Have you been grinding out lots of running on the treadmill and still haven’t lost any weight, or maybe three pounds at the most? You’re doing something wrong.
Doing MORE running is not the answer if you’ve found that your treadmill workouts have not caused weight loss.
First off, long-duration cardio (steady pace, give or take) is not a top fat-burner. It pales in comparison to the fat-burning effect of high intensity interval training.
However, another obstacle to weight loss from treadmill running is that of holding onto the equipment!
Even if the tread’s going at high speeds, forget any fat loss. Faster speeds mean a tighter hand grip!
This dynamic sets you up for future repetitive stress injuries to the hips and feet.
The calorie display is way off. The machine cannot tell you’re cheating (by holding on).
The number that shows is based on the speed and incline (if any), NOT the user’s metabolism!
Even if you employ interval training, holding onto the treadmill will sabotage your weight loss goal.
Now, you’ll surely lose a few pounds of fat at the beginning of your endeavor, but you’ll soon plateau and wonder, “I’ve been doing all this running on the treadmill so why haven’t I lost more weight?”
STOP HOLDING ONTO THE TREADMILL
When I was a personal trainer I had every one of my clients — be they a little overweight or a lot overweight — using a treadmill without holding on.
Whether they were running, walking or using a steep incline, they were forbidden to hold on for support.
If you feel as though you’ll fall off, this means the speed is too fast.
It also may mean that you’ve trained your body to become dependent on the support!
Break this habit at once if you want to resume losing weight from running on a treadmill. Slow down the speed if you must. Humble yourself.
Shutterstock/Ljupco Smokovski
Remind yourself that a 6 mph while holding on is nowhere near as fruitful, nor impressive, as a 3 mph trot WITHOUT holding on.
You’ll also want to try high intensity interval training, a super fat-burning way to use a treadmill.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Iam_Anupong
