HOW should I do running intervals for martial arts?

Question

TL;DR: Exactly HOW should I do running intervals to supplement Muay Thai?

I'm a relative beginner at Muay Thai (and, compared to many people here, a casual one who only trains 2X/week) and am interested in adding more conditioning work to my non-training days. I think my level of conditioning is currently not too bad, since I seem to have good staying power in class. Before taking up Muay Thai, I was doing various forms of cardio including (at various points) boxing, swimming, and treadmill intervals. The treadmill intervals had been 60 sec on/60 off for 8-9 rounds, where the "on" part was running ~7.8 mph at a 10% incline and the "off" part was brisk walking also at a 10% incline.

I am specifically interested in running-based intervals because 1) it's convenient (the Muay Thai gym is far away, so training more often isn't possible right now), and 2) I am also lifting (Starting Strength), which I need desperately, and feel that barbell-based conditioning will interfere more than running.

I found some other great existing answers on this topic, but none address the 4 more specific questions I am about to ask:

• Something about cardio in general
• Something about intervals in general
• Something about running for BJJ

Here are the parameters I need advice on:

1.) Session length

For example, 7 minutes of intense hill sprinting? Or 20 minutes of something less grueling?

2.) Work : rest time ratio

Equal work and rest? Tabata? etc.

3.) Work : rest intensity ratio

To use the limiting cases, should I run some short distance like a mile as fast as possible at a steady speed? Alternate all-out sprinting and walking? Or somewhere in between?

4.) Hills/incline vs. flat

Self-explanatory.

Answer 1

I'm no expert, but in lieu of one, what I do for interval training is to warm up for about three tenths of a mile, then alternate sprinting and jogging/walking each tenth of a mile for two or three miles, 20 or 30 minutes. That seems to help me a lot.

For your format: 1) Session length: 20-30 minutes of interval sprinting on level terrain 2) Equal work/rest ratio 3) Sprinting as fast as possible and alternating with jogging/walking, so a high intensity ratio 4) Flat. Hills complicate the issue.

Good luck.