Please note: These are my personal ramblings on my personal experiences. I’m not a professional runner, medical doctor, or anything related to the healthcare/fitness/wellness world. Talk to your doctor about changes to your exercise habits, diet, etc., rather than random people on the internet.

Summer running is the worst.

It’s hot. It’s humid. It’s sticky.

So….. when I came across a book at the library titled The One-Minute Workout, I was skeptical, but intrigued. I can tough it out for a minute in the heat, right?

I realize I’m about 7 years late on this one (it was published in 2017), but I found this book to be absolutely fascinating! As someone that’s more into easy running/zone 2 running, I’ve largely avoided intervals and high intensity work (despite my best intentions) and have never done it in a consistent, strategic way. Now, I found myself completely questioning my usual training strategies.

In the book, Martin Gibala, Ph.D., argues getting fit and experiencing major aerobic benefits can be accomplished within a few minutes a week through high-­intensity interval training (HIIT). Don’t have a lot of time to workout? He says that doesn’t matter.

If you haven’t read it yet, it’s worth the read- especially for the internal workout templates that are included. My personal favorite is the one that gives the book its name: The One-Minute Workout.

What’s the One-Minute Workout?

In simple terms, the One-Minute Workout developed by Dr. Gibala is as follows (the book provides more detail):

• Warm up for 3 minutes
• 20-second all-out sprint
• 2 minute recovery
• 20-second all-out sprint
• 2 minute recovery
• 20-second all-out sprint
• Cool down for 2 minutes

Yes, it’s technically 10 minutes, but it’s only 1 minute of intense work. Dr. Gibala suggests completing the workout 3 times a week for best results. Also, keep in mind that ‘sprints’ don’t have to mean running. He says it can be giving it your all on the bike, etc., or even resistance training!!

I’ll be honest, I haven’t given it a try yet. I’m intimidated. On one hand, it sounds so simple, just 20 seconds of work at a time, but I feel like this is one of those things that’s sneakily hard.

I’m trying to sort out my running schedule and hope to start incorporating the One-Minute Workout maybe once or, ideally, twice a week to see if I notice a difference in my speed. I will likely do a 5k race this fall, which will be a good test to see if it makes a difference! I’ll report back with my results.

Fellow runners, do you incorporate HIIT into your normal training schedule?

Leave a comment below with your experiences!