I think most runners would agree that running outside along your favorite trail or route on a beautiful spring or fall day is the best way to enjoy your miles.
However, when the seasons change — whether that’s bitter winter winds and dark, snowy mornings, or the suffocating heat and humidity of a summer heatwave — the treadmill often becomes the only sensible option for getting a workout in.
Although a treadmill can be a fantastic training tool and a safer, more appealing alternative to running in extreme conditions, it’s generally not as engaging or gratifying as running outside.
Running on the treadmill can be boring and monotonous, especially if you are plotting along at a steady pace, but you can inject variety and a heavy dose of challenge into your treadmill routines by doing HIIT treadmill workouts.
HIIT training involves alternating bouts of high-intensity exercise with low-intensity exercise or rest periods, often to burn calories efficiently for weight loss, weight maintenance, or fitness.
We’ll get into the benefits of HIIT treadmill workouts and provide several sessions to add to your workout routine when the treadmill is your only option.
What Is a HIIT Treadmill Workout?
HIIT — high-intensity interval training — alternates short bursts of vigorous effort with lower-intensity recovery periods. Almost any exercise can be done in a HIIT format, as long as the hard intervals push your heart rate to around 85–95% of your max.
For our purposes, a HIIT treadmill workout means running intervals — think 30-second sprints — at that elevated intensity.
If you’re new to running or working around an injury, incline walking can serve the same purpose, though very fit individuals may find it difficult to raise their heart rate high enough, even at a brisk pace and at maximum incline.
In terms of length, HIIT treadmill workouts typically run 15–30 minutes, not including warm-up and cool-down.
Some, like Tabata-style sessions, can be as short as 4 minutes; others stretch to 45 minutes. A typical 20-minute session might look like: a 5-minute warm-up jog, 12 x 30-second hard efforts at 85–95% max heart rate with 30 seconds of recovery between each, then a 3-minute easy cool-down.
The treadmill is particularly well-suited to HIIT because it removes guesswork. You set the speed and incline, and the belt holds you accountable. The display counts down your intervals in real time, so switching between hard efforts and recovery is seamless — no watch-checking required.
Depending on the goal of the session, you can manipulate speed, incline, or both during the hard intervals with a treadmill workout.
What Are The Benefits of A HIIT Treadmill Workout?
HIIT treadmill workouts are inherently challenging because you push your body to near-all-out, maximal effort. However, your hard work is rewarded with the numerous health benefits of these high-intensity workouts, including the following:
- Helping you become a faster runner
- Increasing metabolic rate for up to 14 hours after the workout1KNAB, A. M., SHANELY, R. A., CORBIN, K. D., JIN, F., SHA, W., & NIEMAN, D. C. (2011). A 45-Minute Vigorous Exercise Bout Increases Metabolic Rate for 14 Hours. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(9), 1643–1648. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e3182118891
- Training your anaerobic system as well as your aerobic system
- Improving your running economy
- Increasing VO2 max and lactate threshold
- Burning calories efficiently2Zhang, H., Tong, T. K., Qiu, W., Zhang, X., Zhou, S., Liu, Y., & He, Y. (2017). Comparable Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Prolonged Continuous Exercise Training on Abdominal Visceral Fat Reduction in Obese Young Women. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2017, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/5071740, which can help you burn fat when in a calorie deficiency.
- Helping reduce body fat3Viana, R. B., Naves, J. P. A., Coswig, V. S., de Lira, C. A. B., Steele, J., Fisher, J. P., & Gentil, P. (2019). Is interval training the magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing moderate-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53(10), bjsports-2018-099928. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099928
- Providing an effective workout in an efficient amount of time4Wewege, M., van den Berg, R., Ward, R. E., & Keech, A. (2017). The effects of high-intensity interval training vs. moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews, 18(6), 635–646. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12532
- Building strength
- Providing a more engaging treadmill experience5Gillen, J. B., Martin, B. J., MacInnis, M. J., Skelly, L. E., Tarnopolsky, M. A., & Gibala, M. J. (2016). Twelve Weeks of Sprint Interval Training Improves Indices of Cardiometabolic Health Similar to Traditional Endurance Training despite a Five-Fold Lower Exercise Volume and Time Commitment. PLOS ONE, 11(4), e0154075. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154075 compared to a steady-state run to help pass the workout time
- Presenting a way to improve your mental strength and focus
- Boosting confidence
What Are The Best HIIT Treadmill Workouts to Get Faster?
A HIIT treadmill workout has nearly endless configuration possibilities, which is excellent for my athletes who can’t get outside for their sessions.
You can set different durations for the hard intervals and even vary their lengths throughout the workout.
For example, a good HIIT treadmill workout for beginners consists of sets of 30 seconds hard, followed by 30 seconds easy. Still, you can also do cycles of 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy, 60 seconds hard, and 60 seconds easy. There are no rules.
No matter how you structure the intervals, all HIIT treadmill workouts should begin with a few minutes of easy running to warm up and end with a couple of minutes of easy jogging to cool down.
The best workouts challenge you, keep you engaged, and make you worry you might not finish (but you will!). Below, I share a few of my best treadmill interval workouts that have helped my athletes improve and run faster from the comfort of a treadmill.
#1: 20-Minute HIIT Treadmill Workout for Beginners
- 5-minute warm-up of brisk walking or easy jogging.
- 12 x 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy. Aim for a pace that feels like a fast run and gets your heart rate up to 85-95% of your maximum heart rate.
- 3-minute cool-down walk.
#2: 30-Minute HIIT Treadmill Workout to Build Speed
- 5-minute warm-up, walking or jogging slowly.
- 10 x 45 seconds hard, 45 seconds easy. Aim for a pace that feels like a fast run and gets your heart rate up to 85-95% of your maximum heart rate.
- 5 x 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy. Aim for a pace that feels like a sprint and gets your heart rate up to 90-95% of your maximum heart rate.
- 5-minute walk to cool down.
#3: 30-Minute HIIT Treadmill Workout for Experienced Runners
- 4-minute warm-up, light jog.
- 10 x 45 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy. Run the hard intervals at mile race pace.
- 10 x 45 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy. Run the hard intervals at an 800m race pace.
- 2-minute cooldown.
#4: 30-Minute Treadmill Workout at 6-Minute Pace
You can also do treadmill HIIT workouts designed for running at a specific pace.
This example is a 6-min/mi treadmill interval workout, but you can choose a different pace for your hard intervals.
Choose a speed that feels like you’re working at 85-90% capacity.
- 5-minute warm-up jog.
- 16 x 45 seconds hard at 10 mph, 30 seconds easy at 6 mph.
- 5-minute cool-down jog.
#5: Hit the Distance HIIT Treadmill Workout
In this HIIT treadmill workout, rather than competing for time with each interval, you’ll run for distance.
You’ll cover three miles for the intervals portion of the workout, with two miles at race pace.
- 5-minute warm-up jog.
- 20 reps x 0.1 miles at mile race pace, 0.1-mile recovery jog.
- 5-minute cooldown.
You can also play around with the incline during your hard intervals, especially if you are training for a hilly race or prefer incline walking to running or jogging.
Start with a 3.0% grade, and gradually build up to running at a 6-10% grade or more. If you are walking, you can even walk up to 15% incline.
Doing HIIT running workouts on the treadmill is a fantastic way to boost your fitness, improve your running, and lead to faster race times. It also helps the workout time fly by.
While HIIT treadmill workouts can certainly be challenging, they may just be the ticket you need to embrace treadmill running and improve your fitness.
If you aren’t familiar with running on a treadmill but see treadmill running in your near future, you can check out our guide:
References
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