Easy DIY Treadmill Incline Using 2x4s

This high incline treadmill is a treadmill DIY you can make in a couple of minutes but permanently impact your workout in an awesome way!

Thousands of people have now used this tutorial to make their less expensive treadmill inclined. I’ve got video instructions as well as step-by-step instructions just for you!

After you walk on your high incline for 45 minutes, maybe you want to stretch with your DIY yoga bolster! I hope you’ll peruse even more DIYs over here too!

If you don't have the money to buy and expensive high incline treadmill you can make your inexpensive one incline with just a couple 2x4's!

We have an inexpensive treadmill that has a very small incline. I prefer walking because I can get things done easier than when I’m trying to run. Walking on an incline is the best workout but I didn’t have money to buy a high incline treadmill. I decided to make my inexpensive treadmill a high-incline treadmill myself!

This turned out really well and was quite simple. If you are curious, I have the Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill. It has every feature I really wanted except for an automatic incline. The treadmills with high inclines were over double the price!

If you don't have the money to buy and expensive high incline treadmill you can make your inexpensive one incline with just a couple 2x4's!

What you need for your DIY High Incline Treadmill

  • Treadmill
  • Nails
  • 2x4s
  • Wood stain**
  • Exercise Equipment Mat**

**Optional

Sunny Health & Fitness TreadmillCheck PriceProSource Discounts High Density PVC Floor Protector Treadmill Mat, 6.5 x 3-FeetCheck PriceRust-Oleum 269400 1/2 Pint Varathane Fast Dry Wood Stain, EbonyCheck PriceFastenMaster FMGD212-75 GuardDog Exterior Wood Screw, Tan, 2-1/2-Inch, 75-PackCheck PriceMidwest Products 4422 Micro-Cut Quality Basswood Block, 2 by 4 by 12-InchCheck Price

Instructional Video

Step by Step Instructions

You will start by cutting your 2×4 into 12″ pieces. If you got your 2x4s from Lowes or Home Depot, they can do it for you there!

If you don't have the money to buy and expensive high incline treadmill you can make your inexpensive one incline with just a couple 2x4's!

We decided to incline our treadmill using 3 2x4s stacked on top of each other. If you’d like yours higher, you could probably do more, but you still want the back of your treadmill to touch the ground for stability, so I wouldn’t push it!

If you don't have the money to buy and expensive high incline treadmill you can make your inexpensive one incline with just a couple 2x4's!

Next, we screwed them together using 2.5″ screws. Here you will see I did three at the bottom and three at the top.

If you don't have the money to buy and expensive high incline treadmill you can make your inexpensive one incline with just a couple 2x4's!

I love staining wood, so this next step was mostly just for fun! I also like that it blended in with my treadmill mat so it doesn’t look like I jerry-rigged my treadmill together! Verathane is hands down the best stain. I used Verathane in Ebony.

If you don't have the money to buy and expensive high incline treadmill you can make your inexpensive one incline with just a couple 2x4's!

Now you’re ready to get walking. Prepare to sweat!

If you don't have the money to buy and expensive high incline treadmill you can make your inexpensive one incline with just a couple 2x4's!

Treadmill Incline FAQs

Is the Incline Treadmill a Good Workout?

YES! Walking on an incline is a wonderful way to be in a fat-burning zone at a low-intensity steady state (LISS). If you are looking for fat loss, my personal trainer has me do 3 LISS exercises per week and then 3 days of muscle building.

What is a good incline for a treadmill?

The ideal incline for a treadmill will depend on each person’s abilities but personal trainers suggest you should be able to keep up the incline for the full extent of your LISS. For me, that is 45 minutes. Three 2x4s stacked was perfect for my body and abilities!

Is it better to run on a treadmill or walk at an incline?

For LISS or fat burning, walking on an incline will keep your heart rate in the correct fat-burning zone. If you’re looking for more cardio-centered exercise, running may be a better option. I don’t run often on my treadmill but when I do it’s for sprints when I do HIIT. 

You do not want to miss out on all of these other incredible 2×4 projects!

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treadmill incline | Practical and Pretty
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If you don't have the money to buy and expensive high incline treadmill you can make your inexpensive one incline with just a couple 2x4's!
Yield: 1 Treadmill Incline

DIY High Incline Treadmill

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

This high incline treadmill is a treadmill DIY you can make in a couple of minutes but permanently impact your workout in an awesome way!

Materials

  • 6 - 12" 2x4
  • 12 - 2.5" screws
  • Stain (optional)

Tools

  • Screws
  • Drill
  • Saw

Instructions

  1. Cut your wood down to size
  2. Screw the pieces together depending on how much of an incline you'd like
  3. Stain your wood
  4. Prop up treadmill on the blocks

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10 thoughts on “Easy DIY Treadmill Incline Using 2x4s

  1. My concern is that doing this will put extra stress on the components that were not engineered to be used on an incline. Have you had any issues with the motor or other parts? Would love an update. Thank you!

    1. Valid concern and I get that question all the time! It has lasted 3 years and is still goin! I suspect it may shorten its life a bit. The model in this post isn’t top tier and I’m not sure how long it would last in the first place.

    1. The 2″ boards will make it 6″ taller giving it approximately 15cm incline. That means it’s like setting it to a “15” or a 15% incline.

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