HIT training on treadmil

Sara2525
Sara2525 Posts: 50 Member
edited October 1 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey everyone,

I started doing HIT running on the treadmil once or twice a week since my hubby works 24 hours at a time and my kids are too little to leave alone while I go for a run. What intervals do you do? I have been doing 1 minute at 6 mph, 1 minute at 8, 1 minute on 5 and then repeat for 2 miles.

I hate running on the treadmil so I'm looking to change it up a bit so I don't get bored!

Replies

  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    This page lists 5 variations. I happen to do the "Body for Life" way. I think they're probably all equally valid. http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html

    The main point is that when you're doing the high point, it should be an all-out effort, if the interval is over but you feel like you probably could have kept going a while at that speed, then it was too slow. If the whole routine is over and you don't feel completely spent, then you weren't going at it hard enough. Normally these routines are about 15-20 minutes.
  • pvtnick
    pvtnick Posts: 18 Member
    I'm assuming you have a treadmill at home since you said you can't leave your kids alone. What kind of distractions do you have? (Music, TV etc.) You also don't necessarily have to do intervals every day. Try varying the length and intensity of your routine, maybe intervals every other workout, in between do a longer workout at a slower pace or a shorter workout at a faster pace. I combine all of these to keep my workout from getting too vanilla even though the workout itself doesn't change a ton.
  • lframent
    lframent Posts: 33
    Part of my Saturday workout is elliptical intervals. They are relative as well, so you can adjust them to fit your own needs/ability.

    SmartCardio elliptical intervals:
    1. Warmup: 3 - 5 minutes gradually increasing from easy to moderate intensity.
    2. Exert at maximum effort and speed for 45 seconds. Give a million percent!
    3. Recover for 90 seconds.
    4. Repeat numbers 2 and 3, ten times.
    5. Cooldown: 3 minutes gradually decreasing from moderate to easy intensity.
    6. Stretch!
    OR
    Butt-Busting Hill Repeats:
    1. Warmup: 3 - 5 minutes gradually increasing from easy to moderate intensity.
    2. Increase elliptical's resistance to moderate (anywhere from 6 - 10). For two minutes, push yourself at a hard intensity. Give a million percent!
    3. Decrease resistance and recover for 1 minute.
    4. Repeat numbers 2 and 3 four times (adjust to fit you personally).
    5. Cooldown: 3 - 5 minutes gradually decreasing from moderate to easy intensity.
    6. Stretch!

    Just some suggestions! Hope all is well and good-luck! x

    *Just realised you said you have a treadmill. You can do both of these workouts on a treadmill. Instead of increasing resistance (as you would on an elliptical), you will change the incline or speed, or both.
  • calamitygk
    calamitygk Posts: 3 Member
    I found this under guerrilla cardio but it is the same thing as hitt training. I love it and usually burn at least 400 calories in the duration. Here it goes...

    Minutes 1-4
    Warm up at 50% of preceived maximum effort followed by:

    Minute 5:
    Sprinting for 20 seconds (Maximum effort)
    rest for 10 seconds (50% effort)
    Sprinting for 20 seconds
    Rest for 10 seconds

    Minute 6:
    Sprinting for 20 seconds (Maximum effort)
    rest for 10 seconds (50% effort)
    Sprinting for 20 seconds
    Rest for 10 seconds

    Minute 7:
    Sprinting for 20 seconds (Maximum effort)
    rest for 10 seconds (50% effort)
    Sprinting for 20 seconds
    Rest for 10 seconds

    Minute 8:
    Sprinting for 20 seconds (Maximum effort)
    rest for 10 seconds (50% effort)
    Sprinting for 20 seconds
    Rest for 10 seconds

    Minutes 9-12:
    Cool down @ 50% of perceived maximum effort

    And if running hard for 4 minutes is not enough for you you can always go for 9-12 min and then do a 3 min cool down at the end. Enjoy!
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    The ones at my gym have presets that you can change for the run, I walk at 3.5-4 for 5 minutes to warm up, run at 6 for 5 minutes, then based on how I'm feeling I go into a 2 minute off 1 minute on rotation for 20 - 50 minutes (depending on if I'm doing 30 minutes or an hour, obviously the speed is different if I'm going for an hour). I'm not that fast so it usually ends up being around 4.5 or 4 for the off speed and 6.5 for the on speed.

    The thing to keep in mind about HIIT is that it's about intensity and not distance. If you do what you're saying, 6-8-5 for 2 miles, it'll take you the exact same amount of time every time you do it. You want to push yourself on the on speeds. I would say start with just two levels, fast and slow, and give yourself a time limit rather than a distance. At each fast interval set a speed that you don't quite think you can make for the full minute (or whatever time you chose) such that you have to really push yourself for those last 10-15 seconds each time. If it varies a little from workout to workout or even from interval to interval that's fine. Build up from there, so that maybe instead of a minute at 8 you're doing a minute at 9 or 10 once you get a lot of practice in.

    That's just my $0.02.

    As for not getting bored, my tablet+bluetooth headphones is absolutely clutch, I watch movies or tv shows while I'm working out.
  • portexploit
    portexploit Posts: 378 Member
    Right now I am doing a very... different style of intervals, but one of my favorite methods is out of BFL book. It uses a pyramid interval method. You use something called a perceived exertion scale PE for short. 0-10 0 is laying in bed doing nothing, 2 might be walking, 4 might be walking carrying groceries etc… 10 is your all out balls to the wall intensity, where you can’t push any harder. This pyramid method is
    Intensity levels
    5
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    6
    7
    8
    9
    6
    7
    8
    9
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10
    5

    You grow by pushing yourself. If you're a 500lbs person, or an olympic athlete, PE of 10 will always be your max, this method will continue to grow with you. It's better then using a speed based interval method because you can out grow the speed.
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    @portexploit nice, same as me. do you follow other parts of BFL as well?
  • portexploit
    portexploit Posts: 378 Member
    This page lists 5 variations. I happen to do the "Body for Life" way. I think they're probably all equally valid. http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html

    The main point is that when you're doing the high point, it should be an all-out effort, if the interval is over but you feel like you probably could have kept going a while at that speed, then it was too slow. If the whole routine is over and you don't feel completely spent, then you weren't going at it hard enough. Normally these routines are about 15-20 minutes.

    That's a cool page, I did discuss the BFL method on my post. I am currently doing the "Strength For Life" program by shawn phiillips. The intervals are very similar to the tabata method.
  • portexploit
    portexploit Posts: 378 Member
    @portexploit nice, same as me. do you follow other parts of BFL as well?

    I am doing the "Strength For LIfe" program by shawn phillips. It's a really nice program. So right now I am not doing any body for life stuff. I might change over to the body for life style of intervalis, you already know about intensity levels... here is how it's layed out in SFL

    3,5,6,9,4,9,4,10,4,10,4,10,4,10,4,9,4,9,4,3

    As you can see there are 4 10's. With a 1 minute rest, not even enough time to do anything, then it hits you again. In the pyramid method, you get a longer rest when you hit 9 you go back down to 6, then 7,8,9... I only done this sessions once, today Is my 2nd session of these intervals. If It gets too difficult, i would switch over to the BFL method.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I change it up also. Like today this:

    2 min at 4.0 warmup
    3 min at 6.5
    2 min 4.0
    2 min 7.0
    2 min 4.0
    1.5 min 7.5
    2 min 4.0
    1 min 8.0
    2 min 4.0
    1.5 min 7.5
    2 min 4.0
    2 min 7.0
    2 min 4.0
    3 min 6.5
    1 min 4.0
    1 min 3.5 cooldown

    Total 28 minutes. Almost like a pyramid, because I go up, peak, then go back down. I only do a couple sessions of this a week because they are pretty intense.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    Bump: since I'm on doctor recommended rest (knee inflammation) wondering if I could do this on the elliptical and at what resistance?
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Bump: since I'm on doctor recommended rest (knee inflammation) wondering if I could do this on the elliptical and at what resistance?

    Ellipticals are great for when you're injured. I have no idea what resistance you should do, since it depends on you, I'd say start with a very low resistance and build up as you get more comfortable. Keep an eye on your knee particularly through the on phases to make sure you don't re-injure anything. Might also want to just ask your doctor since that's much more reliable than trusting a random person on the web =)
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