Norwegian 4x4 Treadmill Settings
Speed and incline by fitness level—indoor 4x4 made simple.
Treadmill Pace & Incline Calculator
Convert treadmill speed and pace in any unit, and see what an incline is worth in flat-ground pace.
Enter a speed or a pace from the treadmill display. Add the incline to see its flat-ground equivalent.
An estimate for training, not a medical diagnosis. Talk to your doctor before starting hard exercise if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, take heart medication, or have symptoms when you exert yourself.
Treadmill speed to pace chart
| mph | km/h | min/mile | min/km | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | 4.8 | 20:00 | 12:26 | Brisk walk; 4x4 recovery for beginners |
| 3.5 | 5.6 | 17:09 | 10:39 | Fast walk; with 10–12% incline, a beginner 4x4 interval |
| 4.0 | 6.4 | 15:00 | 9:19 | Very fast walk or easy jog |
| 5.0 | 8.0 | 12:00 | 7:27 | Easy jog; Zone 2 for many runners |
| 6.0 | 9.7 | 10:00 | 6:13 | Steady run |
| 7.0 | 11.3 | 8:34 | 5:20 | 4x4 interval pace for many intermediate runners |
| 8.0 | 12.9 | 7:30 | 4:40 | Hard run |
| 9.0 | 14.5 | 6:40 | 4:09 | 4x4 interval pace for advanced runners |
| 10.0 | 16.1 | 6:00 | 3:44 | Very fast |
How the incline equivalent works
The calculator uses the American College of Sports Medicine's metabolic equations, which estimate the oxygen cost of walking or running from speed and grade:
Walking: VO2 = 3.5 + 0.1 × speed + 1.8 × speed × gradeRunning: VO2 = 3.5 + 0.2 × speed + 0.9 × speed × gradeSpeed is in metres per minute and grade is a fraction (5% = 0.05). The flat-ground equivalent is the running speed on level ground with the same oxygen cost. Walking up a steep incline costs far more than its speed suggests: 3.5 mph at 12% costs about as much as running 5.5 mph on the flat. That's why incline walking works so well for the Norwegian 4x4 if running hurts.
Setting the treadmill for Norwegian 4x4 intervals
The real target is heart rate: 85–95% of your max by the end of each 4-minute interval. Use speed and incline to get there. Our treadmill settings guide gives starting points by fitness level, and the heart rate & pace calculator turns a recent 5K time into interval and recovery speeds. Over 50 or carrying an injury? Incline walking reaches the zone with much less impact; see HIIT after 50.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert treadmill speed to pace?
Divide 60 by the speed. At 6 mph, 60 ÷ 6 = 10 minutes per mile; at 10 km/h, 60 ÷ 10 = 6 minutes per kilometre. The calculator does this both ways and also converts between miles and kilometres (1 mile = 1.609 km).
Should I set the treadmill to 1% incline?
For running at moderate speeds, 1% incline makes the effort roughly equal to running outdoors, because there is no air resistance indoors (Jones & Doust, 1996). For walking, it makes little difference.
How much harder is running on an incline?
Quite a lot. By the ACSM running equation, each 1% of incline at 10 km/h (6.2 mph) adds about 1.5 ml/kg/min of oxygen cost, roughly the same as running 0.45 km/h faster on the flat. At 5% incline, 10 km/h costs about as much as 12.3 km/h (7.6 mph) on the flat.
What treadmill settings should I use for the Norwegian 4x4?
Use whatever speed and incline put you at 85–95% of your max heart rate by the end of each 4-minute interval. Many people reach that zone by walking fast at 8–12% incline, which is easier on the joints than running. Our treadmill settings guide has starting points by fitness level.
Is the treadmill display accurate?
Not always. Treadmill belts are often off by a few percent, and the error grows with age and wear. If your watch with a foot pod, or a known outdoor pace at the same heart rate, disagrees, trust the effort and heart rate.
Sources
- American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription: metabolic equations for walking and running.
- Jones AM, Doust JH. A 1% treadmill grade most accurately reflects the energetic cost of outdoor running. J Sports Sci 1996;14(4):321-7.