Do you ever find yourself staring aimlessly at the tv monitor in front of you? We’ve all been there- the treadmill. One foot in front of the other. 2 miles down, 2 to go. Maybe I’ll just walk today. These are probably all things that have popped into your head at some point on the treadmill. But I’m going to change that!
It’s time to give your treadmill routine a makeover. I’m going to break it down into two workouts that will revamp your love for the age-old treadmill with HIIT treadmill workouts. Here’s how it goes…
Warm-Up
It’s crucial to warm-up before any exercise to prevent injury. Start off on your good ole’ friend, the treadmill, at around 2.5-3.5 mph and with a mild incline (3-7). Stay here for about 5-10 minutes to get your muscles warm and ready for the killer burn you’re about to get.
Workout 1
*Set your incline to at least 1…for more of a challenge you can go up to 3.
60-30-30
This is your golden ratio for this workout. You will be performing 60 seconds at a walking pace (2.5-3.5 mph). Then you will kick it up to a light jog (5-6 mph) for 30 seconds. Now here’s the fat blaster…Crank it up to a sprint for 30 seconds (anything over 8 mph is great, you can go higher depending on your fitness level) Once you finished this circuit, repeat 5-10 times.
Workout 2
*Again, set your incline to at least 1…for more of a challenge you can go up to 3.
30-30
Your golden ratio for this workout is 30-30. Start off with a 2.5-3.5 mph walk for 30 seconds. After that, turn up the heat for 30 seconds and do a full-out sprint (anything over 8 mph is great again). Repeat this 5-10 times depending on your fitness level and time constraints.
Don’t forget to add a 5-10 minute cool down walk while you’re still on the treadmill! Once you’ve brought your heart rate back down to a normal pace, hit the mats for some good stretches to finish off your workout.
These two workouts are based on the foundation of HIIT.
High Intensity Interval Training is a great way to burn fat and calories in less time than steady state cardio (for example: a 30 minute cardio workout where you stay at the same intensity). HIIT works to brings your heart rate up sky high, and then bring it back down to a moderate pace, and then back up again. The walking portion of the workouts makes up your lower end heart rate, while your sprinting accounts for your high heart rate.
Add these HIIT Treadmill Workouts at least twice a week to your exercise routine and be prepared to like your results!