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Incline Treadmill Training: Burn More Calories

Fitness

Incline Treadmill Training: Burn More Calories

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Running on a treadmill is one of those fitness exercises that keep you going and sweating. And why wouldn’t it be? Even if you’re walking, it’s a great way to get your heart rate up.Well, most treadmills come with an “incline” setting. However, if you are satisfied with just pushing the “Quick Start” button and doing your normal workout routine, you may have never made use of it.When you walk or run on an incline, you create a more accosting workout while burning more calories in the same amount of time.

Running on an incline treadmill can help improve your speed on flat land if you’re a cut throat runner. If used properly, it is a great way to boost your leg strength and prepare the body for longer sessions. Plus, it will burn extra calories because running uphill is more taxing.
Incline Treadmill Training: Burn More Calories

Contents

The Workout

The expert’s advice is to :

Do an alternate 2 minutes workout at a low incline followed by a 2 minutes working out at a higher one.

The other way is to increase the inclination at a rate of 0.5 intervals every minute or two, until you reach the highest setting. Now keep running at the maximum setting for 5 minutes, then start decreasing the incline. This would provide you with a better performance and you will be able to “tread” for a longer time.

Begin Your Workout: Beginners should always start with a speed of 3.5 mph; as for advanced users they can go up to 5.0 mph. Walk for 3 minutes at 4.0; then run at 7.0 for 90 seconds; and sprint at 9.5 for around 30 seconds — repeat until you have completed 30 minutes. And then jog for 3 minutes to cool-down.

Speed and Resistance: Depending on your speed, outside air resistance increases your running workload by 2-10%. Simulate that combat by setting the inclination at 1-2%. You can achieve the best results on 1%.

Form and Stride: Treadmill lets you run without much dependency on the system. Your body doesn’t have to make corrections for varying terrain that affects joints and muscles. Some runners feel less stable while running on a moving belt which can result in uneven strides. It is often seen that a support leg often remains on the “ground” longer which decreases the capability. Try to keep up a count of 85-95 steps per minute to avoid an uneven clump.

Workout Routine for Women:

Well women need a different running technique. We have an easy procedure for women to improve their cardio workout on inclined treadmill.

Speed Inclination Minutes
3.8 4% 0-2:00
4.0 0 2:00-4:00
5.8 0 4:00-6:00
6.0 0 6:00-7:00
3.6 0 7:00-7:30
6.0 0 7:30-10:30
6.6 0 10:30-12:00
3.8 0 10:00-10:30
5.8 0 10:30-12:00
6.5 0 12:00-15:00
4.0 0 15:00-16:00
6.0 0 18:00-21:00
3.8 0 21:00-22:00
3.5 0 22:00-25:00

Mistakes while walking

Keep your arms and hands by your side – not holding on to the handrails for dear life.

First off, holding the handrails allows you to walk faster because of the additional support of the treadmill. You won’t burn calories if you cheat on your workout.

Secondly, holding the handrails makes you feel like you’re doing workout when you’re really not. You have to keep in mind that, if your arms support your bodyweight then your legs are just going along for the ride.

Slouching forward, rounded upper back, and head hanging down are all signs of poor posture. As running goes tougher, it becomes more and more obvious. You need to combat this temptation and focus on maintaining an accomplished posture as you walk.

Below are a few of the standard postures you should keep in mind while working out.

  • Shoulders back and down, chest proud.
  • Eyes should look forward to maintain a neutral head position.
  • Arms should swing naturally by the side and provide forward propulsion.
  • Core engage – i.e. abs tucked in and contracted (like wearing a corset)

Add Resistance

The easiest way to increase the challenge of walking uphill is to combat your own weight. The best way to do this is by wearing a knapsack filled with books or binders. Think about hiking or trekking through the hills. That’s what you want to do exactly to replicate with your training.

Time To Set The Angle

So there you go. What are you waiting for?  Hop on your treadmill, set the angle, and imagine yourself in the woods hiking up a beautiful mountain trail.

Do let me know if you found this post useful.

Also read:

  1. How to buy a Treadmill
  2. Add Comfort To Hiking With Yoga And Interval Training
  3. Interval Training For Beginners

Last Updated: June 30th, 2014
Next Scheduled Update: Aug 30th, 2014

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