my go-to 20 minute HIIT.

whenever i want to knock out a high intensity interval sesh.. this is what i do. sometimes the speeds will be either higher or lower depending on how my endurance is at that particular time in my life.. but this is the basic 20 min HIIT for me.

20 min HIIT on treadmill

  • incline=0
    • 2 min @ 6.0
  • incline=0.5
    • 1 min @ 6.5
    • 1 min @ 7.0
    • 1 min @ 7.5
    • 1 min @ 8.0
  • incline=1.0
    • 1 min @ 6.5
    • 1 min @ 7.0
    • 1 min @ 7.5
    • 1 min @ 8.0
  • incline=1.5
    • 1 min @ 6.5
    • 1 min @ 7.0
    • 1 min @ 7.5
    • 1 min @ 8.0
  • incline=2.0
    • 1 min @ 6.5
    • 1 min @ 7.0
    • 1 min @ 7.5
    • 1 min @ 8.0
  • incline=0
    • 1 min @ 9.0 (high point)
    • 1 min @ 2.0 (cool down)

 

as you can see i do two minutes of warm up, then i do four blocks of intervals increasing the incline by 0.5 with each set and also increasing the speed by 0.5 each minute. 

i put the incline back to 0.0 and run for 1 minute as fast as i can (my fastest to date is 10.3 mph)

and to finish off the 20 minutes, i cool down/walk for one minute.

try it!

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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }

Beth January 18, 2010 at 3:44 pm

I’m going to try this tonight! Thanks for all the great tips!

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Allyson March 26, 2010 at 5:18 am

This workout is AMAZING (as is your blog). I’m going to have to try out some others as well!

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Tiffany April 13, 2010 at 2:37 pm

just did this. my butt was thoroughly kicked. and i hit the high point at 9.0 too. thank you SO much!

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Sara @ Fro Yo Foodie May 8, 2010 at 1:30 pm

I tried this today! My first HIIT workout ever! A great routine–will definitely be doing it again soon. :)

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Holly at Greek Yogurt and Apple Slices May 18, 2010 at 6:45 am

This is one of my favorites ;)

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Katie December 22, 2010 at 6:24 am

I’m officially hooked to your HIIT workouts! :)

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Leigh January 14, 2011 at 9:22 am

I tried this workout last night and it was killer! Tough yet so good!

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Kelsey at happyolks March 27, 2011 at 4:18 pm

This looks fabulous! Can’t wait to try it out soon! Perfect for those mornings when you’re in a crunch for time!

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Rachel @ Grateful Girl Goes Gluten Free June 22, 2011 at 8:31 pm

I did this tonight and absolutely loved it! Thanks for having such an awesome blog!!

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Janetha June 23, 2011 at 2:48 pm

I am so glad you liked it :)

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Christina August 1, 2011 at 10:47 pm

Just did this today and loved it. Love your blog keep up the great work :) I am a first time commenter.

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janetha @ meals & moves August 2, 2011 at 1:47 pm

Thanks for commenting, Christina!

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BIOCHEMISTA January 11, 2012 at 7:48 am

This looks like a great quick and super effective workout! Quick ques for you: If I typically run at 7.5mph (incline 1.5%) how would I adjust this? Is your fastest speed a full out sprint? I usually do sprint workouts of 10 x 10.5-11mph for 30-45 seconds each.

Thanks so much!!!!

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janetha January 11, 2012 at 9:26 am

Hey there! Are you familiar with the RPE scale? The fastest speed should be your maximum effort, as in.. you cannot possible go any faster or you would fall flat on your face :)

I have been sprinting at 10.5 MPH with my new workouts, and I think I could probably crank this workout up now that I have improved. I would just take the fastest speed you can go, and then go down 0.5 mph from there for each increment.

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Lili June 23, 2012 at 9:20 pm

So I do this 2-3 a week plus I do the same using the stair master, I feel like I’m getting burned out.. Is it bad to these high intensity work out that many times a week?? I only do cardio.. Sometimes I want to take 2 days off a week from working out.. I have been working out hard for a couple of weeks now.. Cant see much change. Any advice ?

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janetha @ meals & moves June 25, 2012 at 9:21 am

Lili.. You should definitely not be doing HIIT more than 3x a week! And if you are ONLY doing cardio, I really suggest you incorporate strength training into your routine. It makes a world of difference!

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Meaghan August 10, 2012 at 4:40 pm

Hi Janetha,
long time reader, first time commenter. i have been a distance runner for awhile but decided to try something new and try some HIIT workouts – this one was awesome / killed me. just wanted to say that i’m really impressed with your workouts (especially your strength training!) and the way you balance working out with having a job and husband and adorable dogs and life! keep up the good work!

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Janetha August 10, 2012 at 6:28 pm

Wow, Thank you SO much for this comment! It came at a perfect time and really cheered me up :) Best of luck with your training and health and fitness goals!

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FitAndFab June 25, 2013 at 10:25 pm

I love doing an intensity burst workout and from my research, it is important to do this to keep the weight off / maintain your weight. Great to see how you break it down so I can try it myself. Thanks. :-)

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Tracey January 18, 2014 at 1:42 pm

In order to improve my cardio performance when working out, I am taking special nutritional supplement. Haven’t seen anything like that before, but recently found this new product by Military Grade. The name of the product is Cardijex. It enhances heart health, therefore, helps me to intensify my workouts. I can easily go through 2 or even 3 consecutive training classes in the gym. Besides, it promotes calorie burning. Perfect combination for me!

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