RUNNING INTERVAL TRAINING

For running, it is best to do HIIT workouts outdoors. When going and performing the short burst, it is hard to get to a high level of intensity on a treadmill.

The treadmill is also very constant and you will not get the most benefit from the training. The best place is to do the workout outdoors, preferable on a track. There’s 2 ways to measure the intervals; one way is by time and the other is by distance.

If you plan on using the time method, you would need to carry a watch or a stopwatch. The better way is to gauge the intervals by using a distance method. So instead of worrying about hitting a 30 second time frame, you would go for 100 meters which is easier to tell because you can actually see where the start and finish is.

As far as the actually time of intervals go, beginners should start with a 1:1 ratio which is the ratio between work:rest. What this means is the amount of your “rest” should be the same as your “work” time. So a 1:1 ratio is 100 meters running followed by 100 meters walking. After you gain experience and need to bump up the intensity, you would change it to a 2:1 ratio.

Examples of HIIT Workouts

Beginner

A good beginner and simple example of an HIIT workout is a simple 1:1 style run. Each interval is 100 meters and this is easy to tell because on most standard sized tracks, each straight line and curve is 100 meters (400 meters a lap). It is best to have the work distances at 100 meters because you can run faster in a straight line than trying to go around the curve, although either method works fine.

10 minutes warm up
100 meter run
100 meter walk

You would just continue this for at the bare minimum of 4 sets and work your way up to 10 before advancing to high intensity workouts.

Intermediate/Advanced Running

As you progress and can handle the interval training better, you need to bump up the intensity for better workouts.

10 minutes warm up
10 pushups
100 meter run
100 meter jog

The 10 pushups will bring up the heart rate which is going to make the run harder and more intense. You can substitute any exercise such as pullups or squats, but the point is to have a quick set of an exercise to slightly tire the body prior to the run. Also, instead of walking the 100 meters, the jog will be your “rest”, although it will keep the heart rate slightly elevated more compared to walking.

Running interval workouts can be done by people at any level. If you are a beginner, there’s no need to feel intimidated an in no time you will be in great shape and able to complete advanced routines. The key is to take small steps in the right direction.