Fitness help

[justforme 0]

Ok so I have a few questions. I have been working out pretty religiously with my sister 3-4 times a week. Mostly we use the treadmill at the gym, I do realize I need to change it up. But, I have a hard time with the stairclimber, I feel as though I'm just not in good enough shape to stay on it long enough to burn as many calories as I can on the treadmill. Same thing with the elliptical. These are my questions I hope someone out there can help me with. When I use the treadmill I enter my weight and check my heartrate often. How accurate are the Lifefitness treadmills at calculating calories burned? Should I really keep my HR in the 65-75% max HR range for fat loss? Is it better to go faster with low incline or slower with high incline? Whats the difference? How bad is it to hold on, I always feel like I'm gonna fall off or fall over sideways? Should I eat before I go to the gym? After? What? I'm working really hard for me right now at pushing this weight off but I don't want to bulk up to much yet. Tonight I walked at a 3.5 speed with incline intervals in twos every 3 minutes up to 12 then down and up for 50 minutes. Treadmill says I burned 600 calories and walked about 3 miles after cooldown. Is that good does it seem right. Should I use less incline and more speed to burn fat.

I know theres a bunch of questions but I really want to know if I'm on the right path to skinny. Thanks everyone.

[AAA022414 13]

you're over halfway to you goal...so you must be doing something right! i hate the stairclimber too and that's exactly why i do it! commit yourself to doing it, even if it's only say 3 minutes and then next week bump it up a minute. there's something about the stairs that kick my butt more than doing anything else!

i work with a trainer and he said as far as the speed/time it's better to go slower and go for a longer period of time than try to go faster with a shorter amount of time. hills are good, intervals are great. intervals burn tons of calories!

as far as calories burned on the machines, i think usually they are a bit higher than what you actually burn...that's what the guy that signed me up at the gym said anyway =)

try to stick in some weight training too every now and again. that really helps the weight loss as well as giving you something else to do so you don't get too bored with the treadmill.

also, try the elliptical! just commit a few minutes too it and you'll get better and better at it. as far as hanging onto the treadmill...it makes it easier and you don't work as hard, but if you dont feel comfortable letting go, then keep hanging on!

you're doing great!

[Jachut 487]

I'd suggest wearing a heart rate monitor thats set with your stats, not relying on the machines. Ellipticals in particular are inaccurate because you're not moving forward and it never fails to amaze me how many people proudly report they've burned 600 calories in half an hour, completely ignoring the fact that they're not falling down exhausted and dripping in sweat, irrefutable proof that they did NOT just burn that much, lol. And I'm sorry to bust yoru bubble, but there is no way you burn 600 calories walking 3 miles, it just isnt so. You'd be more likely to burn 600 calories running 10K.

YOu dont need to get off the treadmill if you dont want to - the way forward from here is with intensity and honesty with yourself about how hard you're working. You want sweating, you want breathlessness, you want the burn in your legs.

65% workouts are a waste of time in the long run. When you're very overweight, they get you started. You have to start with what's doable, and walking on a treadmill is possible for most people. But the prime excuse people give for not exercising is lack of time and then they go and choose an exercise that they'd have to spend an hour and a half, two hours doing? It makes no sense. This slower for longer thing, it has pros and cons - yes you burn more of a percentage from fat but you burn way less calories (and fat overall). the only relevance it has is for people just starting out who would fall of the treadmill unconscious after running for five minutes. In that case, its way better to walk for half an hour. But you have to be prepared to ramp it up over time becuase it is not effective in the long run - above average effort will always produce above average results.

Never hold onto the treadmill either, it negates half the workout.

Find your 75% base level and add intervals of higher intensity activity that gets you to 85% or over - you can vary this from workout to workout, and the cardio coach volumes are GREAT for it (www.cardiocoach.com) some workouts you can do many short intervals, others you can do longer ones, ones that build in intensity, whatever. You're doing intervals, just up the intensity.

Slower with incline or faster with flat - doesnt make tons of difference as long as you get your heart rate up. But high inclines are great for toning your butt and the back of your legs. And running/walking flat on a treadmill is the equivalent of walking downhill outside, always have about 2% on there anyway, simply to make the exercise more like what it would be on real ground.

And add some weight training - it will never bulk you up, it will make you sexy and shapely, only dont do it the traditional way with sets and rests - you need to do compound exercises like squats, pushups, lunges that use lots of different muscles and you do say squats and without a break move to pushups so your legs can rest. You'll TORCH calories this way and build a really good body. And becuase you dont stop, it will be aerobic and add to the fat burning. Stay far away from the single muscle machines like the inner/outer thigh, the preacher curl machine, the pec dec etc. Waste of time for those of us looking to burn off that fat and lose weight, usefullonly if your goal is to just make single muscles big - which for a woman is not likely to be your goal andp robably wont work anyway.

Hope that helps. It sounds a bit brutal I know but getting half your weight off is done with relatively mild changes, getting it ALL off and then some, that takes real guts and determination and you obviously want it or you wouldnt be asking.

Much lighter and healthier, but still kinda chunky and flabby - keep doing slow cardio. HOT HOT HOT - high intensity cardio and strength training.

Edited February 5, 2009 by Jachut

[MacMadame 81]

My opinion is: listen to everything Jachut said.

I never do stairmaster because when I watch others doing it, they always have horrible form and I wonder if they are possibly hurting themselves. In the gym, I do stationary bike and treadmill. I love to bike and I need to run. Eventually I'll add weights, but right now I'm doing Pilates, which I like better.

[SuzanneG 1]

Jacqui, You're my hero. I hope some day I can be like you! I'm excited about the Couch to 5K and I can honestly say this is the first time I can ever recall being excited about exercise. LOL

[MacMadame 81]

Oh and I forgot to say.... remember when I said that you'd never catch me running, Jachut?

:biggrin: