Complete Running HIIT Workout Guide (with 7 Workouts)

A HIIT running workout will help you to get faster, improve performance and drop body fat. Masters runners are especially susceptible to injury.

You may have already heard of HIIT workouts from places like OrangeTheory or CrossFit. HIIT workout are popular because they are a great way to get a quick workout in a small amount of time.

So what are HIIT workouts? How can they help your running? We should discuss this further, along with some example HIIT workouts to help you get started.

What is a HIIT Workout?

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. Interval training is a type of training where you alternate periods of high-intensity work with low-intensity recovery periods. You’ll usually be working at almost full capacity for 1 to 5 minutes and then have a break or a period of lower intensity recovery.

The style of workout being referred to has been around for a long time and has been offered in various formats. These workouts are usually only 30 minutes long, which makes them easy to do even if you have a busy schedule.

The main reason people like High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts is the EPOC effect, or the Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption. This means that you continue to burn calories even after the workout is done.

HIIT workouts can be done with any type of cardio, such as burpees, biking and running.

What is a HIIT Running Workout?

It’s a form of interval training. Interval style workouts have been part of runners’ training plans for a long time.

HIIT workouts are types of workouts that require more explosive power. This type of workout is perfect for people who don’t have a lot of time, or who are more interested in general fitness than in preparing for a specific race.

HIIT can be adapted to any fitness level as it is based on intensity rather than speed. In other words, I think it’s important to build a good foundation before adding intensity in order to reduce the risk of injury.

Should Everyone Do HIIT Workouts?

If you are returning from an injury, frequently get injured, have high cortisol levels, or tend to over train, you should not add these exercises to your routine without the guidance of a personal trainer or running coach.

While it’s great to get fit with high-intensity workouts, it’s important to remember to vary your workout routine if you’re working out five days a week or running long distances. If you’re constantly pushing yourself to your limits, your cortisol levels will increase and you’ll start to experience symptoms of overtraining.

You should have a variety of days where you do different levels of activity. Some days should be easy where you don’t push yourself too hard, and other days should be more challenging where you push yourself more.

How to Incorporate HIIT Workouts?

Any intense workout, like a tempo run or intervals, will require more recovery time than an easy long run. HIIT can be used to replace one of your standard speed workout days.

You should try to keep a couple of easy days between hard workout sessions to help your body recover. Long-distance runs are also considered to be tough workouts when you are in the middle of marathon training.

If you are focusing mostly on fitness, you may do a combination of HIIT workouts and stead state cardio.

HIIT Workouts From a Running Coach

Are you ready to start adding some high-intensity interval training to your running plan? Let’s look at some great protocols you can try.

4×4 Intervals

The following text was developed by Norwegian University of Science and Technology. It’s super straightforward and designed for running. The team suggests that you end the fourth interval with enough energy to complete one more.

Dynamic Warm Up – Followed by 10 minutes easy running
Interval – Sprinting for 1 minute at a 85-90% Max HR (heavy breathing, but not so hard you can’t finish the minute)
Active Recovery – 3 minutes of light jogging or walking
Repeat Intervals 4 times
Finish with easy running for 5-10 minutes

Running Tabata Workout

Tabata is a protocol developed it the 90s by Japanese doctor Izumi Tabata. The workouts are 8 minutes long. If you hear someone say that they did a 30 minute Tabata, they are wrong. Tabata is only four minutes long. That’s a long HIIT workout.

Tabata consists of 8 sets of 20 seconds of hard work, followed by a 10 second rest.

I think it’s harder to do this on a treadmill because it takes the machine more time to speed up and slow down. Try it on the track or a flat path.

Dynamic warm up followed by 10 minutes of easy running and even a few strides
Complete 8 rounds of tabata intervals (roughly 4 minutes of work)
Cool down with 5-10 minutes easy running

More advanced runners could jog for 5-10 minutes, then do a round of tabata, and then jog again for 5-10 minutes.

Scientific 7 Minute Workout

This one is still great for runners, even though there is no running involved. A workout that was originally published in 2013 in the American College of Sport’s Medicine’s Health and Fitness Journal gained some popularity after it was featured in an article in the NY Times.

You won’t need any equipment for this workout, which will alternate between exercises for your upper and lower body. It’s a great option to consider when traveling and you don’t have access to much room or any tools.

Do 12 exercises for 30 seconds each, taking a 10 second break in between each one. Remember to push your intensity for max benefits.

Jumping jacks
Wall Sit
Push Ups
Crunches
Step Ups
Squats
Tricep Dip
Plank
High Knees
Alternating front lunge
Push-up with rotation
Side Plank

Running + Strength HIIT Workout

I am a big fan of using strength training when you are short on time. Muscles are key to improving fitness and metabolism.

Intervals are 30 seconds on, 15 seconds rest.

Dynamic warm up followed by 10 minutes easy running
Alternating reverse lunge holding weights to front kick
Sprint (or squat jacks)
Jump squat holding weights
Sprint (or jumping jacks)
Rest 1 minute
Repeat 4 times

Full Met-Con Workout

If you want to challenge yourself further, Men’s Journal has a workout from trainer Prince Braithwaite that you will enjoy. ” This HIIT workout will tax all three energy systems. You will see cardiovascular benefits and a strong body if you workout at the gym.

Warmup:

Shin taps x 30 sec: Start in a plank. Lift hips to down-dog and tap shin with opposite hand.
Jumping jacks x 30 sec
Walkout to plank x 30 sec: From standing, hinge at your hips and place hands on floor. Walk hands out to plank, then alternate shoulder taps. Walk back up to stand.
No recovery periods in the warm up.

Strength:

Dumbbell goblet squat x 45 sec (one weight held at chest)
Dumbbell seated shoulder press x 45 sec (two dumbbells pressed overhead from racked position)
Kettlebell swings or Romanian kettlebell deadlift x 45 sec
Repeat for 3 rounds

Aerobic:

Run x 3/4 of a mile (he had rowing listed)

VOLUME 100

People typically associate HIIT with cardio exercises, when in reality, it can also be used to enhance weight training. Weight training is a form of HIIT because you do a set with all out effort, rest, then do another set, rest, and repeat. You should take a break between sets, but if it’s more than three minutes, it won’t be an effective HIIT workout. If you want to burn fat, all you have to do is shorten your rest periods. This type of HIIT will help you reach your goal.

With GVT, aka 10 sets of 10 reps, you do 10 sets of 10 reps for the same exercise—typically a compound movement I’ve combined HIIT with weights and two other weight-training techniques, German volume training (GVT) and Hundreds training. GVT involves doing 10 sets of 10 reps for the same exercise. The GVT workout is a 10 sets of 10 reps of a given exercise. Hundreds, as the name implies, involves doing 100-rep sets.

This workout involves doing ten sets of ten reps for one exercise per muscle group. Sounds the same as GVT, right? Not exactly. Incorporating HIIT through the use of rest periods between sets of 10. The amount of time you have to rest between sets will gradually decrease over the course of six weeks, until you are doing 100 reps with no breaks in between. The two training forms are different, but when you’re only resting for 10 or 20 seconds, it’s hard to tell the difference in how they affect your body.

METHOD TO THE MADNESS

The following workouts may not be easy to do, but they are simple to follow. After completing the HIIT 100s protocol on the first exercise for each major muscle group, you will do three more sets of that same exercise to failure using your 10-rep max (10RM). You will only be able to complete five to seven reps with your 10RM weight after doing 10 sets of 10 reps. On the third set of HIIT 100s, drop the weight to 50 percent of your 10RM and perform as many reps as possible. After completing three additional sets of exercises, you will have completed workouts for that muscle group for the day. After each set of the HIIT 100s exercise, take a one minute break to maximize fat burning.

Last on the weight training menu are HIIT 100s. These can be done with a full-body exercise such as barbell or dumbbell cleans, kettlebell swings, barbell or dumbbell deadlifts, barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell snatches, or my own unique lift, the dead/curl/press.

This will help you build muscle power and deadlift strength for the mainsets. The first three sets of 10 during weeks 1-3 should be done explosively to help build muscle power and deadlift strength. If you use light weight when you work out, you can still build muscle power and strength. On sets 4-6, move slowly and carefully while paying attention to contracting and squeezing strongly at the top of each repetition for one to two seconds. It is important to have a strong connection between your mind and muscles to ensure your muscles are the right size, shape, and are separated. The goal during weeks 4-6 is to complete 100 reps, regardless of the 20 second rest periods. Do not be concerned with how quickly or slowly you are moving, just focus on completing the repetitions with the best form possible. Your muscles should feel engaged and challenged the entire time.

GET STARTED

For example, if the most weight you can rep for 10 is 200 pounds, then use 100 pounds for HIIT 100s reps Use a weight that is half of what you could normally do for 10 reps. Don’t worry about going too heavy. If you are not able to do all 10 reps before the eighth set, reduce the weight you are lifting by 5 to 10 pounds. If you are not able to complete 10 repetitions during or after the eighth set, finish all 10 sets by doing as many repetitions as you can for each set. The next time you train that muscle group, start with a weight that is five to 10 pounds less than what you used last time.

If any of the HIIT 100s exercises are new to you, you’ll need to spend some time figuring out how much weight you can do for 10 reps. Before starting the HIIT 100s program, do these exercises to find out how much weight you should be using. To accurately estimate your 10RM, be sure to do a HIIT exercise for that muscle group first. If you’re unsure of how much weight you can lift for 10 reps on the bench press, start your chest workout with the bench press. Use a weight that allows you to do 10 reps, then continue with your normal routine.

HUNDREDS OF BENEFITS

The main advantage of this program is that you will lose weight quickly, but there are also other great benefits. Even though the weights you use need to be light, your muscles will still receive the signal to grow. The weight is so light that it is difficult to move. This makes your muscles work harder, which then causes the release of hormones that help build muscle. An additional benefit of doing 100 reps with shorter rest periods is increased muscle endurance, which will improve your conditioning—a significant advantage if you play sports. Even if you don’t consider yourself an athlete, you’ll still see the benefits of this in your workouts. When you resume your normal routine of resting a few minutes between sets, your muscles will recover more quickly. This will enable you to do more repetitions with the same weight on subsequent sets, providing a greater challenge.