High intensity interval training is an effective tool for runners who want to improve their pace and incorporate strength training in their routine. I developed this routine for runners who want to strength train but can't find the time in their busy schedule. This one hour HIIT session is both your interval speed work and your strength training in one. Do it twice a week to improve speed, strength and to be proactive about injury prevention.
Ideally this HIIT program should be performed twice a week with 48 hours in between sessions (i.e. Monday and Thursday). On alternative days either run at an easy effort pace, walk or rest. Always allow 1-2 days of recovery in between hard effort sessions to allow your body to adapt and recover. Remember that adaptations like becoming faster or stronger, happens during rest.
Doing your speed intervals and strength training on the same day allows you to get your hard sessions for both running and strength training into one day so that you can allow your body the rest it needs to recover and adapt.
This is what your week might look like:
You will perform this plan for 4-5 weeks before progressing onto level 2, which will be featured on a future blog post.
What you will need:
Treadmill
(alternative: Although this program was designed for a treadmill, it can be performed on the street or on a track with a stop watch.)
Kettlebell and/or dumbells
Rate of Perceived Exertion
The key to the cardio portion of this program is understanding how hard you working based on the rate of perceived exertion. No heart rate monitor needed!
The rate of perceived exertion chart is a way to determine your effort based on how you feel, how difficult it is to speak and how hard you are breathing. The chart ranges from 1-10. a 1 effort is no effort (sitting) and 10 is so hard that you couldn't maintain it for very long (or a bear is chasing you).
10: Extremely Hard Activity "Give it all you got effort" Completely out of breath, unable to talk
9: Very Hard Activity "Give it all you got effort" Can speak only one word at a time
7-8: Hard Activity "Work it effort" Out of breath, can speak a sentence or two before needing to catch your breath
4-6: Moderate Activity "Recover effort" Can carry on a conversation (may be a slow jog or power walking)
2-3: Light Activity "Warm up effort" breathing is easy (may be walking)
1: No Activity "No effort "Sitting on the couch
It may take some experimenting to find the appropriate levels for each "work it effort" and "recovery effort." The important thing is to be honest with yourself about how hard you are working. When you are supposed to be working at a RPE level 8, don't stay in a level 6 effort.
You will find that just after a few weeks, the paces that were your level 7-8 effort may become your level 4-6 pace because you improve. You may have to adjust weekly or even daily based on how you feel, how well you have fueled, how well you slept, rested and improved.
You will notice that I do not give recommended treadmill speeds for the cardio portion. The reason is that one person's "work it effort" speed may be another person's "recovery effort" speed. This plan allows you to work according to your own fitness levels. If I said that your "all out effort" pace on the treadmill should be 8mph, that may be flat-out impossible for a brand new runner and too easy for an experienced runner. You'll work according to your own fitness level and adjust as you grow stronger.
3 MINUTES WARM UP EFFORT - Walk or jog very slowly to warm up for three minutes to start your workout. RPE 3
3 MINUTES WORK IT EFFORT - Your first work it effort should be at RPE of 7-8. It should feel challenging to get through the three minutes. If you can easily complete three minutes, try increasing the speed next time. If you can't complete three minutes at this speed, you may need to start a little slower next time. The key is find the speed that is an effort for this timeframe and your current abilities.
2 MINUTES RECOVER EFFORT - After that effort session you have two minutes to recover at a RPE of 4-6. For some people this may be back to a walking pace, but for others may be a slow jog to recover.
2 MINUTES WORK IT EFFORT - You had two minutes to recover, now time to get back to work. The pace of your two minute work it effort should be slightly faster than the three minute period you just completed, but still a RPE 7-8. These two minutes should feel challenging and by the end of the two minutes you should feel like you couldn't have gone much longer.
1 MINUTE RECOVER EFFORT - Allow yourself a minute to jog or walk to recover before your next effort.
1 MINUTE WORK IT EFFORT - This one minute should be the fastest yet. Up the pace from your two minute push.
1 MINUTE RECOVER EFFORT - You have one minute to recover before your final effort minute.
1 MINUTE GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT EFFORT - This is it. One more minute and you have completed the first portion of your workout. If you can, pump up your speed just a point or two and go out with a bang.
1 MINUTE WALK - You made it. You should be breathing heavily. Walk as slow as you need to in order to recover. Start to mentally prepare for your next segment.
Segment 2: strength circuit for runners
You will do three exercises in a circuit format, which means you perform each of the exercises in a row with little to no rest in between exercises. Once you complete the three exercises you can rest for 15-30 seconds before repeating the circuit. You should move through each exercise efficiently and quickly without rushing or sacrificing form. Go as slow as you need to perform the exercise correctly, but do not waste time. You only have 15 minutes to complete this segment. The goal should be to get through the circuit three times, but set the timer for 15 minutes and stop when time is up.
KETTLEBELL THRUSTERS
Starting with your feet hip width apart hold a kettlebell with two hands at chest height to start. Push your hips back and lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor (like you are sitting back in a chair) until your elbows hit your knees, or as low as your flexibility allows. In the low position, engage your core, squeeze your glutes and push up to standing in an explosive movement while simultaneously pushing the kettlebell up in an overhead press position. This should be a fluid motion from the low squatting position to the standing overhead press position. Return to center, pushing hips back and repeat 8-12 times. Take a deep breath in as your lower to the squat and breath out as you explode up to standing.
Trainer Tip: You should choose a weight that is heavy enough to be a challenge. If you struggle to complete 12 reps but you can do 8 in good form, you probably are using the correct weight. If you can easily perform 12 reps, your weight is probably too light. Start at 8 reps and work your way up to 12 over the next few weeks. Once you can perform 12 easily, increase your weight.
If any weight at all is too challenging, start out without weight. The squat is a great body weight exercise and you can focus on perfecting your form without weight.
PUSH UPS
I can almost hear the collective cry from runners everywhere, "but why do I have to do pushups? Shouldn't I be focusing on leg exercises to make me a stronger runner?" It is true that glutes and hip exercises are important for runners. However, the push up strengthens your core (which is a must for any runner) chest and shoulders. If you are weak in your upper body then there is an strength imbalance and you won’t be as an efficient runner.
Start in a high plank position with your hands placed directly under your shoulders. Keeping your body in a straight line, while engaging your core slowly lower your chest to the floor while keeping your elbows close to your sides. Once in the low position, push back up to the starting position.
If this is too challenging on your toes, follow the same instructions about but start on your knees. Do not cross your legs or feet behind you. Once you can perform 3 sets of 12 on your knees, advance to full pushups.
LUNGE WITH TORSO TWIST
Here is a video demonstration of the lunge with twist. I am using a weighted medicine ball in this demo.
The lunge is a great exercise for strengthening glutes, hamstrings and quads. We add a twist because runners move in only one plane of motion (Sagittal plane: front to back) so it is necessary to gain strength in the other planes of motion in order to stay balanced.
With your feet hip width apart and your toes pointed straight ahead, hold your core stable with your back straight and take one large step to lunge forward until your front knee is lined up over your ankle and your back knee is nearly touching the floor. Do not allow your knee to go past your toes. Once you are in the lunge position, twist your torso in the same direction as your front leg. Push back up to standing and change legs. Perform 8 to 12 on each leg
If this is too challenging, perform the move without adding any weight
To make it more challenging, increase the weight weight or hold the weight out with straight arms
Repeat this circuit three times or until 15 minutes have elapsed.
SEGMENT THREE: CARDIO 15 MINUTES
1 MINUTE WARM UP EFFORT - Back on treadmill for your final cardio circuit. One minute warm up effort to get ready for your next effort session
1 MINUTE WORK IT EFFORT - Up the pace a bit from your two minute push.
2 MINUTES RECOVER EFFORT - After that effort session you have two minutes to recover at a RPE of 4-6. For some people this may be back to a walking pace, but for others may be a slow jog to recover.
2 MINUTES WORK IT EFFORT - Your first work it effort should be at RPE of 7-8. It should feel challenging to get through the two minutes.
2 MINUTE RECOVER EFFORT - Allow yourself two minutes to jog or walk to recover before your next effort.
3 MINUTES WORK IT EFFORT - You had two minutes to recover, now time to get back to work.
2 MINUTE RECOVER EFFORT - Allow yourself a minute to jog or walk to recover before your next effort.
1 MINUTE GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT EFFORT - This is it. One more minute and you have completed the cardio portion of your workout. If you can, pump up your speed just a point or two and go out with a bang.
1 MINUTE WALK - You made it. You should be breathing heavily. Walk as slow as you need to in order to recover. Start to mentally prepare for your final segment.
Segment 4: strength circuit for runners
PLANK ROWS WITH SIDE PLANK
Start in a high straight arm plank position with your wrists directly under your shoulders with your legs wider than hip width for stability. Keep your body in a straight line from your shoulders to ankles while engaging your core. Do not allow your hips to hike up or sag down.
With your core tight and your glutes engaged lift your right elbow to row as you bend your elbow up toward the ceiling.
Twist to the right to move into a side plank position stacking your right leg over your left foot. Reach your arm to the ceiling and hold for 5 seconds before returning to plank position. Perform 8-12 reps and switch sides.
SINGLE LEG KETTLEBELL DEADLIFT
Hold a kettlebell with one hand and balance on one leg, the same side that you hold the kettlebell. Keep your knee lightly bent and perform a deadlift by bending at your hip while keeping your back straight and neck neutral. Extend your free leg behind you in line with your body. Lower the kettlebell until you are parallel to the floor. With your back straight return to the upright position. Switch legs
BRIDGE WITH OVERHEAD REACH
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor reach your arms over your head flat on the ground while holding a weight. Raise your hips off the floor so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees while simultaneously keeping your arms straight and lifting the weight towards the ceiling. Pause at the top then slowly lower your hips and arms back to the floor.
It's important to remember that while I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your trainer. Please get clearance from a medical professional before beginning a new exercise program and consult with a fitness professional who knows your unique history, needs and abilities.
Keep running,
Lea