconds is not included in the interval time. At the end of the interval, I just jump on the side rails and cut the speed.
Here is a log of all my speed efforts: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12AcYcLL83fpTt1e6a5nCatiwMC5l69325V-nbPVmsuA/edit
Hi Scott, Hi Jack.
Thanks a lot for the very detailed replies. I really appreciate it. I will give it a try at the end of this season.
P.S. learned a lot from you guys’ podcast. Keep up the good work!
Guang
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