Treadmill Burn Fat
Can a treadmill really help you to burn fat? The answer is yes. But make sure you have a sound exercise program, as well as a proper eating plan. Exercising without eating properly isn’t going to help you burn a lot of fat. A good treadmill can help you monitor the amount of calories that you burn, though this is largely an estimate. But at least there is a number for you to work with.
Heart rate monitoring.
When using a treadmill, the most important number is not the number of calories burned. It’s your heart rate. Different people have different fitness levels. To get into the fat burning zone, your heart rate has to be at least 60% of your Max. Heart Rate (or MHR).
To get your maximum heart rate, use this formula.
MHR = 220 – Your Age
So if you are 30 years old, your MHR should be 190. It’s also useful to know your RHR. To measure your resting heart rate, rest for at least 20 minutes. Then place a finger on your wrist or your neck to feel your own pulse. Count for a full minute. After a min., multiply the figure by 4. That will be your RHR.
The average person will have a RHR of about 60 beats per min. Very fit people have lower RHR because of better oxygen efficiency.
Unfortunately, for most home treadmills, the heart rate measuring feature isn’t very accurate. Lower end models tend to use a thumb receiver on the handle to measure heart rate. So if you want a reading, you have to place your thumb on the receiver. Since you can’t have your thumb attached to the receiver all the time while running, you can only monitor your heart rate once every few minutes. Usually, most people just give up trying to take the reading.
Higher end models come with better heart rate monitoring devices. Such devices consist of 2 separate components. One part is attached to the chest to measure the heart rate. The data is sent to a receiver on the treadmill, which displays the current heart rate. There is the wired option, and the wireless option. The wired option tends to be less popular, as runners dislike having wires around while running. So far, the wireless option is the best option.
Fat burning zones.
Usually, heart rate zones are divided into 5 categories – with 5 being the most intense. You start burning fat when you reach zone 2, which is about 60% of your MHR. As this is commonly known as the fat burning zone, many believe that you burn the most fat while staying in this zone.
This myth is incorrect. Although you burn a larger percentage of fat staying in this zone, the volume of fat you burn is actually lesser when you are compare with a more intense training session. In other words, fat burning is more effective when the exercise is more intense.
Therefore, if time is a concern, always try to work out more intensely. I.e. run faster or increase the incline. You can also engage in interval training. Most treadmills come with preset programs that will allow you to engage in interval training. Just choose the program that suits you best, and start working out.
If you are a beginner who is on a tight budget, you may wish to get yourself a manual treadmill. Manual treadmills are easy to operate, and doesn’t consume electricity. You also don’t have to worry about motors overheating. Just set yourself on the running belt and start running. The belt will move together with you. You can also set a higher incline to increase the intensity. A manual treadmill will cost you less than $200.
After a while, you may get tired of a manual treadmill. You can buy yourself an entry level treadmill at about $500 to $600. Don’t buy anything that cost less than $500 because you will most likely end up with a machine that is compromised in terms of quality. Manufacturers have been known to offer just 90 days warranty (parts and labor) for such machines. If you machine breaks down after 3 months, you are out of several hundred dollars.
But for the price of $500 to $600, you can get a pretty good machine. The Horizon Fitness T91 Treadmill comes highly recommended, and offers lifetime warranty for both frame and motor. Parts and labor warranty is one full year. This is a good machine for beginner and intermediate runners.
Functionality and practicality.
Always take into consideration the functionality and practicality of home treadmills. More and more homeowners are looking to buy treadmills that are durable, yet compact. Modern home treadmills come with shock assisted folding capabilities. That means the lowering and folding up of the treadmill is assisted in some way (e.g. hydraulics). This makes it easy for the treadmill to be folded up and kept away. The Horizon Evolve SG Compact Treadmill is only 10 inches in height when folded down! You can keep it under the bed when not in use.
Some models try to entice you by offering “lifestyle” features such as MP3 audio, built in speakers and LCD flat panel screens. These are good to have features, but they are not essential. You are better off with more preset exercise programs. Circuit boards come cheap these days, so manufacturers should be able to offer more preset exercise programs. Your primary goal is to burn fat and lose weight, not to entertain yourself. So entertainment features are secondary.
Sometimes, little things like a water bottle rack makes a difference. Manufacturers must always seek to understand the runner. For long walking or running sessions, users like to drink sports drinks to rehydrate themselves. Without a water bottle rack, it’s hard to do that. The runner has to hold the bottle in his/her hand.
Cardio sessions on the treadmill.
The treadmill is meant for cardiovascular exercise. That means you are primarily making your heart work harder when you use the treadmill. So how many sessions per week would be ideal? And how long should each cardio session be?
For a working adult, it’s best to workout on the treadmill 2 to 3 times a week. It’s a mistake to use the treadmill on a daily basis because the joints and muscles have too little time to heal. Each session should be at least 30 minutes. Most users spend about 45 mins on the treadmill for each session. Very fit individuals spend up to an hour for each session.
Try not to exercise on the treadmill on consecutive days as you need to give time to your body to recuperate. In between cardio sessions, if you still want to workout, try hitting the gym to work on other parts of your body. Make cardio a part of your weekly exercise program.
Losing love handles, getting ripped and getting 6 pack abs.
Can a treadmill get you to lose your stubborn love handles, get ripped, and allow your 6 pack abs to show? Definitely! Cardio sessions are very effective in burning fat. That’s what you need to achieve in order to get ripped.
Anyone who exercises regularly will be ripped to a certain extent. But the cutting just doesn’t show because it’s covered by a layer of fat!
When you workout a treadmill regularly, you start to burn off excess fat and your body fat percentage goes down. Soon, your cutting will become visible (ripped muscles!) and your 6 pack abs will be visible. Bear in mind that this takes time and effort. So be patient and continue working out on the treadmill.
Also, you can’t just do sit-ups and hope that the love handles will go away. It just doesn’t work that way. You can isolate the fat in one area, and try to burn off fat in just 1 area. Your overall fat percentage has to come down. Your love handles will probably be the last bit of fat that you lose because the body prefers to store fat there for the sake of survival. As long as you are getting fitter and increasing your metabolism, you will reach a stage where even love handles have to say goodbye.
Proper diet.
Never try to beat a crappy diet with exercise. The secret to losing weight is:
1) diet first
2) exercise second
Believe it or not, your diet is more important than your exercise. Make sure you eat enough proteins for muscle repair and growth. Start by halving your regular meals by half. But compensate for the smaller meals by drinking whey protein shakes. Drinking 2 a day (one at night, one in the morning) will really help you build up lean muscle mass quickly. Here are some Homemade Protein Shakes Recipes to help you get started.
The amount of protein you should consume per day should be equal to your weight. For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds, you should be consuming 200 grams of protein each day. Of course, that is assuming that you are working out intensely.
Also, don’t forget your carbs. Many people make the mistake of shedding all carbs from their diet because they want to lose weight. But carbs is the preferred energy source. If you want to get through the day (with workouts and daily work) without feeling lethargic, you need to take your carbs. For every pound you weigh, you should take 1 gram of carbohydrate.
The key to success is to take smaller meals more frequently. That will help boost your metabolism by about 20%. It’s important to have proteins and carbs that your body can use throughout the day. By eating smaller meals, you are actually controlling the amoung of insulin in your body.
Insulin is excreted by your pancreas to regulate your blood sugar levels. By controlling your sugar and carb intake, your insulin level remains stable. Those who like to eat snacks find that they tend to have energy spikes. Insulin gets released by the body to deal with the additional sugar. After an hour or so, the sugar level drops and the individual finds himself with less energy all of a sudden. Your goal is to prevent that from happening.
Horizon treadmills are some of the best machines in the today’s market. Be sure to compare between the different models before buying.