Treadmill running help please!

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Oakley64

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Hey all, i am really trying to get back into shape/shed off the 10lbs i managed to gain in Italy...

Ive changed my diet to all healthy, organic foods - lots of veggies and fruits (course all the other essentials too, dont worry!)

now for exercise...

ive been running on the treadmill for about 2 weeks now, and i am just not sure if i am doing it right for my goals. Every time i run for 20-30 mins (depends on how much time i have, not really if i can run longer or not...), and go a little over 2 miles. I know this isnt very good...i used to run cross country, and my best time was 24 mins for 3.1 miles. Anyways, i am just wondering the best way to run for fat loss/toning/cardiovascular health. I change my speed A LOT...i get sooo bored running at one speed, so i usually am somewhere btwn 5.5 - 6.5mph, and then will get as low as 4.5, and as high as 7.5 at times. Everynow and then, ill up the incline to 5 or so as well (cant do that for too long!). My incline is usually 1.5 or 2.0. Is this ok to be running like this? It makes it difficult to set goals since everyday is different.

also...how hard should i be pushing myself? My HR is already way above target...i just have a really fast HR as it is, so thats not a good measure. Is it okay to not feel like i just used every bit of my energy? Each workout i know i could be pushing myself way harder, but im not sure if its too soon since before this, i'd run once a month at best.

enough questions for now! thanks! :)
 
Please read the weight loss FAQ at the top of the weight loss forum before posting any more question.
 
sorry, i didnt put this in weight loss, cause its not my primary concern...

i know about HITT and all that...i just dont understand where/how you do it. It cant be done on a treadmill really...can it? it doesnt really speed up enough, and when i sprint, i have a LOOOONG stride...as do most people, so like, yeah, id fall off, lol

i dont have a track outside (well, we do, but its cement and hurts my knees), and even if i did, how do you time it...i have no concept of time, and glancing at a watch while sprinting = not easy!
 
HIIT can be done on a treadmill or outside. True HIIT is going all out for 30 seconds and then one minute of lower intensity as a recovery. Do this for a maximum of 20 minutes (includes a 5 minute warm up).

On the treadmill... use the countdown clock as your guide. Or count in your head if you cannot look at a stopwatch or something.

To improve cardiocasular health... well does that mean you want to improve endurance? If so, I don't know that HIIT is best for you. To improve endurace I would look more into lower/medium intensity programs that run longer than 15 mintues.
 
I dont use a treadmill, but a friend of mine, sprints on the treadmill for 1min, then jumps of and skipps, or boxes a punch bag for 2mins, then jumps on the treadmill again.

This may seem risky but if you hold on to the bars and lower yourself down its acctually quite easy.
 
ok, sorry if i am missing something, but i swear, i read the weight loss FAQ!!!

to me, sprinting is like, full out sprinting...am i just misinterpreting what you guys mean by it? Can anyone give the treadmill speeds they use for HITT, cause that would help tremendously. i just dont know if my gym really allows for HITT. There isnt much space btwn treadmills (not to mention ppl would look at me funny, and i am just really shy, and couldnt handle being that oddball at the gym who does weird things, regardless of how much it works!!!)


Lynn - when i say cardiovascular health, i mainly mean i want to bring down my resting heart rate, and not feel like my heart is straining so much. its usually my breathing, not my legs that hold me back from going further.
 
for me, the gym is for weight training, swimming, learning and hanging out with friends. HITT is for the streets my friend. It only takes 20mins, so its not worth going to the gym for that short time.
 
If you do HIIT at your gym... why not unless you don't wanna go there for the 20 minutes... then do the 30 second, 1 minute interval for 15 minutes. Everyone's speed will be different.

Example: 30 seconds sprinting (yes, all out sprinting) at 7mph and then 1 minute recovery of 3.5mph.

I'd also do a few days of medium to long sessions as well. That will improve your endurance levels and heart functioning. This is one of the major reasons I never recommend folks just do HIIT or shorter interval cardio programs.

Cardio is primarily for heart health... but lately it's been primarily for fat loss. So a nice blend of the two... my answer :)
 
Trainer Lynn said:
If you do HIIT at your gym... why not unless you don't wanna go there for the 20 minutes... then do the 30 second, 1 minute interval for 15 minutes. Everyone's speed will be different.

Example: 30 seconds sprinting (yes, all out sprinting) at 7mph and then 1 minute recovery of 3.5mph.

I'd also do a few days of medium to long sessions as well. That will improve your endurance levels and heart functioning. This is one of the major reasons I never recommend folks just do HIIT or shorter interval cardio programs.

Cardio is primarily for heart health... but lately it's been primarily for fat loss. So a nice blend of the two... my answer :)
Click to expand...

whoa whoa whoa, sorry, lol, not trying to be rude, but 7mph?? that is NOT sprinting in my books. that is why i have been so confused, lol. IIRC, my all out sprinting speed is roughly equal to 16-17mph, and there is no way i could do that for a minute (not to mention stride lenght would probably make it impossible to do on a treadmill...and i am only 5'3''), so i figured you guys were talking about at least 10-12mph

am i just running too fast on the treadmill to get results? I think im gonna try this HITT thing then, that way i can see how i feel after, now that i understand a little better. thanks! :)
 
if i understand correctly they mean...

run as fast as you can for 30 seconds...then slow down to a jogging pace or there abouts for a minute :) then repeat it. think you misunderstood the post...dont try running flat out for one minute lol you would probably fall off the treadmill then if that's where you're doing it.
 
lol, you are right, they did say 30 seconds, i dont know why i was thinking a minute. Regardless, i dont think the treadmill goes that high, at least mine at home doesnt...havent tested the ones at the gym. it just doesnt seem like going for 30 secs at 7mph would do anything...but then again, thats why i think i need to try it out, cause maybe the switching back and forth tires you out more?? ive definately gone 7.5 for at least 2 mins before, then gone down to around 5.0 to rest. I always try to stay above 4.5 when im on the treadmill
 
why not go for a run outside? go for a very fast paced run 30 seconds...then jog a bit. you can then run as fast as you want...faster than the treadmill if that's what you're after :)
 
You asked for an example... so I gave that to you :D

The point is that you need to find YOUR high intensity speed and do it for 30 seconds. Then go at YOUR lowe intensity/recovery speed for a minute.
 
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