If you are aiming to burn calories thus lose weight, you have a lot of options to choose from in front of you. A treadmill is one of them that offers a classic feel and gives an outstanding performance.
It is quite easier to use and run if you have a membership to your nearest gym or you have one in your collection. Although it is easy to use, you need to be strategic and systematic to get the best out of it.
Lee Weatislaw, an experienced trainer and NASM, CPT said that a treadmill can be an extremely effective tool for building aerobic capacity, burning calories and developing the fitness level. So, there is no doubt about the effectiveness of a treadmill but the result depends on users’ capacity to perform a workout and how long he or she spends on it.
It is important to know how much you should spend on a treadmill during high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or a steady-state workout. Both of them are effective for weight loss.
Time Recommendation For HIIT
HIIT is a kind of workout that consists of both high-speed pieces of training or shorter bursts followed by a period of active recovery or complete rest. These types of workout sessions can perfectly burn more calories within a shorter period effectively.
Lee suggests that this is to do with EPOC which elaborates excess post-exercise oxygen consumption which is a high metabolism state that your body experiences after an intense period of an exercise session.
Although EPOC is not to be an attempt for more than an hour, it is still an extra benefit of choosing HIIT on the treadmill. Lee recommends keeping this kind of workout within a shorter period; 20 minutes would be great.
Steady-state under £300 treadmill workouts usually last a little longer than HIIT. Experts recommend trying 30 minutes for a moderate-intensity workout like light jogging or 40 minutes for even a low-intensity workout.
It is often said that steady-state training is the best way to build aerobic capacity. This allows the body to use oxygen efficiently. Lee suggested increasing cardiopulmonary fitness gradually from walking to running and therefore helping to lose weight.
All the recommendations given by Lee are good for starting a baseline for new users, but it is important to start your workout based on your current fitness condition. For beginners, Lee suggested keeping the focus on just steady-state workouts at first.
A gradual increase in your workout would help you to improve your fitness level. With the increase in your intensity, you will feel more challenged and determined to build your cardio fitness. Once you can adopt your capability with the machine, you will be able to speed up and take yourself towards HIIT.
Weight-Loss Treadmill Workout Plan
For an effective weight-loss plan, Lee recommends a weekly cardio workout strategy that will help beginners to start their smooth journey toward weight loss.
- Monday: 20-minute treadmill HIIT session (You can shorten the time by 10 minutes based on your capacity)
- Tuesday: 45-minute full-body strength workout
- Wednesday: 30-minute moderate-intensity steady-state treadmill running session
- Thursday: dumbbell resistance workout
- Friday: 40-minute walking session
Besides, it is also essential to maintain a balanced diet to keep your body fit and hydrated. Experts also recommend continuing chiller movement (a 30-minute yoga) on rest days. A combination of all these efforts will succeed in your weight loss goal.