HIIT Cardio Workout Routine For The Treadmill

The 20 second dash HIIT cardio workout routine

On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing a fat sizzling HIIT cardio workout routine for the treadmill, from my Live Lean Sprint 2.0 program.

Over the past week and a half, I’ve shared 8 episodes in our video series on the Truth About Cardio.

The goal of this video series was to help launch our brand new 7 week, Live Lean Sprint 2.0 cardio program.

This cardio program was designed to break you out of your cardio comfort zone, so you can get the fastest results possible from your cardio workouts.

Due to the positive response of these episodes, I’ve decided to hook you up with a free HIIT Cardio Workout Routine For The Treadmill, from Live Lean Sprint 2.0.

This is just a sign of my appreciation for being a subscriber to our Live Lean TV YouTube channel, and hopefully a spark for you to take action.

So if you’re ready to kiss your stubborn belly fat goodbye, this is the HIIT cardio workout routine for you.

But first, here are links to all the episodes in the Truth About Cardio video series.

Truth about cardio playlist:

• First episode: Pros and cons of HIIT cardio
• Second episode: Pros and cons of LISS cardio
• Third episode: How to do HIIT cardio correctly
• Fourth episode: How many times per week should I do cardio?
• Fifth episode: Fasted cardio vs fed cardio for fat loss
• Sixth episode: Does walking burn belly fat?
• Seventh episode: High intensity interval training vs metabolic training
• Eighth episode: How to do cardio without a treadmill
• Ninth episode: HIIT cardio workout routine for the treadmill

Recap: the benefits of a HIIT cardio workout routine:

If this is your first episode in this Truth About Cardio series, let me quickly break down what a HIIT cardio workout is.

HIIT cardio is simply alternating between a high intensity, maximum effort interval, followed by low intensity, active recovery interval.

The primary benefits of a HIIT cardio workout routine include:

1. More TOTAL calories burned: due to the boost in your metabolism for an extended period of time, after your workout.

2. Triggers the Afterburn Effect: this increase in your metabolism after your workout, often referred to as the Afterburn Effect, creates an increase in fat burning.

3. Boosts cardio health: improves both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems.

But before starting your HIIT cardio workout, it’s important to calculate your HIIT heart rate training zones.

Calculate your HIIT heart rate training zones:

To do this, first calculate your maximum heart rate.

• Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) = (220 – age)

For example, I am 38 years young, so my MHR is:

• 220 – 38 = 182 beats per minute (bpm)

Next, calculate your high intensity interval training zone, which for this workout is set at 90% of your MHR.

• High intensity interval training zone = MHR * .90
• 182 * .90 = 164 bpm

Finally, calculate your low intensity interval training zone, which for this workout is set at 60% of your MHR.

• Low intensity interval training zone = MHR * .60
• 182 * .60 = 110 bpm

So for me, the goal of this workout is to elevate my heart rate to 164 bpm for the high intensity intervals and 110 bpm for the low intensity intervals.

Once the high intensity interval is over, I’ll take as long as I need to drop my heart rate to 110 bpm.

Continue this for a total of 10 high intensity and 10 low intensity intervals.

Note: if it takes longer than 1 minute to lower your heart rate into the low intensity zone, simply set the timer for 20 minutes, and stop once 20 minutes is up, regardless of how many intervals you complete.

HIIT cardio workout routine for the treadmill

The 20 second dash HIIT cardio workout

Click to save the 20 second dash HIIT cardio workout pdf

Total time:

23 minutes, including warm up and cool down.

Type of workout:

HIIT cardio for the treadmill.

Work-to-rest Intervals:

• Work: 20 seconds
• Rest: 60 seconds or for however long it takes to lower your heart rate into the low intensity zone.

Although we are using a 20 second work to 60 second rest interval in this 20 second dash workout, the other 24 cardio workouts in the Live Lean Sprint 2.0 program use different intervals.

Other work-to-rest intervals in the program include:

• 20 sec work x 40 sec rest
• 30 sec work x 1 min rest
• 30 sec work x 4 min rest
• 1 min work x 1 min rest
• Plus workouts with distance goals and cardio and strength combos

Trust me, with all the variety, you won’t get bored with the workouts in Live Lean Sprint 2.0.

Number of intervals:

• 10 high intensity intervals
• 10 low intensity intervals

Reminder: if it takes longer than 1 minute to lower your heart rate into the low intensity zone, simply set the timer for 20 minutes, and stop the workout, once 20 minutes is up.

If that means you only complete 5 high intensity intervals, that’s fine.

As your cardio health improves, your heart rate will drop faster during the low intensity intervals, which will then allow you do to more intervals within the 20 minutes.

Exercises:

Click the links below for a step-by-step exercise demonstration of each exercise.

Warm up: Dynamic Warm Up Flow

Before starting each HIIT cardio workout, follow the included 3 minute dynamic warm up flow to get your body, muscles, and joints warmed up, and the blood flowing.

After completing the dynamic warm up flow, head over to the treadmill to complete a 5 minute walk.

• Time: 5 minutes
• Speed: 4.0 mph
• Incline: 2.0
• MHR goal: 60%
• RPE: 6

Note: select a speed that allows you to maintain 60% of your MHR for the 5 minute warm up. The indicated 4.0 mph is just a suggestion. Customize it to your fitness level, based on your heart rate.

A. HIIT Treadmill Sprints

High intensity interval:

• Work time: 20 seconds
• Speed: 12.0 mph
• Incline: 4.0
• MHR goal: 90%
• RPE: 9
• Sets: 10

Important: indicated speeds and inclines are suggestions. Adjust to your fitness level.

Low intensity interval:

• Recovery time: 60 seconds (or until heart rate drops to 60% of your MHR)
• Speed: 4.0 mph
• Incline: 4.0
• MHR goal: 60%
• RPE: 6
• Sets: 10

Notes:

• Test a speed and incline combination to find a 9 out of 10 intensity level for you. This will determine your working interval for the rest of the workout. Set the incline to at least 4.0.
• Complete a 20 second level 9 intensity sprint, elevating your heart rate to about 90% of your maximum heart rate (MHR), or a 9 out of 10 on the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale.
• Rest for 1 minute after the sprint, or for however long it takes to drop your heart rate back to 60% of your MHR. Rest is completed by either reducing the treadmill speed and/or lifting yourself off of it to stand on the sides.
• Repeat for 9 more sprint and rest intervals at the same speed and incline level.

Cool down:

After you complete the 20 second dash HIIT cardio workout intervals, finish with a slow walk, as part of your cool down, to allow your heart rate and breathing to drop back to normal levels.

Cool down by walking at an easy pace on the treadmill for 5 minutes.

• Time: 5 minutes
• Speed: 4.0 mph
• Incline: 2.0
• MHR goal: 50%
• RPE: 5

How many times per week should I cardio?

I did a full post on how many times per week should I do cardio here.

This 7 week Fat Sizzler HIIT cardio workout schedule, in Live Lean Sprint 2.0 program, includes 3 HIIT cardio sessions per week.

If you’re brand new to fitness, start with the 6 week Cardio Newbie workout schedule, which includes 4 low intensity steady state, LISS cardio workouts.

This 6 week Cardio Newbie schedule is designed to prepare people with a lot of weight to lose, and beginners, for the 7 week Fat Sizzler HIIT cardio workouts.

HIIT cardio may look scary, so that’s why we’re on boarding cardio newbies with 24 LISS cardio workouts first.

Once you complete these initial 6 weeks of LISS cardio workouts, you will be prepped and ready for the HIIT cardio workouts, found in the Fat Sizzling workout schedule.

Required equipment:

To ensure you are training in the correct heart rate zone, I highly recommend you invest in a heart monitor chest strap.

I purchased this Polar H10 chest strap from Amazon for $79.

Then I sync it with the free Polar Beat app on my iPhone to monitor my heart rate during the workout.

This way I only need a chest strap, and not an expensive heart rate monitor watch.

In our Live Lean Sprint 2.0 program, we’ve programmed cardio machine workouts using the:

• treadmill
• elliptical machine
• rowing machine
• stair master
• stationary bike

We’ve also programmed HIIT cardio workouts that don’t require cardio machines:

• track
• outdoor field
• outdoor stairs
• indoor home stairs
• swimming pool

I hope you enjoyed this fat sizzling HIIT cardio workout routine for the treadmill from my Live Lean Sprint 2.0 program.

This is just one of the 25 fun cardio workouts in the program.

Welcome to Live Lean Sprint 2.0!

If you’re looking for the best HIIT cardio, LISS cardio workouts, and the nutrition plan to burn belly fat as fast as possible, go pick up a copy of my brand new Live Lean Sprint 2.0 program.