Okay, okay, so I was wrong…..
I’ve come to realize that all the treadmill bashing I’ve been doing is falling on deaf ears.
So I re-evaluated the reason I bash the treadmill and I’ve come to realize that the treadmill has really been getting a bad rap from me.
The treadmill is really no different from any other piece of fitness equipment, the issue I have with the treadmill is the general way it’s being used…NOT the actual piece of equipment itself.
I can in no way put the treadmill in the same category as the ‘hula chair’ or the ‘shake weight’. The treadmill has been around for eons and for treadmill lovers, there’s no end in sight.
And actually, for good reason….(more about that in a bit).
Here’s where the ‘eating crow’ part comes in…
If the treadmill were to be used properly, then, in my books, it’s totally redeemed as an acceptable method to burn fat and even gain lean muscle tone.
That’s a BIG caveat though. It’s a slippery slope from the sort of workout I’m going to suggest to the long, slow plod that I see most folks do on the treadmill…
First of all, I want to tell you the reasons I previously had a hate on for the treadmill:
- It’s lower body based exercise that can open you up to over use injuries if you don’t change up your workouts
- You’re always moving in a frontal plane which doesn’t challenge your mobility/agility (and again, potential overuse issues)
- Usually folks do long workouts which stimulates cortisol production (the fat storing hormone)
- Minimal core or upper body muscle is developed
- Body transformation is difficult if this is the only exercise done
- Interval training is OVER DONE when it’s not paired with resistance training
- It’s boring
- Oh, did I say how boring it is? Most lose motivation and straight up give up on fitness (but the treadmill is great for hanging laundry on 🙂 )
So, how can you use the treadmill to avoid these pitfalls? Here are a few tips:
- Keep the workouts short and intense
- Change up your stride
- Include upper body and core exercises within your workout
- Spice it up! Do NOT repeat the same workout twice in a row
- To avoid boredom, run naked on the treadmill (Ha! Just checking if you were paying attention – this is totally optional 😉 )
Wanna know what this kind of workout would look like? Well you’ll soon have your hands on 21 of them. I’ve just put the final touches on the program and it’ll be yours, but you can get some sample workouts here.
If you LOVE the treadmill and want some new fat loss workouts (that are MORE effective!), you can get a few fantastic NEW sample treadmill/bodyweight fusion workouts HERE
If you’re ready get the ENTIRE PROGRAM (for just pennies a workout) now, Check out Treadmill Fat Loss HERE.
