Is this a true HIIT workout?

Looks like HIIT to me. Is the 9 the speed number or the incline number? I mess with the incline cause I don't like to run I do adjust speed up to a super fast walk 4 w/incline 11 or 12. Then down to 4 incline and reduce speed to recover a bit. I am not able to complete more than 16 -18 min-too wiped..

That counts at high intensity.

You should know that intensity is more related to your own abilities than anything else.

Most hard exercise that lasts between 10-60 seconds at 90%+ effort probably counts as high intensity.

Keep it up.

PS I recommend turning the incline up to 10 degrees and running at 6 mph. Your calves, glutes, and hams will be burning and you'll tone while you burn fat. Good luck.

9mph = a 25second 100m sprint time. Thats pretty slow, like really slow.. A stat I just found on untrained females should be in the 16-17 second mark for that distance. my hunch is you're cheating yourself slightly. When I trained I was constantly amazed at peoples ability to think they are going max out yet be nowhere close.

You have the right idea about what HIIT is, it's pushing maximal effort movements followed by rest. You're ratios look about correct.

If you want a tip to improve on what you're doing, find a track or a grass field and use that instead of tredmill. Or if thats not an option, use the tredmill with it turned off. Thats right, don't let the machine run. You run it. 30 seconds full on sprint like you are doing. It's a much more effective way of doing hiit imo.

It's speed. I set incline at 0

You should up the incline too--- According to Chris Powell "walking w/o an incline = the treadmill is walking for you".

HIIT is giving it all you got for a set amount of time and then taking it slower for a period of time and repeating. Of course you always have a the warm up and cool down. It can be done on anything but I think running not on a treadmill gives you the max workout.

The treadmills at my gym have a speed interval program so I only have to press one button. But thanks for the elliptical suggestion...I'm sure I'll want to change things up now and then.

Oh, fancy! My ten dollar gym lacks such equipment. That sounds nice. I would definitely do it on the treadmill if that was the case.

Hi everyone

I've seen a couple posts here and there about how most people who think they are doing HIIT are really just doing intervals. I want to make sure I'm doing HIIT. Spent some time with google but got conflicting info.

Here is what I do:

(On treadmill)

3 min warm up walk
Then

30 sec @9.0 (very intense, don't want to do another second)
60 sec @2.5
Repeat 7-8x

Cool down a few minutes
Total time on treadmill is 16-18 minutes.

Thanks!

Yep. All out effort for 15-45 sec, with recovery time about 3 times as long to let HR drop back down.
The longer the recovery, the higher you can go up. With 30/60 your high will start losing it. Might want to make it 90 sec, and whatever speed allows you to get back into Recovery HR zone fast for majority of that 90.
5 min warmup walk, 2 min jog at 4.5 or 5 to get into aerobic zone, then 8x intervals of 30/90, 10 min cooldown walk.
That's 25 min total.

Also, this is considered a lifting type workout, you'll need the same recovery the day after as lifting would need, or else your muscles aren't really getting the repair/rebuilding they need to improve.
So can do cardio using the same muscles but only in the Recovery HR zone (aka "fat-burning" zone, which is good for something). Need blood flow only, no extra stress.
Shouldn't be lifting the next day either.

This is great routine on upper body lifting day or end of lifting workout, then the next day total rest to recover.

You might check treadmills too if several models. Some do allow interval sessions where you set the speeds and incline, and a button press switches between them.
Even better are the ones you program the time into also.

Agree on incline, at least 1 to mimic outdoor flat.

Great weekly routine to keep things mixed up.

slow runner my azz... your doing 9mph.. Some guys i know can't get that high w/ ther hiit intervals.. Keep that up, your going to be in good shape very soon... GOOD JOB THEIR.. way to go..

9mph = a 25second 100m sprint time. Thats pretty slow, like really slow.. A stat I just found on untrained females should be in the 16-17 second mark for that distance. my hunch is you're cheating yourself slightly.

Not to be rude, but are you insane??? 9 mph is damn fast, IMO. The fastest 1-minute interval I've been able to do is 8 mph, and my heart rate is 190+ by the end of it. 16 seconds for 100 meters is the equivalent of 14 mph. Do you really think most people can run that fast, even for short intervals?

General interval training.
http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/IntervalTraining.html

Benefits of HIIT for fat loss.
http://www.exrx.net/FatLoss/HIITvsET.html

Benefit of SIT for endurance.
http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/HIIT.html