Before I started using intervals in my workouts, I would spend 20 to 30 minutes running on the treadmill at the gym. I believe any exercise is better than none at all, so I felt proud of myself for staying on the treadmill that long. However, it was the most boring routine ever! Now that I use interval training, being on the treadmill for 30 minutes doesn’t seem long enough. It’s weird but true. The time just flies by so much faster.

This is what I do personally on the treadmill:

• 5 minute warm-up
• light jog at 4.0 mph for 3 minutes
• run hard at 6.6 mph for 1 minute
• light jog again at 4.0 mph for 3 minutes
• repeat interval for about 3 to 4 sets
• 5 - 10 minute cool-down

Sometimes I don’t do the light jog and instead slow it down to a fast walk. When I’m done, I feel like I really got in a good workout compared to running the entire 30 minutes. You don’t necessarily have to run hard if you are not able to do so. You can walk at a slow pace and then walk at a faster pace for the interval portion.

Craig Ballantyne explains it well in the video below in which he uses a treadmill as an example to use interval training:

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