“Lasagna Ladder” Track or Indoor Treadmill Workout
By Chris Newport, Nutritionist & Head Coach
Lasagna has layers. Ladder workouts have layers. Why not make boring-sounding workouts a little more exciting with fun food names? So next time you’re at the track or stuck indoors on the treadmill, here’s a fun workout to try. Boost your endurance, increase your speed and ward off boredom with this sweat-inducing workout.
If you’re doing this on the treadmill, do the whole workout at a 1% grade. If you don’t know your heart rate or pace zones, we recommend getting a metabolic test so your training and workouts will be more effective and efficient. Zone 1-2 should feel comfortable and easy (and might be a walking pace) at around 50-60% of your max speed. Zone 4 is a pace that’s very challenging, but not an all-out effort. It usually corresponds to about 80-90% of your max effort (again, metabolic testing will define these numbers). Zone 5 should feel like a sprint or all-out effort.
If at any time you feel like you need to slow down or walk, no problem. If you’re new to running or walking, cut out some of the intervals or just do what you can and work up to finishing all of it. It’s a workout intended to push your fitness, but not make you fly off the back of the treadmill or see your interval times dropping dramatically. You should feel accomplished at the end, as if you could complete one more interval. Good luck and have a great workout!
Begin with a 5 minute dynamic warm-up including lunges, squats, heel and toe walking and other movements that increase your core body temperature and prepare you for the pounding-nature of running. Total workout is ~4 miles, but can be adjusted up or down. Now go for it!
| Distance/Time | Intensity | Recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up .25-.5 miles | Easy (Zone 1-2) | N/A |
| 4×20 second pick-ups | Very fast (Zone 5) | 40 seconds very easy |
| 3x.25 miles | Very fast (Zone 4-5) | .25 miles Zone 1-2 after each interval |
| 3x.5 miles | Fast (Zone 4) | .5 miles Zone 1-2 after each interval |
| 2x.75 miles | Fast (Zone 4) | .75 miles Zone 1-2 after each interval |
Top off your lasagna workout with a nice cool down with an easy jog or walk until your heart rate comes down to zone 1, about 3-5 minutes.
What are your favorite running workouts? How about favorite foods that need a workout named for them?
