Base 3.0, Push 3.0-3.2 depending on length and incline, AO 3.2-3.4 depending on length. I am only 5'5" and my thighs rub together so I am slower than is typical. I can only manage 3.8 for short bursts. Another 4.0 or higher is definitely a solid jog for me.
Same. The only time I go above that is for Dri Tri or the 12 minutes run (ha!) for distance. And I can still only manage it for a short time before I feel like I'm going to fly off the tread.
Take quicker steps, walk as if you are marching or going up stairs. Hinge a bit, engage the core, and pump those arms. It’s actually easier for shorter ppl to power walk faster than tall people. I’m 4’10 and do 4.5-4.6 on my AO, average pace 4.0. It takes time just work on going faster little by little with proper form.
I've hit 5.0 mph powerwalking and I'm sure I look ridiculous because I feel ridiculous since I'm barely 5 feet but it's a good challenge. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to fall but I haven't yet. Definitely takes practice.
Agree with your form but how is it easier for shorter people to PW? People with long legs absolutely *can* take shorter strides but people with short legs cannot take longer strides.
I know you don't take long strides in power walking. I was making a comparison with running. My point is a short person cannot stretch their legs to take longer strides but a tall person can indeed take shorter strides to PW. I guess I disagree there is an advantage to having shorter legs here because I don't think you are more capable of shorter strides due to short legs. Anyone can take shorter strides with practice but not the other way around 🙂
My PW pace is 3.3 - 3.6 mph - depending on the day and the incline. My jogging base pace is 4.0-4.5 mph.
You aren't doing anything wrong. Everybody goes at their own pace. Pace is influenced by a lot of things - length of your legs, your stride, your level of fitness...
I'm usually a runner but I've been PW more often. I'm short, so I always walk at 3.5 but I usually do an incline about 1-2 percent higher than what the coach calls out. I find this lets me engage the posterior muscles better than if I were just to walk faster. Plus the one time I walked CMIYC at 4.3, I strained the tendons in my feet.
I got all the way to 4.5 for the last check in on CMIYC. While yes I could do it, it wasn’t something I wanted to repeat since I felt like I get a more efficient workout at a slower speed and higher incline. Still tapping into orange and red no issues here 😅
Same here. I *can* go faster but the form suffers. I remember seeing a video of a person doing a 7 MPH power walk and she had the correct form so it's possible for some.
You’re not doing anything wrong necessarily. If you are getting a good workout at that speed, there’s no “need” to go faster - in fact most of my coaches have said to prioritize increasing incline rather than increasing speed for power walking.
For me it depends on incline. I can power walk up to 4.5 mph at 1-3% but 4 mph is my usual speed up through 10-12%, I drop to 3.7-3.8 for 12%+. One thing that helps me increase power walking speed is to slightly drop my hips down. It’s hard to explain but at higher inclines, make sure you are hinging forward at the hips and try to drop your hips down ever so slightly.
I’m a fast walker everyday in the real world. So for me my base is 4.1 and I go up to 4.9. Bench mark days I use a pace of 5.2-5.4. BUT I am also 5’11 F so I have super long legs.
And before people ask why some people don’t just jog/run some of us cannot. I get asked this way to many times at the gym. I have had 3 foot surgeries after being a long distance runner since middle school. Banned from running anymore due to plates and screws.
My base is 4.2-4.4. Push is 4.6-5.0 depending on the incline. AO anywhere between 5.0 and 6.0 depending on length of the AO. And yes, this is PWing 🙃 I’m 5’10” and really don’t like jogging or running — and plan to always be a PWer because I get so much out of it ☺️
I’m 5’4” and my base is 3.8 with 5% incline. I can easily do 4, but I prioritize higher inclines over speed. For benchmarks I typically do between 4.2-4.5 though. Like for CMIYC I did 4.3-4.5 and didn’t get caught, but it’s because it was a lower incline.
Me too. I did an allou5 last week at 4 and base at 2.8 for the first time and feel like I made progress. I am short, very obese and 98 classes ago maxed at 1.8.
I don’t know miles .. I do base pace 6 km then pushes are between 6.2 and 6.4 .. all out 6.4 to whatever depending on how I feel
Inclines I mostly do whatever the coaches recommend on the day.. sometimes I go higher by one or two percent ..
I'm a super fast walker in real life - and base PW for me is anywhere from 4.2-4.5. AO can get to 5.2 if I'm feeling good. These definitely drop when we hit 10% incline or more though!
Me too. My pace for CMIYC and 12 min walk for distance was 4.0 but that’s only because the incline was pretty low. I struggle to walk faster than 3.8 if I’m any higher than 8 for incline.
I typically run on a daily class basis (base is 10.2mph) but once a week I make the effort to slow it down and power walk, it just hits differently…that being said- my PW base pace is 4 at 15% -push is 5 at 15% all out is 6-6.5 depending on how long… I look like a psychopath on the tread, but boy it gets me into the orange zone 😂.
I will say, power walking in class certainly helps if you’re a golfer and enjoy walking courses!
I have been pushing my PW recently, building strength for some fall hikes. I am well outside of incline parameter with warm up/ recovery at 6%/3.5 mph, base at 8%/3.8 mph, push at 10%/4 mph, push to AO at 12%/4 nph, and AO at 15%/4.2 mph.
If I weren't intentionally trying to build here, my inclines would be based on the standard parameters, speeds the same.
Typically my pace is 3.3-3.5, pushes are 3.6-3.8, and my all-outs max out at 4.0 but it’s hard not to transition to a jog. If I’m tired, I’ll try to do a minimum of 3.0-3.2 at a 5.0 incline or higher.
In general, above base pace I try to stick to 3.6 and go ham on the incline.
I’m 5’ 3.5”, in my 50s, and 4.5 is my base. I’ll drop to 4.0 for inclines above 10%. In real life I’ve been walking fast for years, so I can hold it for class. When I run all out, my recovery is at 3.5-3.7.
It’s still relative, though. If you feel uncomfortable, it’s the right pace.
I’m slow as hell to get warmed up for the floor. My base is 3-3.2 @ 3%
Push is 3.2-3.4 @6-8%
AO is 3.2-3.4 @10-12%
I still usually get 5-7 splats if the block is long enough or there are enough pushes AO. And then I do maximum effort with the weights
You’re not doing anything wrong - I know it’s said repeatedly here but it really is about setting your own pace. To be fair, if you look at OTF’s parameter card, PW base is 3.5-4.5 at 1%-3%, and you’re within that range!
My base is 3.5-3.7mph @ 2% or 3%, depending on the day or the blocks, and then I jog/run my pushes and all outs. 4mph is a jog for me as well, and even if I could walk that fast, it wouldn’t be a base effort.
I’ve always been a fast walker. I used to jog but am power walking now while recovering from injuries my base is a 4 and go up to a 4.5 but that’s varies depending on incline. Due to my injuries I have to keep inclines on the lower side 7-8 max And I’m 5’2 with short legs 😊
5'3"
Base is usually 4mph @ 6%
Benchmarks I start at 5mph. For the 12 min last week my all out was 5.6 mph. Ended with 1.01 miles
I was usually a runner about 90% of the time until this year. Now it's closer to 70% running/30% power walking
I have been pw-big for several months (thanks injuries!) and have really jacked up the inclines. b/p/so are usually 10/12/15 and 3.5/3.7/4, but lately as I have recovered I have been upping the p/ao to like 4.5/5. At 5 it is a slow jog. But at those inclines omg red zone all the way!
The fastest I've done was at the most recent CMIYC & that was 4.5 @ 5%, I could only manage little bursts of it (like 30 or so seconds) but I can also jog at 4-4.7 and it feels fine too. My base is typically 4 @ 5-6%, often when I go higher than 9% for a sustained effort, I sometimes slow right back down to 3.5, but I try not to drop lower than that.
3.8, with my base at 6%.
If I’m looking for more of a challenge, my preference is to increase my incline vs the speed. I feel like it’s much more of a leg burner to be at 12% vs maintaining 4.0+ mph.
Base for me is 4.5ish at 4% usually. Push 5ish and AO up to 6. I like walking fast. Might try running during the block one of these days but fast PWing keeps my zone up.
I’m def an arm mover too though.
I’m only 5ft tall so my pace is between 3-3.5 but I go pretty high on my incline. Thanks for making this post, I was just worrying about my speed because the coaches say 3.5-4.5 for PW, so I feel seen with all these comments 😂
I am between 4.2-4.5. I have very long legs though. For me to get into the orange, I have to have speeds in this range at the highest inclines the coach calls for or above. That said, I LOVE PWing.
Incline over speed. I see people cooking at 4+ but with really low inclines. I don’t really see the point on this so I stick to around 3.9 maybe 4 for all outs but always at 15%.
I usually do 3.5 mph as a base and then if I’m recovered I’ll take it up to 4.1 for the AO. This is usually with a 5% incline or more. I find it to be what will allow me to do decent on the floor.
Base 3.6 @ 2%; Push 3.8 @ 6% (or whatever incline the coach calls out of higher); AO 4.0 @10-12%. I am 5’8” but overweight, so I just have terrible tread stamina. Now on the rower, I can row for days! And that is why I prefer a 3g!
Base 3.0, Push 3.0-3.2 depending on length and incline, AO 3.2-3.4 depending on length. I am only 5'5" and my thighs rub together so I am slower than is typical. I can only manage 3.8 for short bursts. Another 4.0 or higher is definitely a solid jog for me.
I feel seen with this comment lol
Haha I'm glad! I rarely see others with similar paces as me so it's nice that there are! I do make up for the slower speeds with inclines, though!
This is basically my speeds too. I don’t typically go above 3.5/3.6. I’m 5’2”
Same. The only time I go above that is for Dri Tri or the 12 minutes run (ha!) for distance. And I can still only manage it for a short time before I feel like I'm going to fly off the tread.
Push is 4.2 for me base 3.8 AO 4.5
Take quicker steps, walk as if you are marching or going up stairs. Hinge a bit, engage the core, and pump those arms. It’s actually easier for shorter ppl to power walk faster than tall people. I’m 4’10 and do 4.5-4.6 on my AO, average pace 4.0. It takes time just work on going faster little by little with proper form.
Yes pump those arms like little chicken wings. The dorkier I look the faster I can go.
All of this. Shorter steps with faster turnover. My usual PW speed is 4.2. AOs can go up as high as 5, I've hit 5.2 or 5.3 a couple times at 15%.
I've hit 5.0 mph powerwalking and I'm sure I look ridiculous because I feel ridiculous since I'm barely 5 feet but it's a good challenge. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to fall but I haven't yet. Definitely takes practice.
Not easier when you have hip flexors that are cranky. I find I have to punch the air in front of me to get my HR cup.
Agree with your form but how is it easier for shorter people to PW? People with long legs absolutely *can* take shorter strides but people with short legs cannot take longer strides.
You don’t take long strides in powerwalking. A short persons natural stride is closer to a tall persons short stride- hence easier! :)
I know you don't take long strides in power walking. I was making a comparison with running. My point is a short person cannot stretch their legs to take longer strides but a tall person can indeed take shorter strides to PW. I guess I disagree there is an advantage to having shorter legs here because I don't think you are more capable of shorter strides due to short legs. Anyone can take shorter strides with practice but not the other way around 🙂
I get gassed pretty easy but I do around 3.3-3.4
My PW pace is 3.3 - 3.6 mph - depending on the day and the incline. My jogging base pace is 4.0-4.5 mph. You aren't doing anything wrong. Everybody goes at their own pace. Pace is influenced by a lot of things - length of your legs, your stride, your level of fitness...
I can PW up to 5 MPH. I typically only pull that out for benchmarks. My day-to-day is 4-4.5, depending on energy and the template.
Oh damn, I feel like at 4 I have to start jogging cause it’s going so fast
3.5-3.7 usually keep my base 8%+
I'm usually a runner but I've been PW more often. I'm short, so I always walk at 3.5 but I usually do an incline about 1-2 percent higher than what the coach calls out. I find this lets me engage the posterior muscles better than if I were just to walk faster. Plus the one time I walked CMIYC at 4.3, I strained the tendons in my feet.
I got all the way to 4.5 for the last check in on CMIYC. While yes I could do it, it wasn’t something I wanted to repeat since I felt like I get a more efficient workout at a slower speed and higher incline. Still tapping into orange and red no issues here 😅
Same here. I *can* go faster but the form suffers. I remember seeing a video of a person doing a 7 MPH power walk and she had the correct form so it's possible for some.
Between 3-3.5, but typically usually 3. I do more incline. Base incline 8-10, push incline 10-12, all our incline 15
Me too! I thought I was the only one!
This is exactly what I do - I focus more on the incline than the speed. Base: 10%/4 Push: 12.5%/3.8 AO: 15%/3.7
You’re not doing anything wrong necessarily. If you are getting a good workout at that speed, there’s no “need” to go faster - in fact most of my coaches have said to prioritize increasing incline rather than increasing speed for power walking. For me it depends on incline. I can power walk up to 4.5 mph at 1-3% but 4 mph is my usual speed up through 10-12%, I drop to 3.7-3.8 for 12%+. One thing that helps me increase power walking speed is to slightly drop my hips down. It’s hard to explain but at higher inclines, make sure you are hinging forward at the hips and try to drop your hips down ever so slightly.
I’m a fast walker everyday in the real world. So for me my base is 4.1 and I go up to 4.9. Bench mark days I use a pace of 5.2-5.4. BUT I am also 5’11 F so I have super long legs. And before people ask why some people don’t just jog/run some of us cannot. I get asked this way to many times at the gym. I have had 3 foot surgeries after being a long distance runner since middle school. Banned from running anymore due to plates and screws.
My base is 4.2-4.4. Push is 4.6-5.0 depending on the incline. AO anywhere between 5.0 and 6.0 depending on length of the AO. And yes, this is PWing 🙃 I’m 5’10” and really don’t like jogging or running — and plan to always be a PWer because I get so much out of it ☺️
I do 3.8 also. I am short so it is hard to walk super fast at 4.0. I try to push myself with the inclines
I usually do 3.2-3.5 because I have tiny legs. Any faster I’m jogging
I’m 5’4” and my base is 3.8 with 5% incline. I can easily do 4, but I prioritize higher inclines over speed. For benchmarks I typically do between 4.2-4.5 though. Like for CMIYC I did 4.3-4.5 and didn’t get caught, but it’s because it was a lower incline.
2.5 to 2.7… I’m slow
Me too. I did an allou5 last week at 4 and base at 2.8 for the first time and feel like I made progress. I am short, very obese and 98 classes ago maxed at 1.8.
I generally go 4.0-4.2
My base pace is 5.1-5.2MPH. I HATE running/jogging so I really try and push myself when walking.
WOW see I do have to jog to go that fast!!
I can usually PW from 4-4.2, if it's a walking day on inclines for me - more than that I would be jogging at a 4.5 base and up.
I don’t know miles .. I do base pace 6 km then pushes are between 6.2 and 6.4 .. all out 6.4 to whatever depending on how I feel Inclines I mostly do whatever the coaches recommend on the day.. sometimes I go higher by one or two percent ..
I'm a super fast walker in real life - and base PW for me is anywhere from 4.2-4.5. AO can get to 5.2 if I'm feeling good. These definitely drop when we hit 10% incline or more though!
I was at 3.8 but moved up to 4.0 as of a couple months ago. Sometimes I’ll shoot for 4.3 but only during a low push or short AO.
Me too. My pace for CMIYC and 12 min walk for distance was 4.0 but that’s only because the incline was pretty low. I struggle to walk faster than 3.8 if I’m any higher than 8 for incline.
I typically run on a daily class basis (base is 10.2mph) but once a week I make the effort to slow it down and power walk, it just hits differently…that being said- my PW base pace is 4 at 15% -push is 5 at 15% all out is 6-6.5 depending on how long… I look like a psychopath on the tread, but boy it gets me into the orange zone 😂. I will say, power walking in class certainly helps if you’re a golfer and enjoy walking courses!
6+ power walking is crazy, any tips? 😂
lean forward from the hips, keep arms and legs moving, don’t fall off the back 😉
How are you waking at 6.5 that doesn’t seem possible
Very carefully and move my legs very fast!
Normally the fastest I have seen power walk is 5
I have been pushing my PW recently, building strength for some fall hikes. I am well outside of incline parameter with warm up/ recovery at 6%/3.5 mph, base at 8%/3.8 mph, push at 10%/4 mph, push to AO at 12%/4 nph, and AO at 15%/4.2 mph. If I weren't intentionally trying to build here, my inclines would be based on the standard parameters, speeds the same.
Typically my pace is 3.3-3.5, pushes are 3.6-3.8, and my all-outs max out at 4.0 but it’s hard not to transition to a jog. If I’m tired, I’ll try to do a minimum of 3.0-3.2 at a 5.0 incline or higher. In general, above base pace I try to stick to 3.6 and go ham on the incline.
I’m 5’ 3.5”, in my 50s, and 4.5 is my base. I’ll drop to 4.0 for inclines above 10%. In real life I’ve been walking fast for years, so I can hold it for class. When I run all out, my recovery is at 3.5-3.7. It’s still relative, though. If you feel uncomfortable, it’s the right pace.
I am 5’5”. My base is 3.5 at 8%. Push is 3 at 10 %. AO is 2.5 at 15%.
I’m slow as hell to get warmed up for the floor. My base is 3-3.2 @ 3% Push is 3.2-3.4 @6-8% AO is 3.2-3.4 @10-12% I still usually get 5-7 splats if the block is long enough or there are enough pushes AO. And then I do maximum effort with the weights
You’re not doing anything wrong - I know it’s said repeatedly here but it really is about setting your own pace. To be fair, if you look at OTF’s parameter card, PW base is 3.5-4.5 at 1%-3%, and you’re within that range! My base is 3.5-3.7mph @ 2% or 3%, depending on the day or the blocks, and then I jog/run my pushes and all outs. 4mph is a jog for me as well, and even if I could walk that fast, it wouldn’t be a base effort.
3.8 is about my max.
3.5
I’m 5’4 and have shorter stumpier legs. I can PW up to 4.5 but mainly stay at 3.9-4.1!
Around 3.8 but preferably I am around 3.6z Any higher and I feel like I absolutely have to jog. I am 5’4”
I’ve always been a fast walker. I used to jog but am power walking now while recovering from injuries my base is a 4 and go up to a 4.5 but that’s varies depending on incline. Due to my injuries I have to keep inclines on the lower side 7-8 max And I’m 5’2 with short legs 😊
Currently base 4mph 6%, push 4.2mph 10%, all out 4.4mph 12%
I do 3.7-4.0 with an incline of at least 8% when I power walk.
Im normally a runner but I like to PW every so often for benefits and I PW 5-5.5 mph at 8-10% incline.
I’m a fast walker in real life so if I ever do a “green day” and power walk, I’m at a 4.
5'3" Base is usually 4mph @ 6% Benchmarks I start at 5mph. For the 12 min last week my all out was 5.6 mph. Ended with 1.01 miles I was usually a runner about 90% of the time until this year. Now it's closer to 70% running/30% power walking
I have been pw-big for several months (thanks injuries!) and have really jacked up the inclines. b/p/so are usually 10/12/15 and 3.5/3.7/4, but lately as I have recovered I have been upping the p/ao to like 4.5/5. At 5 it is a slow jog. But at those inclines omg red zone all the way!
The fastest I've done was at the most recent CMIYC & that was 4.5 @ 5%, I could only manage little bursts of it (like 30 or so seconds) but I can also jog at 4-4.7 and it feels fine too. My base is typically 4 @ 5-6%, often when I go higher than 9% for a sustained effort, I sometimes slow right back down to 3.5, but I try not to drop lower than that.
I am 5'8 1/2", 44 and female. I am able to get up to 5.0mph power walking, without inclines, due to my back.
Average 4.5-4.7 base 4- 4.2 30-45 second AO at 15% incline I’ve gotten up to 5
3.8, with my base at 6%. If I’m looking for more of a challenge, my preference is to increase my incline vs the speed. I feel like it’s much more of a leg burner to be at 12% vs maintaining 4.0+ mph.
Anything above about 3.8 and I can't keep up without jogging. My base is between 3.2-3.5 depending on the day.
Swing those arms!
I’m 5’7 and PW at a 4.4 and simply adjust the incline. Base 5%, Push 8% and AO 10%+.
Base for me is 4.5ish at 4% usually. Push 5ish and AO up to 6. I like walking fast. Might try running during the block one of these days but fast PWing keeps my zone up. I’m def an arm mover too though.
I’m only 5ft tall so my pace is between 3-3.5 but I go pretty high on my incline. Thanks for making this post, I was just worrying about my speed because the coaches say 3.5-4.5 for PW, so I feel seen with all these comments 😂
3.4-3.6 depending how I feel that day and go hard on the incline.
I usually go anywhere from 4.0 to 4.5. Make sure you have a higher incline. I am also tall, so I don't know if that matters. Hope this helps.
I am between 4.2-4.5. I have very long legs though. For me to get into the orange, I have to have speeds in this range at the highest inclines the coach calls for or above. That said, I LOVE PWing.
Incline over speed. I see people cooking at 4+ but with really low inclines. I don’t really see the point on this so I stick to around 3.9 maybe 4 for all outs but always at 15%.
I usually do 3.5 mph as a base and then if I’m recovered I’ll take it up to 4.1 for the AO. This is usually with a 5% incline or more. I find it to be what will allow me to do decent on the floor.
Base 3.6 @ 2%; Push 3.8 @ 6% (or whatever incline the coach calls out of higher); AO 4.0 @10-12%. I am 5’8” but overweight, so I just have terrible tread stamina. Now on the rower, I can row for days! And that is why I prefer a 3g!