Death by Treadmill?

[bocajoes]

I often joke that I only run if someone is chasing me. Yesterday, I jogged on the treadmill at 4.5 mph at a 2.0 incline - jog 30 seconds, walk fast at 3.5 mph for 90 seconds, jog for 30 more seconds. I did that three times and then went to a 15 minute elliptical motion machine at resistance 8.

Today I felt a bit more daring, so I started on the treadmill at 3.0 mph at a 3.5 incline. After two minutes, I jacked it to 4.8 mph for one minute, then back to 3.0 mph for two minutes. I did that twice and I felt like I was going to fall over from exhaustion.

Question - is it better to work out at a sustained pace for 30 minutes, nonstop, while sweating a bit (but not to the point where I feel like I am going to drop over) or to have a shorter workout, but more intense, like the one I described in paragraph two?

If it is all about burning calories, then a sustained workout is better. If it is about pushing the limits of exhaustion, then a short, intense workout is better.

What do y'all think?

[2BANewMe]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

If the treadmill is new to your workout regiment, I suggest starting at a low incline and a nice brisk walking pace for a longer amt of time. Don't kill yourself by starting out with jogging if its painful and exhausting. You'll want to quit the machine too early. Build up your endurance a little at a time. Even if you have to go slower than you would normally, get yourself to a pace where you can stay on the machine longer. Sooner than you think, you will be able to keep pumping up that speed and incline. Get that heartrate up and try to go 25 to 45 minute intervals. But jumping from a treadmill to an elliptical is great, so to avoid boredom.
I started like you with a really low incline just a month ago and now I am at 3.3 speed and 14 incline for 15 minutes and then I lower it for a quicker pace.

Good job! Keep it up!

[meat]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

high intensity interval training wins all around.

it beats prolonged cardio by every measurement... short intense workouts are vastly superior, they also increase your insulin function!

go full blast for a time period, then go slow for two to three times that time period, then go fast again.

basically similar to what you've already been doing... run all out for 30 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, etc, but you can do it with any form of exercise there is... cycling, walking, anything.

[firstlady]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

Ditto to what Meat said....intense interval training is best!

[ziggy]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

high intensity interval training is better but there is no way you could do it every day

its more like something you do once a week if you got them big level 20 resistance machines going as fast as you can for 30 seconds a few times

then for the rest of the week work on all your other muscles

the high intensity interval training cardio machines you can go super hard at after a month or so when your body gets good at it and it won't injure your muscles cause its just a pushing cardio motion

but other exercises like free weights and such don't go super hard at it or you may injure yourself i just go medium on everything els and sometimes hard but never super hard unless its a cardio machine or some thing i know won't injure me

[Aways2Go]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

Granted, I have been really lazy as far as getting on the treadmill as of late. What I did personally was to walk at a moderate pace for 15 to 30 minutes several times a week for several weeks. Then I upped the pace for part of that same time period and would go SOME faster, then back to my normal pace, faster for a minute or two, back to normal. After another bit of time getting used to that, I had just started doing the "nearly as fast as I can tolerate" for short bursts of my walks when I got lazy and quit walking regularly. Now I am going to need to start this process over again, though I may go through those steps a little faster this time.

I felt like that several weeks of more steady moderate walking I did leading up to the short intense bursts I started doing was helpful in not pulling any muscles or killing myself, basically, LOL! I do think the "interval" type training is better overall in most every way, but I felt like I might should work up to it just a little before doing that.

Just my two cents.

[bocajoes]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

More great advice! As far as weights go, I have been a gym rats since I was 15 years old (I am 40 now), so going hard is a viable option. I do know my limits when working with weights. It's just the cardio that is somewhat of a mystery.

I received advice from a world class powerlifter - he said that you should skip the cardio all together. If you want to get your pulse up and keep it up through the workout, then take 30 seconds to one minute to rest between weight sets. For fat cutting, concentrate on diet (which is why we are all here.)

[jroche5998]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

I received advice from a world class powerlifter - he said that you should skip the cardio all together.

Personally I think that little tidbit is the worst piece of advice you ever got. Cardio is infinitely important. Many weight lifters who do no cardio have heart attacks. A friend of mine, pro body builder, also MuscleMag "Beef of the Month", had a heart attck and almost died. Body builders and power lifters and terrified of losing any bulk at all which is why they shy away from cardio. But having massive amounts of muscle is like having massive amounts of fat, actually worse because muscle mass needs much more blood and oxygen to function. If your cardio vascular system is not in good shape you are putting extreme stresses upon your heart, no matter how healthy you eat (which many of them do).

So unless you are looking to be a pro body builder or power lifter, cardio is your friend.

As far as you initial question, HIIT is great, and fabulous for performance improvement. But for fat burning, long slow cardio, with your heart rate in the 60-70% training range is the absolute best.

Best of luck.

[miller98b]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

What meat said was great, but a few followup points from a past trainer. Its all about the heart rate! My target heart rate goal is 125-165. Interval training is better and more productive than sustained/constant forms of training (like running at 4.5 for 45 minutes), but only if you maintain your heart rate. My treadmill workouts include 1 minute at a quick pace to get my heart rate to 165. Then I walk quickly for four minutes and my heart rate falls back down to 135. I repeat this for 60 minutes and I feel it is MUCH easier than a 60 minute constant jog. Physiologically speaking, this form of training is much more effective and less damaging to your body.

Purchase a heart rate monitor and follow it closely while working out. It is a great investment. Also, with the heart rate monitor, I realized that I could walk at a fairly slow pace with a steep incline and still maintain a heart rate of 155-160! It is the most friendly to my joints, my heart and it is a great workout without killing yourself.

Good Luck!

[Suzanne_H]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

First, CONGRATULATIONS on starting a workout regimen! Oh it hurts so good! LOL

As to death by treadmill, actually this is a very real possibility if your ticker hasn't been checked out by a physician lately. Hate to say that, but... I would definitely get a checkup before starting any strenuous workout regime, especially a cardio stress test, just to see if you're pushing it too far. No sense doing a work out that's going to keel you over rather than make you stronger, know wut ah mean?

As to my own experience, when I started working out I took advice from a professional trainer at the YMCA. This trainer had experience working with obese and morbidly obese clients. I did 15 mins cardio on the bike (thought I was gonna die), 15 mins cardio on the treadmill (really thought I was gonna buy the farm), then did circuit training (ohhh my goodness). Circuit training involved 12 repetitions at the highest weight I could pull without pain, one set per muscle group, repeating the cycle 3 times. Since there was no resting between sets it wound up being a pretty good, sweaty cardio workout in addition to the strength training. My trainer said both cardio and strength are important, one to have a strong heart and improved circulation, and the latter as muscle naturally boosts metabolism.

Today I do a 5 min warmup on the track then do stretching. I am told stretching is crucial to a good workout. I do 35 mins or more on the elliptical trainer making sure to spend at least 30 mins in my target cardio range, and then the circuit: arms (biceps, triceps), chest, shoulders, back (upper, lower), abdominals (either crunches on the balance ball or hanging in the captain's chair or bicycle crunches), glutes, thighs (quads then hamstrings), calves... then start again to make 3 times through. If I have time I'll steam off in the sauna as a "reward".

I also don't park next to the front door anymore. Realized how dumb that was to drive to the gym and spend 15 mins cruising the parking lot so I wouldn't have to walk far to get inside. ROFL Carried this practice over to all stores and such, just to get more walking. I take the stairs, not the elevator, now that I can. I try to vary my workouts according to weather, get outside as much as possible. The important thing is to get active and stay that way.

[poobears1972]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

If you enjoy intervals why not check out the couch to 5K program. It works you through levels of intervals (walking and jogging) and by the end of the program you should be running a 5K/3 miles.

I made it about 3/4 through it last year but had to stop due to severe problems with one knee that lead to a brace for 4 months. Tried it again last week but it's a no go, that knee just can't tolerate it. I'm going to try the speed walking and see how it goes.

[Suzanne_H]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

If you enjoy intervals why not check out the couch to 5K program. It works you through levels of intervals (walking and jogging) and by the end of the program you should be running a 5K/3 miles.

I made it about 3/4 through it last year but had to stop due to severe problems with one knee that lead to a brace for 4 months. Tried it again last week but it's a no go, that knee just can't tolerate it. I'm going to try the speed walking and see how it goes.

I know elliptical machines look pretty scary, but have you tried one? My trainer wanted me to do that instead of the track or treadmill because he said it'd be a lot easier on my knees and ankles... he was right!

[poobears1972]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

Yeah I tried them at the gym but I can never get it adjusted so it feels right in the stride. I think I'm too short for them or something. I think I'll buy a good recumbent bike, I know they are suppose to be easy on the knees since no weight is on your legs. Kids will enjoy it too.

If it was up to DH I wouldn't move off the couch. Now he's afraid I'll wind up in a brace and pain again before our FL vacation LOL

[2big4mysize]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

I did HIIT for 60 min 3 days a week on the treadmill once I got in good cardio shape.

I walked because of bad knees and used the incline and the speed control. use your max heart rate as your target for the fast part since you don't have a VO2 meter availible. and then your fat burning heart rate as your recovery rate for the slow part.
You will be amazed at how fast your stamina, your speed and incline pick up, and your recovery rate increases. When I started I was doing 4MPH flat incline ofr my recover and 5MPH on incline 2 for my max. in a couple months I was doing 5MPH on incline 2 for recovery.

[ziggy]

Re: Death by Treadmill?

More great advice! As far as weights go, I have been a gym rats since I was 15 years old (I am 40 now), so going hard is a viable option. I do know my limits when working with weights. It's just the cardio that is somewhat of a mystery.

I received advice from a world class powerlifter - he said that you should skip the cardio all together. If you want to get your pulse up and keep it up through the workout, then take 30 seconds to one minute to rest between weight sets. For fat cutting, concentrate on diet (which is why we are all here.)

Personally I think that little tidbit is the worst piece of advice you ever got. Cardio is infinitely important. Many weight lifters who do no cardio have heart attacks. A friend of mine, pro body builder, also MuscleMag "Beef of the Month", had a heart attck and almost died. Body builders and power lifters and terrified of losing any bulk at all which is why they shy away from cardio. But having massive amounts of muscle is like having massive amounts of fat, actually worse because muscle mass needs much more blood and oxygen to function. If your cardio vascular system is not in good shape you are putting extreme stresses upon your heart, no matter how healthy you eat (which many of them do).

So unless you are looking to be a pro body builder or power lifter, cardio is your friend.

As far as you initial question, HIIT is great, and fabulous for performance improvement. But for fat burning, long slow cardio, with your heart rate in the 60-70% training range is the absolute best.

Best of luck.

also to note you don't need to do a running/bike cardio machine etc to get cardio in

when im at the gym i don't do the cardio machines much but i do my work outs fast and with little rest i never sit still for more than 1 min so you don't need to do a cardio machine as long as your moveing and doing some form of exercise to keep your metabolism fast and heart rate up

example do some bicep muscles then abb muscles then tricep muscles then repeat in a circle with no rest and its like a cardio work out cause your moveing the entire time but you can still take 30 sec - 1min rests now and then but alot of the time i don't take any rest or just 5 seconds inbetween sets for 18 mins straight and it really big time works your heart doing them heavy back work outs then moveing straight to abb's then biceps then back to heavy back is really hard cardio as well

but i agree if you don't do any cardio or don't do your work outs atleast semi fast which is like cardio then your body will end up slowing down and your metabolism may end up slowing down too and you will just sit there yawning half the time

but like i already said when i do use the cardio bike/running etc machines alot of the time i just go as fast as i can for 30 seconds 2-3 times to drain the glucose during 10 mins on it but it is soo hard to do that i don't do it more than once a week if that