Incline walking is a highly underrated booty-building tool that deserves a little more hype. Hip thrusts, squats and deadlifts often steal the spotlight as the best glute-strengthening exercises. And while their elite status is totally justified, incline walking is another (highly underrated) booty-building tool that deserves a little more hype.
Any type of walking helps improve many aspects of your mental and physical health, boosting your mood, sleep quality and heart health. But adding incline to your daily steps really zeroes in on building your booty, turning your walk into a strength-plus-cardio workout.
Walking uphill targets your hamstrings, glutes and quads without lifting weights. It can also help increase your lung capacity, which improves your endurance and cardiovascular health.
Try This 40-Minute Treadmill Walking Glute Workout:
Switch on your favorite TV show (or fiery playlist), ramp up the incline and get to work with this 40-minute treadmill workout.
As your incline walk gets tougher, incorporate some deep breathing, inhaling for two strides and exhaling for two strides. You can also increase your step pace as you increase your speed, leaning into your steps.
Part 1: 10-Minute Warm-Up:
1. Begin walking at an incline of 3.0 and speed of 3.2 for 3 minutes.
2. Increase your incline to 5.0 for 3 minutes.
3. Increase treadmill incline to 8.0 for 3 minutes.
4. Recover at an incline of 5.0 and speed of 2.5 mph for 1 minute.
Related article: 5 Exercises To Ramp Up Your Next Walk In The Park With This Fun And Effective Workout
Part 2: 15 Minutes of Speed Intervals:
1. Set your incline to 10.0 for the entire 15 minute interval.
2. Begin walking one minute at 2.5 mph.
3. Increase your speed to 3.0 mph for 2 minutes, followed by a 1-minute recovery at 2.5 mph.
4. Increase speed to 3.2 mph for 2 minutes, followed by a 1-minute recovery at 2.5 mph.
5. Bring the speed back up to 3.4 mph for the next 2 minutes, followed by 1 minute at 2.5 mph.
6. Again, bring the speed up to 3.4 mph for 2 minutes, then recover for 1 minute at 2.5 mph.
7. For the last speed interval, increase to 3.6 mph for 2 minutes, finish with 1 minute at 2.5 mph.
TIP:
As the workout gets more difficult, avoid the temptation to hold onto the hand rails of the machine. This can take away from the calorie burn and benefits of the workout. Also, avoid crossing your arms over your chest. Instead, keep your elbows in and hands relaxed.
Related article: 5 Yoga Moves For Runners To Rid Aches And Pains And Improve Your Run
Part 3: 10 Minutes of Increasing Incline:
1. Walk at an incline of 0, speed of 3.2 mph for 1 minute.
2. Ramp up your incline to 8.0, speed at 3.5 for 5 minutes.
3. Then, for 3 minutes, increase your incline to 12.0, speed at 3.2 mph.
4. Recover for 1 minute at an incline of 0, speed of 3.0 mph.
Part 4: 5-Minute Cooldown:
- For your cooldown, walk at an incline of 5.0 at 3.0 mph for 5 minutes.
Tip:
Once your cooldown is complete, hit the mat for some foam rolling and stretching for a complete recovery routine.
Related article: 5 Stretches In 5 Minutes – Prime Your Muscles For A Safer, More Efficient Walk Or Run
20-minute treadmill walking workout:
50-minute advanced treadmill workout:
25-minute fat blasting treadmill workout:
