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Orangetheory Treadmill Workout

This Orangetheory Treadmill Workout Will Get Your Heart Rate Up and Leave You Drenched


Before I joined Orangetheory Fitness a couple years ago, I thought running on the treadmill was incredibly boring. Sure, I'd slog through the 30 minutes, but I rarely increased my speed or pushed myself; it's no wonder my endurance didn't improve. At Orangetheory, however, I push myself to go faster and get my heart rate up thanks to the structured intervals during the treadmill portion of the class.

And when I can't make it to the studio to get my fix of hitting the orange zone and earning my Splat points, I still want that intensity when I run on the treadmill on my own. To get a sample of what a treadmill workout from Orangetheory feels like, POPSUGAR tapped OTF coach Tim Brown, ACE, regional fitness director for Missouri, who gave us this 23-minute running workout.

Orangetheory uses three paces for running: your base pace, which is a comfortable speed you could keep for the full class if you had to; your push pace, which is about 1 to 2 mph faster than your base pace and gets your heart rate up; and your all out pace, which reaches your max heart rate and is 2 or more mph faster than your base pace. There are also different levels for joggers and runners: joggers usually start around 4.5 to 5.5 mph for base pace while runners start at 5.5 mph or higher. Of course, these numbers are just a guideline; you can determine your overall comfort level and limits, which may mean taking it slower or pushing yourself to go faster.

This workout should be done at a 1.0 incline for each block. Tim also recommends starting with two to three minutes of walking at 3 to 4 mph and walking for another minute in between blocks (this minute is factored in Block 2 chart below). Once you're done with your workout, you may need to walk on the treadmill (3 mph) for an additional two to three minutes to cool down. Although not required, it would be helpful to use a wearable heart rate monitor, such as the OTbeat Burn, to track your heart rate and make sure you're hitting the percentages listed below.


Block 1: Distance Running (11 Minutes)

Time OTF Pace Heart Rate
% of Max
Jog Speed
(MPH)
Run Speed
(MPH)
0:00-2:00 Base 61-70 4.5-5.5 5.5 +
2:00-5:00 Push 84-91 5.5-7.5 6.5 +
5:00-7:00 Base 61-70 4.5-5.5 5.5 +
7:00-10:00 Push 84-91 5.5-7.5 6.5 +
10:00-11:00 All Out 84 + 6.5 + 7.5 +


Block 2: Speed Running (12 Minutes)

Time OTF Pace Heart Rate
% of Max
Jog Speed
(MPH)
Run Speed
(MPH)
11:00-12:00 Walk 50-61 3.0-4.0 3.0-4.0
12:00-13:00 Base 61-70 4.5-5.5 5.5 +
13:00-14:00 Push 84-91 5.5-7.5 6.5 +
14:00-15:00 Base 61-70 4.5-5.5 5.5 +
15:00-16:00 Push 84-91 5.5-7.5 6.5 +
16:00-17:00 All Out 84 + 6.5 + 7.5 +
17:00-18:00 Walk 50-61 3.5-4.5 3.5-4.5
18:00-19:00 Base 61-70 4.5-5.5 5.5 +
19:00-20:00 Push 84-91 5.5-7.5 6.5 +
20:00-21:00 Base 61-70 4.5-5.5 6.5 +
21:00-22:00 Push 84-91 5.5-7.5 6.5 +
22:00-23:00 All Out 84 + 6.5 + 7.5 +


Walk for two to three minutes to cool down.

Image Source: Getty / spyderskidoo
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