Treadmill Decline Training

Decline TM running is so you can eccentrically load your quads for neuromuscular overload/adaptation you'd otherwise get running hills overground. It makes sense only if (a) you're not getting any road or trail hills in and (b) you have a longer race coming up with some downhills. Otherwise it's pretty pointless. That's the theory anyway; I don't have any empirical or practical evidence it's worthwhile even if conditions (a) and (b) are met.

HC wrote:

Decline TM running is so you can eccentrically load your quads for neuromuscular overload/adaptation you'd otherwise get running hills overground. It makes sense only if (a) you're not getting any road or trail hills in and (b) you have a longer race coming up with some downhills. Otherwise it's pretty pointless. That's the theory anyway; I don't have any empirical or practical evidence it's worthwhile even if conditions (a) and (b) are met.

No evidence? Not a theory. It's a hypothesis.

We've studied downhill treadmill running in my lab.

a cheap treadmill declined won't simulate DH running very well.

you will just bog down the motor.

it may also cook the motor.

I fear that your treadmill will not be "perfectly functional" afterwards if you try this.

Thanks all for the replies. Sounds like a waste of time for me -- I'm not targeting any hilly races at the moment -- and a potentially bad idea in any case.

not a nit picker wrote:

HC wrote:

Decline TM running is so you can eccentrically load your quads for neuromuscular overload/adaptation you'd otherwise get running hills overground. It makes sense only if (a) you're not getting any road or trail hills in and (b) you have a longer race coming up with some downhills. Otherwise it's pretty pointless. That's the theory anyway; I don't have any empirical or practical evidence it's worthwhile even if conditions (a) and (b) are met.

No evidence? Not a theory. It's a hypothesis.

Just run down hills hard, and comeback the next day to tell us how you feel.

I ran the Steamtown Marathon, which is a net downhill, and did some decline treadmill running to prepare. The treadmills at my gym go down to -3%. My quads held out great in the race. Had a terrible race for other reasons, but quads were in great shape.

I've incorporated some downhill treadmill running at least 3 or 4 times each Winter. I've found it's an easy cheat to get the turnover without gassing myself while in the midst of any Hadd-like base building. I would think from a neurological angle that its a good way to get the synapsis firing up quicker. And my quads are the first to go these days on any harder, long runs and marathons so they could use the occasional wake up call. I do believe it's not good for the life of the machine though.