Today’s treadmills offer incline settings ranging from 1% to the maximum of 15%. While most people are familiar with the lower inclination of 0% to 7%, higher levels above 10%, especially 15% leave us questioning a lot. Thus, if you also want to know more about the 15 incline treadmill and what you could get from exercising on it, don’t miss out until the end.
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What Is 15 Incline On Treadmill?
It is the elevation from the floor that results in a 15-meter increase for each and every 100-meter horizontal distance. In other words, the slope should have a tangential index of 0.15 from the ground.
If you’re running on a 15 percent incline treadmill, it’s equivalent to running on a very steep hill and would only be suitable for advanced athletes’ training. Any incline that is higher than 7% tends to impose excessive strain on your back, pelvis, and notably your legs, which could actually be harmful to your muscles. You can check our video below for more visual information about 15 incline treadmill.
What Could I Get From A 15 Incline Treadmill?
Stronger muscles in your lower body!
In case you don’t know, from the quadriceps to the glutes, incline walking stimulates more areas in your lower region. You’ll receive the most benefits from muscle training if you utilize a treadmill with a 15% inclination or higher. Obviously, stronger muscle means quicker running speeds.
How Many Calories Get Burnt Using A 15 Incline Treadmill?
According to a 2013 online post by the famous fitness instructor Dave Wavey, effort rises by 4% for each 1% increment in inclination.
In other words, while exercising at 3 mph allows us to eliminate 232 calories in 60 minutes, going uphills with an 15% incline at that same pace would end up with 140 more calories eliminated for a 60% rise in effort.
However, note that the figures also depend on your weight, your exercising time, and your workout speed. Below is an example of how many calories a 130lbs runner burns in 30 minutes while working out on an incline treadmill:
| Speed (MPH) | 0% incline | 5% incline | 10% incline | 15% incline |
| 8.5 | 391 | 526 | 615 | 708 |
| 7.5 | 338 | 464 | 550 | 630 |
| 6.6 | 300 | 420 | 482 | 558 |
| 6 | 270 | 363 | 420 | 482 |
| 5.5 | 243 | 326 | 392 | 432 |
| 5 | 216 | 296 | 362 | 394 |
How To Choose The Best Incline Workout Base On Your Exercising Goals
Knowing what you aim at will be much of a help when you’re exercising as each exercise brings significant and specialized results. Below, we’ll introduce some effective specialized exercises for specific needs:
Increase your stamina
Change the elevation to 2% inclination for an endurance workout. For 20 – 30 mins, exercise at a moderate speed (5.5 to 7 km/h, based on different exercising goals and personal abilities).
Rewards: Improves agility, stamina, and overall stance by strengthening postural muscles.
Reminder: Flex both arms around the hip and swing gently. Take short to medium steps only while keeping the spine straight with your belly tucked in.
Burn calories
Adjust the elevation to 2% inclination while walking at a pace of 5.5 km/h for 3 mins, then start raising the pace by 1 km/h or the elevation by 1 or 2 degrees and proceed for 2 mins. After 3 mins, come back to the initial pace. And afterwards speed up or raise the inclination for another 2 mins. For 15 to 20 mins, repeat the process.
Rewards: Intermittent exercise improves cardiovascular health, burns fat quicker, and accelerates fitness.
Notice: It is common to be short of breath while being at the limit of your capability, especially throughout intervals that requires excellent tempo.
Build up your muscles
Configure the elevation to 2% and exercise at a pace of 5.5 to 7 km/h for 5 mins, increasing the elevation by 1 degree each 2 to 3 mins. Repeat this step for another 15 mins.
Afterwards, lower the pace to 2.5 or 3 km/h and the elevation to 0. Then, for 30 to 60 secs, stay at the frontal bar and perform lunges (walk to the front and crouch the front knee to 90º), switching right and left legs.
Rewards: Incline exercising and lunges strengthen the glutes, quads, gastrocnemius, and leg region.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, now you’ve grasped all the information you need to know regarding the 15 incline treadmill. Although running on such an incline level could yield great results if you know how to do it, it tends to be the exercises for advanced gymmers and athletes.
If you’re a beginner and don’t know how to do it properly, training in such settings could harm your muscles and joints and even injuries, in the worst cases. Thus, we recommend training at a lower inclination and working your way up. Good luck!
Good day, readers! My name is Jason Gwinn, a 35 years old man who specializes in physical fitness. With 15 years of experience being a personal trainer, I will help you conquer the fitness challenges. Besides guiding you through my unique workouts, I can also help you choose the best fitness equipment to assist you in achieving your goals and exercise regimen.
