If you’ve spent any time looking up fitness and training information, there’s no doubt that you’ve come across the HIIT acronym. And you might be wondering about HIIT at the gym.
Indeed, we’ve seen a steady rise in the popularity of high-intensity interval training, and these days, many folks use it to elevate their fitness and health.
But, what is HIIT, what benefits does it offer, and, more importantly, how can we do it in the simplest, safest, and most effective way?
Let’s see.
What is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)?
There are quite a few wrong ideas as to what exactly constitutes as high-intensity interval training.
As its name suggests, HIIT is a workout protocol, arranged as short and intense bursts of exercise, followed by periods of recovery between each round. And HIIT at the gym actually works very well and fits in nicely to most overall workout programs.
Now, it’s first important to note. You can do high-intensity training, and you can do interval training, but those don’t necessarily classify as traditional HIIT. To be classified as HIIT, each round you do needs to be at (or near) your limit. And by limit we mean the upper end of your training intensity.
This also means that each round will be relatively short – between 10 and 60 seconds, for the most part.
10 Minute HIIT Workout at the Gym
This is a simple, 10-minute HIIT workout that will burn a good clip of calories, plus the EPOC effect (afterburn effect). And 10 minutes is all you need for an effective HIIT workout!
The cycle below is pretty simple: Walk 1 minute, Run 30 seconds — Walk 1 minute, Run 30 seconds — perform this cycle for 10 minutes and you’re done!
Approximately 10 seconds prior to the Fast Jog cycle, you will need to start increasing the treadmill speed at a controlled rate. It will take you ~ 10 seconds to get up to speed.
NOTES on Treadmill Speed:
Walking = Treadmill Speed 3.0
Fast Jog = Treadmill Speed 6.5 – 9.0
(Speed Depends on Experience/Fitness Level)
| Treadmill Timer | Treadmill Speed | Exercise | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 – 1:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 1:00 – 1:30 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 1:30 – 2:30 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 2:30 – 3:00 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 3:00 – 4:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 4:00 – 4:30 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 4:30 – 5:30 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 5:30 – 6:00 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 6:00 – 7:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 7:00 – 7:30 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 7:30 – 8:30 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 8:30 – 9:00 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 9:00 – 10:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
15 Minute HIIT Workout at the Gym
Very much like the 10 minute HIIT workout, just add 5 minutes. And because it’s longer and more intense, the cool down is 1-1/2 minutes.
Walk 1 minute, Run 30 seconds — Walk 1 minute, Run 30 seconds — perform this cycle for 15 minutes and you’re done!
Approximately 10 seconds prior to the Fast Jog cycle, you will need to start increasing the treadmill speed at a controlled rate. It will take you ~ 10 seconds to get up to speed.
NOTES on Treadmill Speed:
Walking = Treadmill Speed 3.0
Fast Jog = Treadmill Speed 6.5 – 9.0
(Speed Depends on Experience/Fitness Level)
| Treadmill Timer | Treadmill Speed | Exercise | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0:00 – 1:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 1:00 – 1:30 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 1:30 – 2:30 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 2:30 – 3:00 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 3:00 – 4:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 4:00 – 4:30 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 4:30 – 5:30 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 5:30 – 6:00 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 6:00 – 7:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 7:00 – 7:30 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 7:30 – 8:30 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 8:30 – 9:00 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 9:00 – 10:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 10:30 – 11:30 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1 minute |
| 13:00 – 13:30 | 6.5 – 9.0 | Fast Jog | 30 seconds |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | 3.0 | Walking | 1-1/2 minutes |
The Simplest and Most Effective Way to Do HIIT at the Gym
There are tons of ways to do HIIT, which is one of the great things about it. But, for the sake of simplicity, we’ll go over one of the most versatile options:
Most of us have access to a gym, or, at least, a treadmill. Doing HIIT at the gym is best done on a treadmill with either a 10 minute or 15 minute HIIT as shown above. They are easy to work with, and offer the ability to dash or sprint and easily monitor both your speed as well as your time.
It is critical to warm-up very well with some light jogging, a bit of stretching, and some dynamic movements. Then, hop on the treadmill and rotate 30 seconds of fast running or sprinting, followed by minute-long slow walks. Rotate for ten to fifteen minutes and call it a day.
If you’re looking for a longer HIIT routine, that can be found at this 20 minute treadmill HIIT.
Converting Treadmill Speed to Minutes per Mile
Many joggers and runners like to measure speed in minutes per mile. So you might ask, at a treadmill speed of 6.0, what is that pace in minutes per mile?
Here is a simple way to make that conversion.
Just divide the treadmill speed into 60, and that is the minutes/mile.
At a treadmill speed of 6.0:
60/6.0 = 10 minutes per mile (also known as “10 minute miles”)
At a treadmill speed of 4.0:
60/4.0 = 15 minutes per mile (also known as “15 minute miles”)
At a treadmill speed of 10.0:
60/10.0 = 6 minutes per mile (also known as “6 minute miles”)
HIIT Safety Precautions
- Always warm-up well before pushing your body hard. This will help lubricate your joints, warm-up your connective tissues, and prevent injuries. (1)
- Don’t push past your limit. Push yourself, and once you notice that you’re losing speed and explosiveness, slow down to recover before the next round.
- Maintain proper technique. Pushing your body to its limits is a great way to get fit, but only if you maintain proper form while you’re at it. So, before thinking about anything else, ensure that your technique is solid.
Don’t overdo it because HIIT is quite stressful, and it takes a fair bit of time to recover adequately. As a rule of thumb, you should start with no more than two weekly sessions with at least 48 hours of recovery in-between. (2)
Three Awesome Benefits of HIIT at the Gym
These are just three of the many amazing benefits HIIT offers:
1. HIIT is Fast and Effective
The most apparent benefit of HIIT is that it’s a quick and effective way of getting a workout in. You can be in and out of your gym in 30 minutes, and have a really impactful workout.
Where most types of exercise take at least forty minutes to deliver significant benefit, you can do six to ten intense rounds with some recovery time in-between, and call it a day.
2. HIIT Burns a Good Deal of Calories
Because HIIT is inherently challenging, it burns a lot of calories. It’s not uncommon to burn upward of 300 calories from a single, challenging session.
Plus, there is a post-training caloric burn thanks to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which usually lasts for about 24 hours. This is also known as the afterburn effect. This is a game changer, as even after you have left the gym and gotten on with your day, you’re still burning calories. (3)
3. It Makes You More Athletic
Due to the nature of it, high-intensity interval training is excellent if you want to build muscle, lose fat, get stronger, increase your endurance, and become faster and more explosive.
HIIT at the gym is a great way to achieve an excellent workout on a tight schedule. You can be in and out of the gym in 10-20 minutes, and have a great workout under your belt for the day. Even better, you’ll burn calories for the next 24 hours as a result of the workout. A great benefit of HIIT.
Click to return to other HIIT articles.
David Williams
A diet and fitness enthusiast, David Williams is an ex-Army Airborne Ranger and Infantry soldier with decades of fitness and wellness experience. A West Point graduate with a degree in engineering, he focuses on technical research related to fitness, nutrition, and wellness. He loves the beach, and spending time with his wife and daughters.
References
- Contributors, W. M. D. E. (n.d.). Warm-up exercises: Do they improve performance and reduce injuries? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-warmup-exercises
- Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Rule of thumb definition & meaning. Dictionary.com.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/rule-of-thumb Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, June 22). Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excess_post-exercise_oxygen_consumption
