I haven’t sweat this much running on the treadmill in maybe, um, ever. This HIIT treadmill hill workout was awesome in the worst kind of way. If you don’t know what HIIT is, it stands for high-intensity interval training ie. work, rest and repeat.

Usually, I just keep running in the rest phases of ill workouts but for this workout, I actually rested for the rest phases, letting my heart rate recover. I rested approximately 30-45 seconds between each hill. My heart rate was up to 160 bpm on a few of these so I needed that rest! Because you’re resting between each hill, try to choose a running speed that is going to max you out as you come to the end of each hill. You may have to adjust your speed as your climb from 10% to 15% incline.

I left the treadmill running on an incline for the whole workout and just hopped onto the side panels to rest, or hopped right off and walked around a little until I was ready for the next repeat. You’ll need 25-30 minutes to complete this workout.

HIIT Treadmill Hill Workout Details

Repeat for 3 total rounds:

Interval 1

10% incline for 1:30 min
Rest 30-45 seconds

Interval 2

11% incline for 1:15 min
Rest 30-45 seconds

Interval 3

12% incline for 1:00 min
Rest 30-45 seconds

Interval 4

13% incline for :45 sec
Rest 30-45 seconds

Interval 5

14% incline for :30 sec
Rest 30-45 seconds

Interval 6

15% incline for :15 sec
Rest 30-45 seconds

Workout Notes

  • Leave the treadmill running on an incline for the whole workout and just hopped onto the side panels to rest, or hopped right off and walked around a little until I was ready for the next repeat.
  • Rest 30 – 45 seconds between each hill interval.
  • Choose a speed you can maintain for the entire interval. This will most likely have to reduce your speed as each interval gets steeper.
  • To scale this workout, start at a lower incline and increase by 1% each round. For example, start at 3% and work your way up to 8, or start at 5% and work your way up to 10. Find something that is achievable but will still be tough.
  • If 3 rounds is too much, start with 1 round and work your way up to 3.

More Running Workouts

Loving this hill climb workout? Here are some more treadmill workouts to try:

Legs and Hills Workout // 35 Minute Treadmill and Barbell Workout // 20 Minute Rolling Hills Workout // 30 Minute Treadmill Hill Climb Workout // Push, Pull, Legs and Core Superset Workout // Bodyweight and Running Workout For Time

Treadmill Hill Interval Training Workout for Speed, Power and Endurance