An active lifestyle is fundamental to health but a busy schedule makes it harder to squeeze in a workout routine. You can still get the most out of the day no matter how preoccupied you are.
Did you know that 20-minute treadmill HIIT exercises per day can bring you closer to your fitness goals? They are a great way to increase energy, shed calories, and boost stamina. You just need to work smart to maintain a fast and efficient gym session every time you get on that treadmill. So, how does this work, and what are the benefits? If you are serious about HIIT, Technogym has crafted the best workout plan to help you get rolling.
HIIT defined
High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT refers to a specific set of hard bouts of exercise interspersed with low-intensity periods of recovery. You must challenge yourself almost to the maximum output during the intervals. In a HIIT session, expect your heart rate to range anywhere between 80 and 95% of the maximal heart rate.
At low-intensity intervals, you may work lightly or take a complete rest.
A 20-minute treadmill workout is all you need to lose weight and tone your muscle in the least amount of time possible. Because of their flexibility, people perform HIIT sessions using different equipment including Technogym Bench, ideal for a full-body workout, and Bench Personal which involves the use of hexagonal dumbbells. Other gym enthusiasts prefer the Adjustable Bench, an all-around compact bench for free-weight and bodyweight exercises including dumbbell and barbell training. But this guide focuses on treadmill HIIT.
Can 20-minute HIIT on a treadmill suffice?
A lot of people dread HIIT workouts because they are uncomfortably hard. If you have made up your mind to proceed with these exercises, you want to know 'is 20-minute HIIT enough?' The best thing about treadmill HIIT is that you don't have to wait for months to see results.
Performing short bursts of high-intensity training alternated with periods of rest can make a significant difference within a week. For weight loss, high interval training works three times better than moderate-intensity gym activities. Apart from burning calories, it improves your blood pressure and aerobic capacity. Always push harder so you can benefit from the afterburn, a period during which your calorie burn is elevated because of consuming a higher amount of oxygen than usual.
Meanwhile, your body experiences homeostatic disturbance as the lungs are forced to take in more oxygen, leading to higher energy production. This fires up the metabolism and your muscles will be burning fat long after the training session is over. Generally, a 20-minute treadmill workout can help you burn the same amount of calories you would in a 50-minute session of continuous training.
This is due to the greater afterburn effect of HIIT.
Discover Skillrun
Be sure to customize HIIT to meet your fitness goals and incorporate strength training throughout the week. In essence, a 20-minute treadmill HIIT per day can reduce body fat and grow muscles. While intervals are both physically and mentally draining, they are some of the most effective ways to train especially if you are time-pressed most of the time.
A 20-Minute schedule for treadmill HIIT
Not sure about what to include in your 20-minute treadmill HIIT? There's a good plan to help you get started.
Depending on your fitness level and heart rate, you may adjust the speed. Begin with a warm-up session- set the treadmill speed to 3mph and walk for 60 seconds. Next, jog at a faster speed of about 7-9mph for 30. Ten seconds before your first jog, consider ramping up the speed on the treadmill to set the pace for the jog cycle. You will be alternating these intervals until the twenty minutes are over.
It should take you about 13 walking cycles and 12 jogging cycles to complete a 20-minute treadmill HIIT. In the last walking interval, consider extending it to 90 seconds to cool down. When done, stretch for a few minutes to improve muscle recovery. Generally, HIIT workouts are shorter than regular cardio, meaning they can fit into any busy schedule.
| Exercise | Duration (seconds) | Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 60 | 3 |
| Jog | 30 | 7-9 |
| Walk | 90 | 3 |
How many calories can 20-minute treadmill workouts burn?
Treadmills help to burn calories more than most cardio machines.
The amount of calories burned varies depending on your speed/intensity and body weight. A higher pace makes the lungs work harder, so you'll be looking forward to losing more fat than when jogging at a low speed.
The heavier you are, the more your body burns calories. For instance, a person weighing 185 pounds can burn 237 calories in 20 minutes running at 5mph while another one weighing 155 pounds will burn 160calories at the same rate.
Also, gender matters when it comes to any physical activity. Men generally lose more calories than women when exercising at the same speed on the treadmill. Understanding these variables is the first step to calculating 20-minute treadmill workout calories burned. The treadmill calculator gives you an estimate but not the exact number. Don't forget that every person's efficiency is different.
The leaner and the more experienced you are, the lower the number of calories you can burn with treadmill HIIT. You'll realize that certain speeds work better for your body. After a while, you might want to change your pace from jogging to running. That's why you need to work on your explosiveness with such equipment as Kettlebell and Weights dumbbells to train all muscle groups. Lastly, keep in mind that the most effective workout is the one you execute. Maximize your per-minute calorie burn by performing treadmill HIIT regularly.
