HIIT on a Treadmill doable?

R

rudai123

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I tried doing HIIT on a treadmill at my gym alternating between 3.6 mph and 10mph for 1 min each for 20 minutes total. My concern is that 10mph is not my sprint speed/all out. But am a little frightened of going over 10mph as I might fall, hit my head, and look like an idiot.
Does anyone do HIIT on a treadmill? Does anyone do over 10mph? I figure I would need to go 12mph. If someone is going that fast, I'd give it a shot.
 
If you don't like the treadmill, do it on a bike, do it in the pool or get outside and do it on a football field or something?
 
I wouldn't want to do it on a treadmill. That seems a little controlled, and though this seems paradoxical, dangerous. I'd just run it out on the track or a field or sumfing.
 
I prefer running it on the track, but sometimes it is more convienent for me to HIIT right after a workout for 20 minutes so I tend to relie on the threadmill. I usually don't have any problems with it, the only thing that bugs me is that every time I switch to a new speed (like a minute) I have to hold down the speed control, but other than that HIIT on any cardio machine works. I've also tried HIIT with swimming and other activities, it works out well.
 
The toughest thing about the treadmill:
1. Going from slow to fast takes about 15 seconds
2. While speed is increasing, this can be tough

I usually set my jog speed at 3.2mph and my sprint speed to 10.5. After I get to 10.5mpg I manually increase it to 11mpg. Once you get to your top speed, it's not so bad.
 
I'm now doing on the treadmill:
1 min at 3.2 mph
40 secs at 11.5 (i set the speed interval setting at 10.5, then manually kick it up to 11.5)
I get my heartrate up to about 175 or so for the spring and down to about 155 on the jog.

It seems to be working pretty well. The problem with the treadmill is that it take about 20 seconds to get from 3.2 to 11.5 and 20 seconds to come down. I try and factor this in.
 
I didn't realise you could pre program the treadmill to do this automatically? I'm only starting out with HIIT today so haven't used the treadmill in this way before. Good tip!
 
My treadmill lets you preset 2 speeds, then toggle between the 2. I set it for 3.2 mpg and 10.5 mph. Once I get to 10.5, then I manually bring it up to 11.5 (so as to get used to the increased speed). I would not recommend this for most folks. It is a little dangerous, and you need to be totally focused or you will fall and hit your head. I'm just a little psycho.
 
request for help

Rudai123

Can you please tell me which treadmill lets you preset 2 speeds enabling you to toggle between the 2 and do HIIT? I would sincerely appreciate your reply if you can reply to " vamepranishkr@yahoo.com "

Varsad
 
At my apartment, they have treadmill that goes up to 22km/h around 13mile/hr. It doesn't have a setting, but it stops 20 seconds if there is no activity and then I can start again. I just "jump" to the side after 30 seconds. Walk around, and then when it comes to a complete stop, I just press the button to "continue" and it will race up to max speed within 10 seconds... I do 10 reps. People look funny at me when I kick the motor up, it sounds pretty noisy^^. When I first started, I had to stop by 5-7 reps.. Now, after 4 months later, I can easily do 10 reps, but my heartbeat is around 170-180; btw, I'm 38 now.
 
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The problems I find with doing HIIT on a treadmill are:

1. As already stated, changing speed takes a little bit of time instead of automatically going from your recover rate to your intensity rate. While not a huge deal, it could be a problem if you need to cut back intensity quickly.

2. When you are not using your own 'power', you might not be at your highest possible intensity for your burst. Again, not a huge deal, and this can go either way -- you may not be pushing yourself as hard as you can (as you've stated) OR maybe you are setting the treadmill at a higher level than you would do yourself.

Either way - if you are happy getting your cardio on a treadmill, then use it. Also, you can use the treadmill for basic cardio, then use something else for HIIT - changing things up is good for the body too!

Good luck.
 
Surely the point of HIIT is to get to your max, not someone elses. If you find it gets your heart to its max to run 4mph then this is enough in my understanding, its not about going the same speed as everyone else. Each person is different, can achieve different speeds or intensities/gradients. Its not a speed competition.
 
Interesting thread! I use a disused, but still perfectly good 400m running track for intervals during the summer months, but in the dark winter evenings in the UK I use my treadmill.

Since it's top speed is 10Mph, I set it at an incline of 6%, jog at 3Mph for 2 minutes, then as the timer gets to xx:40 on the display, I hit the 10MPH preset (to give it time to wind up to 10 - which it has by xx:00) and then do either 1 or 2 minutes of that (depending on workout) and repeat x 8-10

Although I can run faster than that, I wouldn't feel comfortable running any faster on a treadmill - I simply increase the intensity by upping the gradient and or duration - I'm maxxing out my heart-rate by the 2nd interval and it seems to shred fat too! Also, when I've finished the interval, I don't wait for the belt to wind down to 3MPH, I just stand on the rails at the side until it's slowed down, then get back on.

Happy running!

Nick
 
I've been training on a new treadmill they have at my gym for the past 6 weeks and its doing great for me. Its actually built for hiit, all I need to do is a 3min, 3x a week, so I'm out of the gym in minutes. So far I've lost almost 10 pounds and added lots of muscle mass doing onnly that...well only is a bit weak since your comletely exhausted when your done the 3 min routine. Has anyone else used it ? the maker has a website
 
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