5 Effective Treadmill Interval Workouts for Shedding Pounds

As a personal trainer, I often recommend treadmill interval training to clients who want to accelerate weight loss and improve their overall fitness. These workouts are not only time efficient, but they are also highly effective at burning fat while boosting cardiovascular health and strengthening muscles.

The beauty of interval training is its ability to combine periods of high-intensity effort with recovery intervals. This creates a dynamic, challenging workout that pushes your body to burn more calories both during and after the workout. The high-intensity method increases your metabolism and creates what’s known as the “afterburn effect,” where your body continues to burn calories for hours after your workout.

Unlike steady-state cardio, which keeps your heart rate at a steady rate throughout the workout, interval training keeps your body guessing by alternating between fast efforts and slower recovery phases. This variety makes exercise more interesting and prevents your body from adapting, ensuring you’re always making progress.

Whether you’re looking to lose a few pounds, increase endurance or build muscle, treadmill interval training provides a full-body challenge suitable for all fitness levels. In addition, they are easy to integrate into a busy schedule, making them ideal for anyone who wants to achieve maximum results quickly.

In this guide, I’ll go over some of the best treadmill interval workouts for weight loss, each designed to target different areas of exercise and provide variety to keep you motivated. Each workout includes a detailed breakdown of exercises and specific instructions to help you perform each interval with precision and efficiency.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced runner, these treadmill interval sessions will help you reach your fitness goals faster and with better results. Let’s get started!

Table of contents

Workout #1: Fat Burner HIIT

What you need: A treadmill with speed control. This workout increases cardiovascular endurance, targets fast-twitch muscle fibers and increases metabolism.

The routine

• High-Speed ​​Sprints – 3 sets of 30 second sprint, 1 minute walk
• Inclined walks – 3 sets of 2 minute walk, 1 minute rest
• High Knee Runs – 3 sets of 20 seconds high knees, 40 seconds rest

1. High speed sprints

1. Set the treadmill to a speed of 9-10 mph.
2. Sprint for 30 seconds, then slow down to 3-4 mph and walk for 1 minute.
3. Repeat for 3 sets, focusing on maintaining speed during the sprint phases.

2. Inclined walks

1. Adjust the incline to 8% and set the speed to 3-4 mph.
2. Walk at this incline for 2 minutes, then get off the treadmill and rest for 1 minute.
3. Repeat, engaging your core and glutes with each incline step.

3. High knee runs

1. Set the treadmill at 7-8 mph and focus on lifting your knees high with each step.
2. Run with high knees for 20 seconds, then slow down to a walk or stop for 40 seconds.
3. Repeat for 3 sets to increase core engagement and raise your heart rate.

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Workout #2: Hill Climb Intervals

What you need: A treadmill with incline control. It strengthens the muscles of the lower body, especially the glutes and hamstrings, while burning calories efficiently.

The routine

• Moderate Incline Jog – 3 sets of 2 minutes jogging, 1 minute walking
• Steep Incline Walks – 3 sets of 1 minute walk, 1 minute rest
• Hill Sprints – 3 sets of 20 second sprint, 40 second walk

1. Moderate incline Jog

1. Set the incline to 5% and jog at 5-6 mph for 2 minutes.
2. Decrease the incline and walk at 3-4 mph for 1 minute.
3. Repeat, focusing on form as you maintain speed on the incline.

2. Steep inclined walks

1. Increase the incline to 10% and walk at 3 mph.
2. Walk for 1 minute and then get off the treadmill to rest for 1 minute.
3. Repeat, keeping a steady, controlled pace.

3. Hill Sprints

1. Set the incline to 8% and sprint at 7-8 mph for 20 seconds.
2. Reduce speed to 3 km/h and walk for 40 seconds.
3. Repeat to challenge leg strength and increase endurance.

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Workout #3: Speed ​​Pyramid

What you need: A treadmill with adjustable speed settings. Improves cardiovascular fitness, builds endurance and helps break through fitness plateaus.

The routine

• Low-Speed ​​​​Warm-Up – 3 sets of 2 minutes of walking, 1 minute of jogging
• Speed ​​Up Intervals – 3 sets of 1 minute run, 1 minute rest
• Speed ​​reduction intervals – 3 sets of 1 minute brisk jog, 30 second walk

1. Low speed heating

1. Walk at 3 mph for 2 minutes, then increase speed to 5 mph and jog for 1 minute.
2. Repeat to warm up the body and prepare for higher speeds.

2. Intervals for speed increase

1. Start running at 6 mph and increase your speed by 0.5 mph every 10 seconds until you reach 7.5 mph.
2. Rest for 1 minute, then repeat the set, focusing on maintaining control.

3. Speed ​​reduction range

1. Start at 7.5 mph for 30 seconds, then decrease to 5 mph and jog for 1 minute.
2. Continue this pattern and focus on a smooth transition between speeds.

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Workout #4: Incline Walk Intervals

What you need: A treadmill with incline adjustment. This workout tones the lower body and core while providing a low-impact option to get your heart rate up for fat loss.

The routine

• Steady Incline Walk – 3 sets of 2 minute walk, 1 minute rest
• Incline changes – 3 sets of 1 minute incline walk, 1 minute flat walk
• Flat to Incline Power Walk – 3 sets of 3 minute incline walk, 1 minute rest

1. Steady incline walk

1. Set the incline to 10% and walk at 3 mph for 2 minutes.
2. Step off the treadmill to rest for 1 minute, then repeat.

2. Slope changes

1. Start at an 8% incline at 3 mph, walk for 1 minute.
2. Lower the incline to flat and walk another minute.
3. Repeat to simulate gradual ascents and recovery.

3. Plan to Incline Power Walk

1. Walk at 3 km/h, switching between flat and 10% incline every 30 seconds.
2. Rest for 1 minute after each set.

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Workout #5: Sprint Intervals

What you need: A treadmill with speed settings. This routine builds explosive strength, increases metabolism and engages both the core and lower body.

The routine

• Short sprints – 3 sets of 30 second sprints, 1 minute rest
• Incline Power Walk – 3 sets of 2 minute walk, 1 minute rest
• Steady Sprints – 3 sets of 20 second sprint, 40 second walk

1. Short sprints

1. Sprint at 10-11 mph for 30 seconds, then stop and rest for 1 minute.
2. Repeat, aiming to increase speed with each lap.

2. Incline Power Walk

1. Set the incline to 5% and walk at 4 mph for 2 minutes.
2. Step off and rest for 1 minute, focusing on posture and core activation.

3. Steady sprints

1. Sprint at 9-10 mph for 20 seconds, then slow to 3 mph and walk for 40 seconds.
2. Repeat for intense calorie burn.