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Exercises

Treadmill warm up: walk, jog, then pick-ups

Published October 24, 2026

For a treadmill warm-up, walk for 3 minutes, raising the speed every minute, then jog easily for 2 to 3 minutes. Step off for 2 minutes of leg swings, ankle circles and bodyweight squats, add a set of band walks and calf raises, and get back on for two 20-second pick-ups a little faster than your session pace. That is about 10 minutes; before an easy run or a walk, the first 5 minutes alone are enough.

  1. Treadmill Walk Quads, Glutes, Calves
  2. Treadmill Run Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Leg Swings Hamstrings, Glutes
  4. Ankle Circles Calves
  5. Bodyweight Squat Quads
  6. Lateral Band Walk Abductors
  7. Single-Leg Calf Raise Calves

Step 1: walk, then jog on the belt (5 minutes)

Start slowly and raise the speed in small steps. This is the treadmill's main advantage: it controls the pace for you.

Raise, belt walking

Treadmill Walk

Quads, Glutes, Calves

Walking with the speed going up each minute warms you steadily and takes no planning.

How to do it

  1. Step on with the belt stopped, clip the safety key, and start at a slow walk.
  2. Raise the speed in small steps until you walk briskly with a full arm swing.
  3. Add a little incline in the final minute if the session starts uphill.
  4. Keep your hands off the rails so your legs carry you.

Cues

  • Eyes ahead, not on your feet
  • Heel, then toe, every step

Common mistakes

  • Holding the handrails
  • Jumping to running speed in the first minute

Swap for: Brisk Walk, Treadmill Run

Build a session with Treadmill Walk

Easy jog and pick-ups

Treadmill Run

Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes

A few minutes of easy jogging, then short pick-ups, prepare you for the run's pace.

How to do it

  1. Move from your walking start to an easy jog.
  2. Stay in the middle of the belt with a short, quick stride.
  3. Raise the speed by small steps once the jog settles.
  4. For pick-ups, step the speed up for the stated time, then return to the jog.

Cues

  • Middle of the belt
  • Light landings

Common mistakes

  • Drifting to the back of the belt
  • Overstriding to keep up with the belt

Swap for: Running, Elliptical

Build a session with Treadmill Run

Step 2: mobility beside the treadmill (2 minutes)

Step off and loosen the hips and ankles. Do not do drills on a moving belt.

Hip mobility

Leg Swings

Hamstrings, Glutes

Swings, holding the treadmill frame, loosen the hips you will be swinging on the belt.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a wall or rail and hold it with one hand.
  2. Swing the outside leg forward and back like a pendulum, small at first.
  3. Let each swing travel a bit farther while your torso stays upright.
  4. Finish the count, turn around, and swing the other leg.

Cues

  • Loose leg, still torso
  • A little bigger each swing

Common mistakes

  • Arching the lower back on the backswing
  • Forcing full range on the first rep

Swap for: Standing Cable Hip Flexion, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Leg Swings

Ankle mobility

Ankle Circles

Calves

A belt pushes your foot back on each step; loose ankles make that smoother.

How to do it

  1. Hold a support and stand on one foot, or sit, with the other foot off the floor.
  2. Trace slow, full circles with your toes, moving only at the ankle.
  3. Do the count one way, then reverse.
  4. Change feet.

Cues

  • As big a circle as you can draw
  • Slow and even

Common mistakes

  • Turning the whole leg instead of the ankle
  • Rushing the circles

Swap for: Single-Leg Calf Raise, Standing Calf Raise

Build a session with Ankle Circles

Hips and knees

Bodyweight Squat

Quads

Ten easy squats move the hips and knees through more range than walking or running.

How to do it

  1. Set your feet about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Send your hips back and bend your knees to sit down between your heels.
  3. Go as deep as you can while the heels stay flat.
  4. Drive the floor away to stand up.

Cues

  • Knees follow the toes
  • Whole foot planted

Common mistakes

  • Knees caving in
  • Heels coming up

Swap for: Cossack Squat, Step-Up

Build a session with Bodyweight Squat

Step 3: glutes and calves (1 minute)

A short set of band walks and calf raises next to the machine.

Glute activation

Lateral Band Walk

Abductors

Side steps against a band wake up the side of the hips, which running straight ahead on a belt barely uses.

How to do it

  1. Loop a band around your legs and sink into a quarter squat.
  2. Step sideways with one foot, then follow with the other, never letting the band go slack.
  3. Take your steps one way, then come back.
  4. Stay low throughout.

Cues

  • Knees push out
  • Toes forward

Common mistakes

  • Standing up tall
  • Feet snapping together

Swap for: Band Standing Hip Abduction, Clamshell

Build a session with Lateral Band Walk

Calf activation

Single-Leg Calf Raise

Calves

Ten slow raises per leg prepare the calves, especially before incline work.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one foot with a dumbbell at your side or none, and the other hand on a support.
  2. Rise onto the front of your foot as high as you can.
  3. Pause, then lower slowly until the heel is down again.
  4. Finish the count and switch feet.

Cues

  • Straight up, not forward
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing through the reps
  • Rolling to the outside of the foot

Swap for: Standing Calf Raise, Ankle Circles

Build a session with Single-Leg Calf Raise

Using the treadmill to warm up for leg day

Many lifters walk on the treadmill before squatting. Five minutes is enough; then the warm-up sets of the squat take over, climbing from the empty bar to your working weight.

First lift after a treadmill warm-up

Barbell Back Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

The treadmill raises your temperature, but only the squat's own warm-up sets prepare you for the bar. Use 3 or 4 of them, getting heavier.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar on your upper back and walk it out of the rack.
  2. Brace, then sit down between your heels.
  3. Reach your usual depth with the heels down.
  4. Stand up by driving the floor away.

Cues

  • Brace before each rep
  • Knees out over the toes

Common mistakes

  • Skipping the empty-bar sets
  • Jumping straight to the working weight

Swap for: Goblet Squat, Leg Press

Build a session with Barbell Back Squat

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Treadmill run

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentTreadmill

You are running on the treadmill and want a quick, reliable warm-up.

On a treadmill you can control every minute, so the plan is simply walk, jog, step off for two moves, and two pick-ups before your run.

Warm-Up + Run
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Treadmill WalkSeconds. One-minute blocks, speed up each minute. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Treadmill RunSeconds. Easy jog. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Leg SwingsPer leg, each direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Ankle CirclesEach way, per foot. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Treadmill RunSeconds. Pick-ups slightly above session pace. 2 × 20 2 40 s
How to run it
Set the walk to start slow and raise it every minute; do the mobility beside the machine.
How to progress
Add the band walk once the routine is a habit.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Incline walk session

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentTreadmill, Resistance Bands

You are doing an incline walking workout and want your calves and hips ready for the slope.

Incline walking loads the calves and glutes more than flat walking, so the plan adds calf raises and squats before you raise the incline gradually.

Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Treadmill WalkSeconds. Flat, speed up each minute. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Bodyweight Squat 1 × 10 4 0 s
Single-Leg Calf RaisePer leg. 1 × 10–12 4 15 s
Lateral Band WalkSteps each way. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Treadmill WalkSeconds. Raise the incline each minute. 2 × 60 4 0 s
How to run it
Walk 3 minutes flat, do the floor moves, then step back on and raise the incline a little every minute.
How to progress
Raise the incline faster as your calves get used to it.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Treadmill before leg day

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets20 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentTreadmill, Barbells

You warm up on the treadmill before squatting.

The treadmill takes about 5 minutes to warm you up; the rest comes from mobility and the squat's own warm-up sets. That way your first working set is your heaviest lift, not your coldest.

Warm-Up + Squat
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Treadmill WalkSeconds. One-minute blocks back to back, easy pace. 3 × 60 4 0 s
Treadmill RunSeconds. Easy jog. 2 × 60 4 0 s
Leg SwingsPer leg, each direction. 1 × 10 4 0 s
Bodyweight Squat 1 × 10 4 0 s
Barbell Back Squat4 warm-up sets first 3 × 5–8 2 3 min
How to run it
Walk and jog, then do the floor moves and go to the rack. Use the warm-up sets with rising weight before your first working set.
How to progress
Keep the treadmill part the same; your warm-up sets go up as your squat goes up.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

How to warm up before going on a treadmill?

Walk for 3 minutes, raising the speed every minute, jog easily for 2 to 3 minutes, then step off for a few leg swings and squats before your session.

How long should you warm up on a treadmill?

About 5 minutes before an easy walk or run, and up to 10 minutes with pick-ups before intervals.

Is the treadmill a good warm-up before lifting?

Yes for raising body temperature, in about 5 minutes. Then do the lift's warm-up sets, which prepare you for the weight.

Should I stretch before the treadmill?

Use moving stretches like leg swings and squats; hold longer stretches after your session.

Can I do drills on the treadmill?

Keep drills on the floor; on a moving belt they are hard to control.