The story of a treadmill workout that combines speed, incline and endurance.
There was a period when I had to get my training done early in the morning. Work and family life filled the rest of the day, and I rarely had time for long runs. I had a race ahead of me, but not the ideal conditions for training outside.
That led me to experiment with the treadmill. Not because I loved it. A treadmill can feel monotonous. You run, look at the number and try to stay focused while time moves slowly. At the same time, Denmark is flat as a pancake. That makes it difficult to train for hilly routes and climbs, and that is where the treadmill became interesting because it can simulate elevation.
“I wanted to create a treadmill workout where I could combine several elements in one session: speed, incline and endurance.”
I wanted to create a treadmill workout where I could combine several elements in one session: speed, incline and endurance. Not as separate intervals, but as a gradual progression. I wanted to see what would happen if the speed dropped while the incline rose.
After many attempts, I found a structure that worked: I started flat and fast, dropped the speed by 0.5 km/h each minute and increased the incline by one percent. When I reached a 15 percent incline, the experience changed. It did not feel like a break, but like a different type of load. My legs worked differently, and I had to fight to get my breathing and heart rate under control. It was hard, but not impossible. It became useful practice in keeping the movement going. If I could not get a grip on my breathing in particular, it was close to impossible to work my way back in the other direction. That was the start of Bloem’s Pyramid.
What is Bloem’s Pyramid?
Bloem’s Pyramid is a structured treadmill workout where speed and incline change every minute. On the way up, the speed drops while the incline rises. On the way down, the speed rises again while the incline drops. It is a simple model, but that is the point. You do not need to keep track of complicated intervals or long plans while you are running. You only need to complete one minute at a time.
Bloem’s Pyramid combines several training stimuli in one continuous treadmill workout:
- Fitness and aerobic capacity
- Running economy under changing load
- Leg strength as the incline rises
- The ability to maintain technique under fatigue
- Mental endurance, especially on the way back down
The mental side is often the hardest part. When you return to higher speeds, the voice in your head starts suggesting that you could just take a break and try again another day. That is where it matters to focus on one minute at a time. When you start adding up the minutes, the whole thing can feel completely The mental side is often the hardest part. When you return to higher speeds, the voice in your head starts suggesting that you could just take a break and try again another day. That is where it matters to focus on one minute at a time. When you start adding up the minutes, the whole thing can feel completely overwhelming.
The rules of Bloem’s Pyramid
The most important thing is not a time or a distance. It is completion.
If you cannot complete a minute, the test ends. Your result is the last full minute you completed.
There are no breaks and no skipped levels. That makes the test comparable from one attempt to the next because the framework stays the same.
The rules and execution are described in more detail in the 20 week marathon programme.
Versions of Bloem’s Pyramid
Over time, I have made adjustments, and there are now three versions of this treadmill workout:
Scaled – for beginners or a first attempt. It gives you time to learn the structure.
Rx – has a shorter walking section in the middle and higher intensity.
Rx+ – is the most demanding version, with minimal recovery between changes.
The three versions are built on the same principle, but with different intensities and progression. It is easy to think that the differences between them cannot be that large, but they can feel like three entirely different workouts. I recommend starting with Scaled or Rx. If you think you are made of sterner stuff, you are welcome to take on Rx+.
Using the test in training
Bloem’s Pyramid is not only a single workout. It can be used as a progression test in running training and fits into plans ranging from half marathon to ultra.
“If you think you are made of sterner stuff, you are welcome to take on Rx+.”
It gives an indication of how you handle changing loads and how your form develops over time. It can be compared loosely with a traditional VO2 max test in its structure, but it should not be confused with or used as a replacement for a VO2 max test.
After feedback from other runners, the test has become part of my 20 week marathon programme, where it is used as a fixed treadmill workout progression test.
If you decide to give the workout a try, feel free to take a photo afterwards, or during if you still have the capacity, and use #bloemspyramid.
