Slope on Treadmills
Good treadmills have a lever that raises the front end to
simulate running up hills, because running on level ground does not
do much to strengthen your upper leg muscles. Running strengthens
primarily your lower leg muscles. You stress your upper leg muscles
significantly only when you run up hills. Each one percent increase
in the elevation angle on your treadmill requires four percent more
energy.
Serious runners train by running intervals. They run a short
distance very fast, rest and then run very fast again. A typical
workout could be to run four half-mile repeats, averaging two
minutes each, with a slow one-eighth mile jog between each run.
If you run a half mile on level ground in three minutes, you will
run three minutes and eight seconds on a one percent incline, or
eight seconds slower. Runners can expect slower times when they run
up hills, but they will strengthen their upper legs.
Checked 9/29/08