Treadmill: the perfect weight loss program
Treadmill mistakes to avoid, tips to improve your sessions, a weight loss training program...Discover the sound tips from Morgan Warren, a trainer at L'Usine, to lose weight and burn as many calories as possible in a race on the treadmill.
Does mat make you lose weight?
A treadmill is a cardio machine, which can be found in the gym or at home, that allows you to walk or run.
Depending on the level of the practitioner, these two steps, walking or running, allow you to improve weight, lose weight and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as they require maximum muscle mass and cardio activation.
The more muscle groups you muster and work, the more energy you will spend, and therefore the more calories you will burn. But to lose weight, energy expenditure should be greater than food intake, so be sure to combine physical activity with a balanced and appropriate diet.
What parts of the body does the treadmill work?
If the muscles of the lower extremities (gluteus, thighs and legs) are the main motor muscles, then fast walking and running move the arms and postural muscles, such as the abdominal muscles and vertebrae (these are the muscles located along the spine). Thus, this sports practice is very complete and allows you to harmoniously improve your silhouette!
In addition to the stress on the muscles, the advantages and benefits of sessions on the treadmill are numerous:
With the treadmill, you can run whenever you want, completely safe and protected from bad weather (cold, rain, winter nights, heat, etc.).
Other activities can be done during the session to make the training more enjoyable (TV, music, audiobook, games, podcast, etc.).
The mat can be practiced by all audiences: beginners, seasoned athletes, and people undergoing rehabilitation.
The treadmill is less harmful to the joints than outdoor walks, thanks to the springs under the treadmill.
Brisk walking and running can reduce stress by stimulating the hormones of happiness and endorphins.
To shape the legs in particular, and put more pressure on the thighs and calves, it is possible to tilt the rug by 1% to 15% (or even more depending on the brand of the rug), increasing the resistance in order to strengthen the lower body and increase its intensity.
Does brisk walking make you lose belly fat?
"A brisk walk can help improve his refinement but without good eating habits, it's a waste of time!" I'd like to point out Morgan Warren, athletic trainer at L'Usine.
Also, it is important to know that when you are doing an athletic activity, you cannot target fat mass loss. So doing abdominal exercises only to have a flat stomach is a mistake... You need to expend energy, combine muscle strengthening exercises and cardio sessions to see results on the body, especially on the stomach.
Note that brisk walking can have silhouette effects when you're a beginner, but for regular runners, running is preferred to increase the intensity of the effort.
Treadmill: How do you lose weight by walking or running?
To lose weight on the treadmill, Morgane Warin, L'Usine's athletic trainer, offers two different ways to train:
Method 1: Continuous walking or running
This method consists of walking or running on a treadmill for a long time (i.e. 45 minutes to 1 hour minimum), with low to moderate intensity (heart rate around 130 beats/min, which can be checked using the heart sensors on the handles of the treadmill) or using a heart rate monitor).
The advantage of this method is that it is not very painful for the body, but the sessions can be long. It is ideal for beginners who want to gradually exercise.
Example of a long session on the treadmill:
Warm up for 10 minutes with a gradual increase in intensity, you can add mobility at the beginning of the session to prepare the joints and get better comfort while running / walking.
A session of 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes of walking or running, at light to moderate intensity (you can talk during the effort), with a 3% tendency to reproduce the effects of the wind.
Cool down by walking or jogging easily at a 0% incline for 5-10 minutes to bring your heart rate back to rest.
Tips to increase the difficulty of the session:
Increase the speed or incline of the treadmill
Leave the dashboard
Take small weights to hold in your hands to stimulate the arm muscles and thus increase energy expenditure.
The second method: walking or running intermittently
With this method, the session duration is shorter (about 30 minutes) but the intensity is higher (heart rate will be around 160 to 190 beats/min). We will alternate between speed and recovery within a certain period of time.
This training method is ideal for people who are already athletic, who run or need to exercise.
Example of a more intense session on the treadmill:
Warm up for 10 minutes with a gradual increase in intensity. We can add mobility at the beginning of the session to prepare the joints and get better comfort while running/walking.
During the session: 10 series alternating 30 seconds of running or brisk walking, 30 seconds of active recovery (jogging or slow walking). If the session is too intense, extend the recovery time.
Return to calm with an easy walk or jog for 5 to 10 minutes to lower your heart rate.
Good advice from the trainer: To maximize fat loss, wait 1-2 hours before eating. Indeed, the body continues to burn calories at the end of the session to recover.
Treadmill for weight loss: advice from a trainer to improve your sessions
For beginners, there are games on some treadmills that make training fun.
Set short and long-term goals to boost motivation.
Change the exercises for continuous progression (mile work, split, fast work, etc.).
Take a natural position: look straight ahead, hands are relaxed, run relaxed.
Leave the dashboard handles on to maximize your workout.
Space the sessions one to two days apart, to improve recovery and get in good shape for the next training session.
Stay hydrated: Dehydration can cause cramps, tendonitis, muscle cramps, digestive upsets or even a decrease in performance and early fatigue. So it is important to drink small sips while you are healing.
Get the right sports shoes! Running in ill-fitting shoes is prohibited. It is necessary to bring sports shoes for running (running) to provide optimum comfort during training and also to avoid injuries (periostitis, tendonitis, blisters, etc.).
To move forward and make more progress, it is recommended to turn to a sports trainer who specializes in running or walking, to test your abilities and create a customized program.
Bring a heart rate monitor to monitor your heart rate. It is very useful to know if the person is overtraining or if the effort fits with the goal.
Running on an empty stomach, increasing speed... Mistakes to avoid on a treadmill
To reduce the risk of pain or injury during training, and to step safely on the treadmill, some common mistakes should be avoided:
Skip the warm-up before you start. Injuries happen very quickly. Light walking/running to raise the heart rate and prepare the muscular system is sufficient for the treadmill enthusiast.
Increase the speed very quickly and you are no longer in control of your carpet. There is a risk of falling on the treadmill. You have to gradually increase the speed. For the more fearful, there is a gym seat belt to attach to your shirt. When you move away from the dashboard, the seat belt stops the machine. Also, if you are a beginner, remember to hold the rug handles well.
Watch out for headphones and towels, which tend to fall on the treadmill and can lead to falls. Give preference to wireless Bluetooth headphones and put the towel away to prevent it from getting in the way.
Do not leave the handles of the mat. A two-hour walk on the dashboard is not good: this movement is ineffective for the body and creates a lot of tension in the arms and neck. In addition, the advantage of walking and running is the movement of many muscles. If we eliminate the movement of the arms during training, we consume less energy and therefore fewer calories. As a bonus, swinging the arms allows for better balance.
Run every day when you start. Too bad idea. The body does not get used to this kind of stress. Repetitive trauma causes inflammation, especially in the knee and ankle. This then leads to a rapid cessation of activity and inhibition of impulse. When starting, the number of sessions should be gradually increased.
Run on an empty stomach. To lose weight faster, some people do not eat before the session, which leads to discomfort in the event of hypoglycemia. To prevent this condition, it is highly recommended to bring a piece of cereal or fruit juice during the session.