How To Get The Most Out Of HIIT Treadmill Workouts?
HIIT is one of those acronyms that sounds like just another fitness fad. Yet, this proven technique is a big hit among many fitness fanatics.
It stands for High Intensity Interval Training. This essentially means working at a high intensity on a piece of equipment for a short period, and then resting.
This continues in these intervals for as long as the session lasts. This tough approach is great for fat burning and muscle building.
It is also accessible, with options on many forms of equipment, including treadmills.
In this guide on how to do HIIT treadmill workouts we will look at the following:
- finding your limit
- remembering to cool down
- goal tracking
- choosing the right treadmill for your needs.
There are two key components to HIIT – the high intensity aspect and the idea of intervals.
Starting with the high intensity. As you will no doubt have realised, this means pushing the intensity of the session up for a while.
With treadmill work, this can mean an increase in speed or incline. Some people will choose to do both.
The difference in this jump up to a higher intensity will depend on your abilities and comfort on the machine. The idea here is to push your body to the edge, without collapsing over the other side.
An increase in heart rate and some discomfort is great. This means that the body is working hard to push the muscles and burn energy. The last thing that you want is pain. Don’t push so hard that you risk an injury.
Then there is that idea of the intervals.
Ideally, you want short, sharp bursts of high intensity on the treadmill, followed by gentle intervals of recovery. There are two ways that some newcomers go wrong here.
Either they don’t lower the intensity enough, or they don’t do so for long enough. These recovery sessions are a chance to cool down, catch the breath and get ready for the next burst of motion. Experts recommend a recovery period 4 times as long as the high intensity interval.
This could mean 30 seconds of running at high speed, and then 2 minutes walking at low speed. Some make the mistake of taking the machine down to a jogging speed. This won’t be enough for that contrast between low and high.
Setting goals and progressing with HIIT.
The next consideration when learning how to do HIIT treadmill workouts is planning your sessions and goals. Many trainers and fitness experts recommend that you do this twice a week on non-consecutive days.
This allows for muscle recovery for 48 hours. In that time, you can work on other forms of fitness and plan the next session.
Take note of the speed, incline and duration of the last session. With time, you can increase these factors for a better workout.
However, you have to remember to take things slowly. Don’t increase the speed too much in one go. Don’t jump from a 30 second high intensity interval to a 2 minute one.
Choosing the right running machine for the job.
The best way to achieve this effective session is with a good machine. The best treadmills for offer the following.
- enough speed settings and incline settings to progress
- a good console that offers data on the time, speed and other data for goal tracking
- a wide, non-slip track for a secure footing on that change of pace.
- a heart rate monitor to stay in the right zone during those high intensity intervals
- sturdy, comfortable handrails to hold onto when things get tough
- user profiles to store data on the session
- specialised HIIT programmes in the computer to handle the settings for you
Start slow and build on your achievements.
There is a lot to consider when learning how to do HIIT treadmill workouts. Safety and comfort are just as important as the settings and timings. Once you have a machine that you are comfortable with, and you understand the programming, you can play with the settings.
Start slow with a nice walking pace for a few minutes, then increase the speed and run for 30 seconds. If it is too fast, or too painful, slow things down. With time, you can build on your progress and see some impressive results.
