| chaos&mayhem
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| I've heard different trainers talk about not holding onto the treadmill when walking and/or running. Does anyone know why? I try not to when I'm exercising, but last night I did 4.25 miles for the first time and by the 3.5 mile mark I had to because my legs were killing me. |
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Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:08 pm |
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| luvs_torun
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Because the machine is doing most the work for you! :wink: :D
When the treadmill's settings are high, the calorie display shows a huge number. But this reading is triggered by the program settings only!
If you put your tiny puppy on the tread, or even let the tread move without anything on it, it would still show the same impressive calorie total. Because holding on eliminates substantial workload from the legs and even your upper body, the actual calories burned is far lower than the bright red number flashing on the console.
When you grab onto the front bar or console, your body tilts back, making it perpendicular to the inclined surface of the treadmill. This is the same angle relationship as when walking on a level course! In other words, if the tread incline is at 12 percent, and you’re gripping the machine, your entire body is angled back—at 12 percent! You’ve just cancelled out the effect of the grade.
Walking or running hands-off burns 20 to 25 percent more calories for the same length of time. Many people think they are burning tons of calories by tugging with their arms and hands during a fast pace on a high incline. The leg and gluteal muscles are the largest muscles in the body. Large muscles burn the most calories. Divert work from your legs? You get minimal calorie burn.
Many people also grip the front bar, yanking their body forward with each step. Any kind of holding on eliminates walking and running weight-bearing benefits.
Your legs get a free ride.
So (if you are holding on to the treadmill more often than not or constantly) you are burning far less calories than you might think.
(It is much better to either slow the treader down or decrease the incline or both, than to hold on....)
So don't! :D |
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Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:48 pm |
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| chaos&mayhem
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Thanks Luvs!
I will tape my arms to my side from now on. :shock: |
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Fri Aug 03, 2007 3:56 pm |
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| luvs_torun
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chaos&mayhem wrote: Thanks Luvs!
I will tape my arms to my side from now on. :shock:
Atta girl! :D |
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Fri Aug 03, 2007 8:25 pm |
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| 2of3
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As we're on the topic of threadmills. When I started using them at my old gym I developed a preference for running on a decline; as opposed to incline.
Is there any benefit/detriment in this?
At my current gym, the machines can't go lower than horizontal so I don't do it anymore.
I'm going to join a new gym soon and if their machines can decline, then I'd be tempted to do it.
2/3 |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:15 am |
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| Kimboroni
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Do you write these articles, Luvs?
http://walking.about.com/od/treadmillworkouts/a/treadmillhold.htm |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:24 am |
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| grabflab
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2of3, do a Google search for "downhill running" and you'll find a lot of articles on the right way to walk or run on a decline.
There are two big differences that I can think of off the top of my head.
One is a downside. Some people slack off on form and control during downhill running, so they're not putting in as much effort, and they're landing harder on their knees and ankles. If this happens, fewer calories are burned and you can do some serious damage to those vulnerable joints over time. My guess is that shin splints also become more of a risk.
The other is a strange benefit. For some reason, uphill walking provides more of a boost to cardiovascular health and lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while downhill walking helps to regulate blood sugar levels. The same degree of lowering of blood sugar is not seen in uphill walkers. (Similarly, downhill walkers do not seem to get the same benefit in LDL cholesterol and triglycerides that uphill walkers do.) The lead author on the study that found this result is Heinz Drexel, who presented findings to the American Heart Association in 2004.
All of which is a good reason to mix our exercise efforts, I guess. |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:37 am |
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| luvs_torun
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Kimboroni wrote: Do you write these articles, Luvs?
http://walking.about.com/od/treadmillworkouts/a/treadmillhold.htm
Actually most of the information posted above I have posted from a similar article, (Runner's World if I remember correctly. I never use about.com for researching, I find it's not always correct.) numerous times ..... I just re-posted it, rather than bumping up the "Runner's Thread" and having her look through hundreds of pages........
Something I do with a lot of my posts that are "lost" in pages and pages of a thread......
( kim.....if you would like me to cite my sources every single time.... I certainly could. I usually do.....) |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 12:42 am |
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| 2of3
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Cool! Thanks. I'l google it. I think my technique must've been ok since i actually found it easier on my joints than running on the flat.
I also tend to do a bit of backwards and sideways running on the threadmill as part of my cooldown.
I used to avoid the threadmill before but I'm actually liking it more and more.
2/3 |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:13 am |
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| luvs_torun
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2of3 wrote:
I also tend to do a bit of backwards and sideways running on the threadmill as part of my cooldown.
2/3
Backwards and sideways running on the treadmill?? :shock:
How do you do that without falling off? :D |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:16 am |
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| 2of3
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:D You just slow it right down. usually down to about 2km/h and make sure you're in a position to grab the sides.
It's part of my cool down/warm up so more to limber up the muscles than anything. When I leave the threadmill I'm normally moving on to weight training or going home.
2/3 |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:30 am |
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| mom41
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luvs_torun wrote: Because the machine is doing most the work for you! :wink: :D
When the treadmill's settings are high, the calorie display shows a huge number. But this reading is triggered by the program settings only!
If you put your tiny puppy on the tread, or even let the tread move without anything on it, it would still show the same impressive calorie total. Because holding on eliminates substantial workload from the legs and even your upper body, the actual calories burned is far lower than the bright red number flashing on the console.
When you grab onto the front bar or console, your body tilts back, making it perpendicular to the inclined surface of the treadmill. This is the same angle relationship as when walking on a level course! In other words, if the tread incline is at 12 percent, and you’re gripping the machine, your entire body is angled back—at 12 percent! You’ve just cancelled out the effect of the grade.
Walking or running hands-off burns 20 to 25 percent more calories for the same length of time. Many people think they are burning tons of calories by tugging with their arms and hands during a fast pace on a high incline. The leg and gluteal muscles are the largest muscles in the body. Large muscles burn the most calories. Divert work from your legs? You get minimal calorie burn.
Many people also grip the front bar, yanking their body forward with each step. Any kind of holding on eliminates walking and running weight-bearing benefits.
Your legs get a free ride.
So (if you are holding on to the treadmill more often than not or constantly) you are burning far less calories than you might think.
(It is much better to either slow the treader down or decrease the incline or both, than to hold on....)
So don't! :D
Great question Chaos!. I wish I had thought of it first :P Thanks luvs for the explanation. I never knew this :shock:
BTW, I have a hard time holding onto the rails or the front bar anyway, because it seems to slow me down, or make me feel uncomfortable.
Thanks again. |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:44 am |
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| luvs_torun
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Along the same lines.... Here are more commonly made fitness mistakes (I believe I have posted something similar to this before...)
Numbers 1 and 3 being my particular "pet peeves" if I am at a health club. :wink:
The Top 20 Fitness Mistakes Beginners Make
Don't let exercise errors stand in your way
By Leanna Skarnulis
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature
Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD
Are you exercising regularly, yet not seeing the results you want? Or getting sidelined by pulled muscles and other injuries? Feeling tempted to drop out because you're so bored?
Don't give up your fitness program just yet. Maybe the problem isn't the exercise itself but the way you're exercising.
Exercisers (especially beginning exercisers) often make mistakes that keep them from getting the most from their workouts. Fitness experts spoke to WebMD about 20 of the most common exercise mistakes, and how you can keep them from derailing your fitness program.
Cardio Uh-Ohs
1. Doing the "gym slouch." "We see many people in the gym leaning on equipment," says Debi Pillarella, MEd, a spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise. "We call it 'gym slouch': They're on the Stairmaster, [elliptical cross trainer], or treadmill, leaning over, and hanging on for dear life."
When your back is rounded, your spine doesn't get enough support. So stand erect when you're working out on one of these machines.
2. Getting a grip. Holding on too tightly to the cardio equipment lets you "cheat" and contributes to slouching. It also keeps you from moving your arms -- which can boost your heart rate and burn extra calories. If loosening your grip makes you feel insecure, try this technique Pillarella teaches at Community Hospital Fitness Pointe in Munster, Ind. "Instead of gripping, just rest your fingers, from your index finger to the pinkie, on the bars. As you get more comfortable, drop a finger. Eventually, you may have just the index fingers resting there for security."
3. Catching up on your reading. If you're doing lots of reading on the elliptical machine, you're probably not getting a good workout, says Julie Isphording, host of the radio shows Fitness Information Talk and On Your Feet.
"If you must read, stop about every three minutes and do a four-minute focus interval," she says. During this interval, "concentrate on picking up the pace, dropping your shoulders, breathing, and using your arms."
4. Walking with weights. Carrying hand weights when you walk might seem like a good way to add strength training to your cardio workout, but it compromises your stride. "You lean forward, and it stresses the quads, ankles, and shins, and can cause stress fractures," Isphording says. "Keep your cardio and strength training separate."
5. Thinking cardio is enough. Many people think they need only a cardiovascular exercise program. "We begin losing muscle at age 30," says Isphording. "Strength training builds muscles, which increases metabolism and burns more calories."
Strength-Training Slipups
6. Rushing your reps. Doing weight-lifting repetitions too fast raises your blood pressure and increases your risk for joint injury. It also compromises your results.
"The safest way to use strength machines or dumbbells is: in lifting phase, exhale for two counts and hold briefly at the top of the contraction, then return as you inhale for four counts," says Pillarella. "Always exhale during the hardest part of the work."
7. Giving your abs a free ride. Many people do crunches or abdominal machine workouts without ever toning their abdomens. The problem is that they're using the upper torso, neck, and head to do the work.
"Do mindful exercise," says Pillarella. "The contraction should be from the ribcage to the hip bone. Put your mind into the muscles that are working, and keep all the other muscles quiet."
8. Doing lackluster lat pull-downs. On this machine, you're seated with a bar overhead. Some people stick their heads forward and pull the bar down behind their heads. But doing it this way could injure your spine or neck -- and your back won't get that coveted "V" look.
Instead, "pull the bar down in front of your shoulders and chest, and put your mind into muscle contractions in your back," says Pillarella.
9. Using maladjusted machines. Weight machines are made for people of all shapes and sizes. You must adjust them to fit if you want to get results and avoid injury.
For example, using an improperly set leg-extension machine puts stress on your knees, says Mark Kasper, EdD, a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine. "Another problem with improperly adjusted machines is that you don't work your muscles through the full range of motion," he says.
Have a qualified trainer show you the proper settings for your physique, and write them down on a card that you carry to the gym.
Flexibility Flubs
10. Stretching cold muscles. Stretching before your workout puts you at risk for pulled or torn muscles. "Always stretch at the end of your workout," says Pillarella.
11. Bouncing. Bouncing during a stretch can increase your risk of straining or pulling muscles, Pillarella says. Instead, "hold a static stretch with no movement at the joints. Your body should feel lengthened but not to the point of pain."
Routine Maintenance
12. Forgetting about fun. "If you're bored with your routine, and your treadmill has faced the washer since 1980, how much fun is that?" says Isphording, "I'd never want to do your workout, either. ? And why do we call it a workout? It should be a playout."
Exercise with your friends or family, just as you go to movies or dinner with people. "Unless we reframe it in our minds, it will never be fun," Isphording says.
13. Doing outdated exercises. Still doing the exercises you learned in high school, like windmills and leg lifts? Some of these oldies are a waste of time; others can cause injury. Take an exercise class or work with a personal trainer to freshen your routine.
14. Getting stuck in a rut. What's wrong with doing the same exercise routine, day in and day out? "You're working the same muscles, going at the same speed, and once you get in shape you no longer breathe heavily," says Isphording. "The muscles become very efficient. They expend less energy, and you burn fewer calories."
Find different types of exercise that you enjoy, and make it a point to vary what you do.
15. Seeking a quick fix. Many people expect dramatic results from a little exercise. "Current recommendations are for 3 1/2 to four hours of physical activity a week just to prevent weight regain," says Kasper, who is a professor in the department of kinesiology at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Ga. "If you want to lose weight and you're walking 30 minutes, three times a week, without changing your diet, it will take roughly one month to lose a pound."
Want to lose faster? Exercise more.
16. Being a weekend warrior. "If you're only exercising two days a week, you'll never get where you want to be, and you'll feel awful every Monday," says Isphording. "It leads to injury and burnout, and you're missing the secret to success: showing up."
17. Taking on too much at first. "Whether on a treadmill at home or working out at an exercise facility, people tend to do too much too soon," says Kasper. "They put themselves at risk for an orthopaedic injury."
He advises working with a qualified trainer who will do a screening, teach proper techniques, and set up an appropriate fitness program.
Sins of Omission
18. Skipping the warm-up. "Without a warmup, you're asking your body to work before the oxygen and blood flow reach the muscles," says Pillarella. "You increase the risk for injury, and with cardiovascular exercise, you raise the heart rate too fast. Before you exercise in earnest, spend 5-10 minutes going through the motions of your workout at an easy pace to raise your body temperature from the inside out."
If you don't warm up before lifting weights, meanwhile, you risk torn muscles and won't be able to lift as much weight, says Isphording. Get your blood flowing by spending a few minutes on the treadmill or exercise bike, or even walking in place.
19. Forgoing the cool-down. Don't come to sudden stop at the end of your workout. "If you don't cool down, you risk muscle soreness because you haven't flushed the lactic acid out of your system," says Isphording. "It takes five to 10 minutes at a slower pace, depending on your fitness level, to let your heart rate come down."
20. Skimping on water. Muscles need fluid to contract properly, so if you don't drink enough, you can get muscle spasms or aches.
"If you're thirsty, you're already a percent dehydrated," says Pillarella. "Drink water before, during, and after exercise."
And, Pillarella says, "unless you're a high-intensity athlete who's depleting electrolytes and potassium, you don't need Gatorade. Water is the preferred drink." |
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Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:38 pm |
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| Kimboroni
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luvs_torun wrote: Kimboroni wrote: Do you write these articles, Luvs?
http://walking.about.com/od/treadmillworkouts/a/treadmillhold.htm
Actually most of the information posted above I have posted from a similar article, (Runner's World if I remember correctly. I never use about.com for researching, I find it's not always correct.) numerous times ..... I just re-posted it, rather than bumping up the "Runner's Thread" and having her look through hundreds of pages........
Something I do with a lot of my posts that are "lost" in pages and pages of a thread......
( kim.....if you would like me to cite my sources every single time.... I certainly could. I usually do.....)
That seems appropriate, doesn't it? Otherwise, it inadvertently reads like your own writing. I've seen you post good articles in the main forum without citations occasionally, so I've been wondering for a long time if you write articles as a side thing. |
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Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:02 am |
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| luvs_torun
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Kimboroni wrote: That seems appropriate, doesn't it?
Certainly!
I have to admit that in moments of "hurriedness" or even "laziness"......... I have just "grabbed" portions of previous posts I have made that might pertain to a new question......... or grabbed bits and pieces of the "faq's".............. or even recited from memory from a particular article or book I have read......... without remembering to give due credit, every time, to the author........
I am a rotten person.... :wink: |
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Tue Aug 07, 2007 6:32 pm |
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