If you've read the last few posts of mine, you'll notice that I've been spending the past two weeks getting to know the new gym I'm training at. Here's the thing... It seems like at least 50% of those who enter the gym spend all of their time on the treadmills.
Now these aren't actual statistics, but they are my best guesstimate of the stupid that I see in the mornings...
Now why would you pay $75/month to walk (or run,in some cases) on a treadmill? Is there not a free strip of land to walk on in your part of town? I hate to think that the DC streets are so violent that we can't find a 45-minute window to get our "cardio" in... Is the treadmill so much more convenient than taking the stairs instead of the elevator, actually walking up the escalator (there are no stair options sometimes in our metro stations), or just taking a walk through your neighborhood?
My apologies if anybody out there reading this fits the description, but it is what it is...
Now, to explain my view of treadmills...
Treadmills are supplementary to what you do in the gym. They can be used in several different ways...
- Add them to your circuits: do a few different exercises and mix in a 60-90 second run on the treadmill to increase the work you're doing. For example, do 15 push ups, 15 squats, 15 crunches, and a 400m run on the treadmill. This is pretty basic, but do it for time; 3 times through, always trying to best your fastest time.
- Get your cardio in when the weather outside is bad. Yes, if there is 10 inches of snow on the ground or it's pouring rain, the treadmill is not a bad option. Just don't pay for a gym membership if the treadmill is the only equipment you know how to use.
- As a progression for less-fit individuals. If you are a little overweight and you have already used up the pavement in the out-of-doors, then hop on a treadmill and put it on an incline. It's less impact than running, and it will definitely get your heartrate up. Most treadmills get up to 15%. If you are in the category that can't walk much, then use the handles on the treadmill to help support your weight as you thin down.
Now, these aren't the only reasons somebody could use a treadmill, but it's a start. And, it's definitely better than just walking for an hour because you want to avoid your neighbors or are afraid you may step on a crack in the road.
I hope this isn't too snarky, but it's just something that's been bugging me lately...
Friday, February 26, 2010
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7 comments:
Yesterday, I stumbled across your blog from the "Next Blog" link. I read this post and felt like I just had to leave a comment. Plus I noticed you’re running pretty light on comments, so I hope you don’t mind.
I totally agree with what you’re saying… and it’s not too “snarky” at all. I’ve been working out in gyms my entire adult life (primarily weight-training) and every time I go, I’m amazed by the number of people running on the treadmills. I really shouldn’t let it bug me, because more people on the treadmills means less people in the weight-lifting section of the gym, but it does. First let me say that I totally on-board with the need for incorporating cardio training into a well-rounded fitness routine and I’ll be the first to admit I could probably do more cardio. But I believe many of these life-long treadmill lovers are under the false impression that hours upon hours of gut-wrenching cardio training is going to shed pounds of unwanted fat. The funny thing is, I’ve been going to my current gym for about 3 years now and I see the same group of treadmill runners day after day and their physical appearance doesn’t seem to have changed on bit. To me, it just seems like a lot of wasted effort for little or no return. I could go on and about the benefits of weight-training, low-carb eating, and other more effective ways to get in shape but maybe I’ll stop (for now). I loved reading this post… I like your way of thinking.
Kirk
Thanks for the note, Kirk. I notice the same thing with the hordes of cardio-only trainees. It just goes to show... Those who have a well-rounded approach to fitness (which will always include weight-training) tend to see the most gains in terms of strength and appearance.
It really is sad that the research on cardio and fat loss hasn't made it to the general population. Maybe I should start posting research on the treadmills so these characters can read that instead of Cosmo or watching the news while "working out."
Alan
I would love to hear more of your thoughts on cardio and fat loss… perhaps a good topic for a future blog post? While reading some of your previous posts, I’ve come to the realization that you are way more knowledgeable on the subject than I am. But even so, I would welcome the opportunity to add my 2 cents in on the discussion.
Take care,
Kirk
Hopefully books such as Coach Dos's Cardio Strength Training will popularize these ideas, plus now that the American Heart Association / American College of Sports Medicine recommend 2x/wk resistance training in addition to 2-3x/wk cardio perhaps things will start to slowly change?
I sometimes feel that folks stay on treadmills because (a) it's easy (b) they think they already know how to walk/run (Esther Gokhale would say differently!) and (c) if they jog hard enough they might get runner's high, which can be addictive.
I actually wonder if (c) is why there are so many runners that don't do supplemental resistance training or interval / cardio strength training work.
~Leslie, UltiTraining.com
Yeah, Dos' book is great. I think a lot of people get strength training and cardio training mixed up too..
For example, I asked a potential client what type of leg work he does (since I only see him lifting arms...), and the answer was "I run on the treadmill 3 times a week, so I don't need to work my legs." Ha, seriously?
Well, in the end I do think steady state can have a decent effect on properly trained individuals, but, really, do it OUTSIDE already!
The easiest way to look at cardio and fat loss is this. You need to be processing oxygen to burn fat. At a low intensity level you aren't expending yourself so your able to keep semi-normal breathing patterns and burn a high percentage of fat (although actual calories burned is low.) Good news right??? NO. Staying near your comfort zone means you recover faster (during the workout) and by the time you finish, it doesn't take long, if at all to return to normal operating conditions. A high intensity interval or resistance/cardio workout will challenge the body a little bit more. The harder you work, the more calories you burn but the fat/carb ratio starts to lean towards burning more carbs until you reach a point where you body pretty much stops burning fat and solely relies on carbohydrate stores. But thats pointless cause you're not burning fat right???? WRONG Post exercise is when you really attack the fat stores. After a high intensity workout, your body will fall into oxygen debt, basically you haven't been able to get enough oxygen throughout the body to fully recover so your heart rate/oxygen intake increases. Key point "oxygen intake increases" and like I said earlier oxygen must be present to BURN FAT. So hours after the workout your body continues to burn fat while restoring glycogen levels (coming from carbs). EPOC (Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption) is the correct term for this process. So all in all interval resistance or cardio training will burn more calories overall as well as more fat. It's also important that you properly fuel the body before and after these workout sessions to ensure optimal energy system utilization and recovery.
Thanks, Phil. Nice blog post, too. Here's a link if anyone's interested: http://xplosiveperformancetraining.com/blog
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