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Weekly Treadmill Targets

Longevity-focused balance: mostly Zone 2 + 1-2 Zone 4 sessions to protect VO₂max. (Age 35: estimated HRmax ≈ 185 bpm)
Total target: ~25 MET-hours / week
Split: ~80-85% Zone 2 · ~15-20% Zone 4
Soft cap: ~40 MET-hours / week (diminishing returns)
Zone 2
Base Engine (Most of the week)
Comfortably hard aerobic work for metabolic health & durability.
Weekly target
240-300 min
Sessions
4-5×
Heart-rate target
111-130 bpm (60-70%)
MET guide
~3-5 METs ~16-20 Mh
  • Effort: conversational pace; nose-breathing often possible (RPE ~3-4/10).
  • Treadmill setup: brisk walk → light jog; try 2-6% incline to stay aerobic with less impact.
  • Progression: add 5-10 min per session every 1-2 weeks until you hit the weekly target.
  • Form: relaxed shoulders, quick light steps; keep it sustainable.
Rule of thumb: If you can’t speak in short sentences, you’re drifting into Zone 3—ease off.
Zone 4
VO₂max Insurance (1-2 days)
Short intervals to preserve cardiac reserve & peak fitness with age.
Weekly target
16-32 min
Sessions
1-2 x
Heart-rate target
148-167 bpm (80-90%)
MET guide
~9-12 METs ~4-8 Mh
  • Workout: 4 × 4 (classic treadmill protocol)
  • Structure: 10 min easy warm-up → 4 min hard / 3 min easy × 4 → 5-10 min cool-down.
  • Effort: hard but controlled; complete all reps at similar pace; avoid sprinting.
  • Spacing: keep a day between interval sessions; do Zone 2 the day after if you’re stiff.
Rule of thumb: Finish feeling like you could do “one more rep,” not wrecked for 48 hours.