The couch to 5k also known as C25K in short is really a running plan designed to inspire beginners off their couch and start running for 5km or about 3.1 miles in only 8-9 weeks. Whether you are planning for weight loss with C25K or opt for a racing competition in the end or just want to workout, the C2 5K program is the best one to start with.
Since this program is designed for specifically beginners in mind, it’s more of a walk and run program. If you are out of practice or have not been running for some time you have to nurture your body back to running.
This plan is intended to ease you to a running program without injury or burnout and designed for both runners and beginners of all ages and abilities. Make sure you consult with a healthcare practitioner before undertaking any exercise program.
Can you do couch to 5k on treadmill?
The normal C25K plan happens outside, but the reality is that you may not be in a position to do it either for adverse weather conditions, rough terrain, or a lack of running space around your home. Like them, many hinder beginners from heading out.
A treadmill will allow you to do training regardless of any weather and also more importantly at the safety and comfort of your own workout space. The fantastic thing about doing this in a treadmill is that it provides you total control over the training experience, the timer one the console and other stats before you and will help you find the exact time to pick up the pace or walk.
When running outside you’d be needing a stopwatch and also you have to keep staring at it every now and then to find out exactly what the times are.
Couch To 5k Treadmill Speeds
How fast should you run and walk onto the treadmill? The best answer is you need to run as slowly as you possibly can. Actually, if you’re able to run more slowly, you are running too quickly. Speed will come over time at the end when you’ve completed the program successfully.
Beginners frequently run too fast. The speed that you want to run is that you can utter a sentence in one breath at the same time you run. Like walking you should not be out of breath and could not keep a dialogue with someone. Do not be worried if it feels lethargic, speed is not crucial as this point. As a guide, the optimal speed is about 5 mph (8.0 km/h).
Same thing with walking, Just walk at a good pace. A brisk walk for an individual in their 20’s will probably be comparatively quick to an overweight 60 year old who will have much slower brisk walk. Provided that the walk isn’t leaving you out of breath that is what you should look for. As a guide, optimal speed for walking is about 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h).
Key points to keep in mind
Gradual increase is important – No matter your level of fitness, walking will probably be your very best friend for the first few weeks or so, especially if you’re a beginner. Concentrate on slow gains from walking into minor jogging, for running. Keep your eye on the treadmill console to see the time when the run or walk begins and ends. The plan is made to build you up gradually.
Boost your speed for a couple of minutes and recuperate with walking. As you progress on your training, increase your running time until you feel confident.
Make sure to warm up and cool down- Warming up and cooling down is something you have to do before and after each workout. As for experienced runners these would be crucial. For couch to running, get accustomed to performing these before and following the given walk and run schedule. This frees your muscles for the exercise beforehand. All you have to do is walk for 5 minutes.
The following plan might appear simple at first but you will quickly discover that it’s challenging after a few weeks and also the significance of a warm up and cool down will probably be much more apparent then.
Inclines – incline training is extremely beneficial, even to get a flat race. Putting your treadmill into an incline will significantly help you to build your speed and muscle strength and provide you with longer stride. With Incline training you’ll have the ability to run quicker on a flat surface whilst decreasing your odds of injury. That said do not use incline or go too quickly in the walking or running part of the program.
Others – Should you discover one week is too hard, then repeat the prior week a second time to build up your fitness. Do not eat before the run since the muscles will require oxygen rich blood and not the gut. Keep hydrated.
Couch to 5k program for treadmill
Here’s the couch to 5k plan. As you can see, the time spent on running raises weekly. In the end you ought to be a capable runner. Your treadmill needs to be all set for you. Start by warming up. Do not be worried if you discover the plan too simple at first it soon becomes harder.
You are going to see just time spent on the walk or run. That is because distance isn’t significant at this point as everyone will do their workout at different speeds. Be sure to listen to your body and adjust your training and plan accordingly.
The concept is each workout is going to be an alternating walk/run so you are able to recuperate from every run using a walk. The couch to 5k treadmill version constitutes three sessions each week and can be any day of the week inside this program.
| Day 1 (Workout I) | Day 2 (Workout II) | Day 3 (Workout III) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Run one minute, walk two minutes × 8 | Run one minute, walk two minutes × 10 | Run one minute, walk one minute × 8 |
| Week 2 | Run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 5 | Run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 7 | Run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 4 |
| Week 3 | Run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 5 | Run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute × 5 | Run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 5 |
| Week 4 | Run 5 minutes, walk 3 minutes × 3 | Run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 3 | Run 5 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 4 |
| Week 5 | Run 8 minutes, walk 3 minutes × 2 | Run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 2 | Run 6 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 3 |
| Week 6 | Run 10 minutes, walk 3 minutes × 2 | Run 10 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 2 | Run 12 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 2 |
| Week 7 | Run 12 minutes, walk 3 minutes × 3 | Run 12 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 2 | Run 15 minutes, walk 2 minutes × 2 |
| Week 8 | Run 20 minutes, walk 5 minutes and run 10 min. |
Here a chart that you can download or make a PDF and print
Final Words
There you go. This treadmill couch to 5k plan is all you need to prepare for your weight loss goal and it’s free. Now it’s your turn to use it to show everyone you work.
Please note as your training progresses, you will spend longer running every week. At the end of the 8 week training cycle, as you graduate this beginner treadmill program, you should take your runs outdoors. Running is challenging, but it’s a matter of exercise and time when you will be a competent runner and can run longer distances.
Enjoy it! Keep running!!
If you have further questions or if you are a seasoned runner and need to share your experience, please leave a comment.
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