Holding onto the treadmill????

katie133

Hi guys... so i recently started going to a new (much busier gym).. I do most of my intense cardio on the elliptical/stair master, and have been doing some walking at an incline on the treadmill. I usually walk between 3.0-3.5 with an incline of 7.0-7.5 depending on how i feel.. I do not hold on to the treadmill what-so-ever... but I see SO many women with the treadmill incline WAYYYYYYY up there but they hold on to the top of the treadmill for their whole work out?? So i decided to try it out and found it a bit easier, because half of the battle for me is staying balanced and holding myself up without holding on!!

So my question is, which is better... lower incline NOT holding onto the treadmill, or higher incline, holding onto the treadmill? I feel like that almost defeats the purpose..? But what do i know!

gemiwing

You burn more without holding on to the handbars- start low and work your way up a percentage each week. Then when you raise the angle you'll really be burning.

ninerbuff

Hi guys... so i recently started going to a new (much busier gym).. I do most of my intense cardio on the elliptical/stair master, and have been doing some walking at an incline on the treadmill. I usually walk between 3.0-3.5 with an incline of 7.0-7.5 depending on how i feel.. I do not hold on to the treadmill what-so-ever... but I see SO many women with the treadmill incline WAYYYYYYY up there but they hold on to the top of the treadmill for their whole work out?? So i decided to try it out and found it a bit easier, because half of the battle for me is staying balanced and holding myself up without holding on!!

So my question is, which is better... lower incline NOT holding onto the treadmill, or higher incline, holding onto the treadmill? I feel like that almost defeats the purpose..? But what do i know!

Holding onto the treadmill REDUCES intensity of the actual exercise by up to 50%. NONE of my clients are allowed to hold on, and if I catch them on their own time doing it, I'll stop over and lower the incline or the speed. Makes no sense to "cheat" at exercise for ego or to fool yourself into thinking you did a harder workout than you really did.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

jmatthews75

Guess it depends on the person. I don't like to hold on to it because I like to work on the balance, but I know people that if they don't hold on, they will fall off of it because they can't spacially relate. is that even a word? but you get the point right?
I talked to a podiatrist and he said that you shouldn't really be running on inclines over 5% because its bad for your ankles.
Does your gym have the ARC machine? I prefer that so much more over the treadmill...

katie133

Thanks for the info guys... great to know this....

As for the ankles, thanks for the input! I have been trying to work at my balance/intensity of my work out by increasing the incline, when i dont want to do much running that day....

I actually have no clue what the ARC trainer is, care to enlighten me!?

katie133

Guess it depends on the person. I don't like to hold on to it because I like to work on the balance, but I know people that if they don't hold on, they will fall off of it because they can't spacially relate. is that even a word? but you get the point right?
I talked to a podiatrist and he said that you shouldn't really be running on inclines over 5% because its bad for your ankles.
Does your gym have the ARC machine? I prefer that so much more over the treadmill...

Ok just googled the ARC trainer,, we do have a few. I tried it out once.. Better than elliptical?

Fridarules

I actually hold on because the treadmill needs my heart rate. If I let go for even a few seconds, the machine pauses my work out or doesn't count the calories I'm burning when I'm not holding on. The machines at my gym seem pretty new and they adjust themselves until I reach my target HR, so sometimes I'm walking with an inclination of 9.8 at 3.0 or 3.5 mph and sometimes goes really low 2.2. Then, the treadmill displays the correct amount of calories I burn depending on the HR, time speed, etc. I think sometimes the people you see holding up may be doing that because of their specific exercise program, not because they're cheaters who are fooling themselves. Not all at least, that's the danger of generalizing.

llamalland

Guess it depends on the person. I don't like to hold on to it because I like to work on the balance, but I know people that if they don't hold on, they will fall off of it because they can't spacially relate. is that even a word? but you get the point right?
I talked to a podiatrist and he said that you shouldn't really be running on inclines over 5% because its bad for your ankles.
Does your gym have the ARC machine? I prefer that so much more over the treadmill...

if "spatially relate" isn't a word, it should be! that's exactly how i feel. I loose my balance / get dizzy if I don't have an anchor point, no matter what kind of moving surface I am on. I also have motion sickness, wonder if there is a correlation? I am perfectly happy to accept lower burn numbers if holding on reduces the effectiveness.

gemiwing

if "spatially relate" isn't a word, it should be! that's exactly how i feel. I loose my balance / get dizzy if I don't have an anchor point, no matter what kind of moving surface I am on. I also have motion sickness, wonder if there is a correlation? I am perfectly happy to accept lower burn numbers if holding on reduces the effectiveness.

I think in your case it's a matter of risk vs benefit- you won't burn as many calories but you won't end up falling and injuring yourself. Thank you for bringing up your experience!

jmatthews75

I actually hold on because the treadmill needs my heart rate. If I let go for even a few seconds, the machine pauses my work out or doesn't count the calories I'm burning when I'm not holding on. The machines at my gym seem pretty new and they adjust themselves until I reach my target HR, so sometimes I'm walking with an inclination of 9.8 at 3.0 or 3.5 mph and sometimes goes really low 2.2. Then, the treadmill displays the correct amount of calories I burn depending on the HR, time speed, etc. I think sometimes the people you see holding up may be doing that because of their specific exercise program, not because they're cheaters who are fooling themselves. Not all at least, that's the danger of generalizing.

you should get a HRM. It is far more accurate than the readings you get on the machines that are not taylored for your individual body make up.

jfluchere

I only hold at 20 incline, walking at 4.0 to watch my heartrate spike a few minutes then lower and slow down.

mamagooskie

I hold on if I am getting a drink or whatever but I try not to. That being said I can hold on and keep my heart rate up just as high with just as much cal burn.

thefuzz1290

I do it to every minute or so to get my heart rate, or to catch a quick break instead of lowering the incline and raising it back a few seconds later. Just don't do while you're running....people will stare. :P

CannibalisticVegetarian

Meh, I hold on because of the incline and me being super clumsy. Ever since I started using the treadmills, the trainer would nearly max the incline and leave me be.. annnnd since I'd rather not risk having the treadmill floor pattern embedded into my face as a personal reminder, I hold on for dear life.

There are times when I lower the incline and double the speed though. That's when I stop holding.

katie133

lol thats funny! no holding on while running does not happen.. if that's even possible... I just find when im at a high incline i must look like eye of the tiger ...staring right infront of my so i dont mess up my balance!! LOL that would be really embarassing if i tripped one day... yikes

gemiwing

Meh, I hold on because of the incline and me being super clumsy. Ever since I started using the treadmills, the trainer would nearly max the incline and leave me be.. annnnd since I'd rather not risk having the treadmill floor pattern embedded into my face as a personal reminder, I hold on for dear life.

There are times when I lower the incline and double the speed though. That's when I stop holding.

You always make me laugh- you really have such a gift with words. lol personal reminder. whew haha

JAllen32

My thinking is that it seems silly to crank up the incline then lean back and hold on. If you look at someone who is doing that, they are basically walking straight. What is the point of the incline if you are just going to force your body into a position to walk straight anyway! lol Maybe I'm wrong, but that has always been my opinion. If you going to crank it up, then walk on it like your acutally walking up a hill, leaning forward and giving your muscle a workout.

katie133

My thinking is that it seems silly to crank up the incline then lean back and hold on. If you look at someone who is doing that, they are basically walking straight. What is the point of the incline if you are just going to force your body into a position to walk straight anyway! lol Maybe I'm wrong, but that has always been my opinion. If you going to crank it up, then walk on it like your acutally walking up a hill, leaning forward and giving your muscle a workout.

This has been my opinion as well... why crank up the incline so high if you have to hold on? Why not just lower it... but i was thinking there may be another side to the story which is why i decided to post this topic!

CannibalisticVegetarian

Meh, I hold on because of the incline and me being super clumsy. Ever since I started using the treadmills, the trainer would nearly max the incline and leave me be.. annnnd since I'd rather not risk having the treadmill floor pattern embedded into my face as a personal reminder, I hold on for dear life.

There are times when I lower the incline and double the speed though. That's when I stop holding.

You always make me laugh- you really have such a gift with words. lol personal reminder. whew haha

Haha thanks. I haven't fallen.. yet. *Knocks on trees* .. but I injure myself enough in the gym as is. Be it constantly beaming myself in the head with the tricep extension bars, of banging my legs and hips on the sides of machines.. So yeah.. falling seems like the mother of all embarrassing situations. You can't just laugh and walk that off...and you can never leave any witnesses.

jennafluff

I've always wondered - my trainer told me to hold on, go as fast as I possably could and have at max incline. I have done this for 60 minutes (SORE ARMS!!!!!!!!!) and it said i had burnt 1000 calories!! I found it hard to believe because I sometimes run at a low incline (NOT holding on) and seem to be working a lot harder - puffing, sweating etc - yet don't burn as many calories. Thanks for comments everyone - interesting:-)

firefly171717

You burn more without holding on to the handbars- start low and work your way up a percentage each week. Then when you raise the angle you'll really be burning.

Yes!

katie133

I've always wondered - my trainer told me to hold on, go as fast as I possably could and have at max incline. I have done this for 60 minutes (SORE ARMS!!!!!!!!!) and it said i had burnt 1000 calories!! I found it hard to believe because I sometimes run at a low incline (NOT holding on) and seem to be working a lot harder - puffing, sweating etc - yet don't burn as many calories. Thanks for comments everyone - interesting:-)

I totally agree...... I dont think the calories burned are correct on the machine... are you using a HRM (i dont have one)
I feel like i worked so much harder, not holding on at a lower intensity... I could go for hours while holding on!

katie133

Meh, I hold on because of the incline and me being super clumsy. Ever since I started using the treadmills, the trainer would nearly max the incline and leave me be.. annnnd since I'd rather not risk having the treadmill floor pattern embedded into my face as a personal reminder, I hold on for dear life.

There are times when I lower the incline and double the speed though. That's when I stop holding.

You always make me laugh- you really have such a gift with words. lol personal reminder. whew haha

Haha thanks. I haven't fallen.. yet. *Knocks on trees* .. but I injure myself enough in the gym as is. Be it constantly beaming myself in the head with the tricep extension bars, of banging my legs and hips on the sides of machines.. So yeah.. falling seems like the mother of all embarrassing situations. You can't just laugh and walk that off...and you can never leave any witnesses.

^^^ LOL too funny

denise_earheart

I find myself tripping over on my treadmill sometimes I don't get it so sometimes I will hold on for a second....

BIGBRI69

Making blanket statements about why other people do things, without knowing their situation is ignorant.

knittnponder

I held on one time because I didn't wear my HRM and had set the machine to a program that wanted my heart rate in a certain zone. I was new to this machine and didn't know this would happen so every stinking time I took my hands off the HR part of the machine it would yell at me. Lesson learned, don't use that program unless I'm wearing my wireless HRM because the machine will pick it up and I don't have to hold on. It is much easier when holding on but that means it is not working me as hard.

Kenazwa

I try not to but have to hold on sometimes, otherwise I sort of wander sideways and lose my balance.

outofworkpediatrician

holding onto the hand rail reduces the intensity of the workout. but i hold on for the entire time as i have fallen twice on the treadmill when not holding on. i get more wobbly and struggle to maintain balance once i am tired. i do not hold on to cheat myself into thinking i am working harder than i am doing, but because its not worth breaking the bones. instead in increase the incline, and walk faster and longer to compensate for the lower calorie burn. whatever any trainer says, if you feel like you are struggling to maintain balance, you need to hold on. but if lowering the incline helps you to maintain the balance, then you can burn the same on more calories by walking without holding on at lower incline.

maj1958

You get way more bang for your buck not holding on. You engage your entire core and many more leg muscles. If balance is an issue, try some balance exercises off the treadmill to get more comfortable. Balance work is underrated in the gym. I work some balance int every workout and I have to say I haven't fallen on ice and snow once this winter and there have been many close calls!! That is more important to me than to be able to run on some ridiculous incline while hanging on for dear life

Azdak

I actually hold on because the treadmill needs my heart rate. If I let go for even a few seconds, the machine pauses my work out or doesn't count the calories I'm burning when I'm not holding on. The machines at my gym seem pretty new and they adjust themselves until I reach my target HR, so sometimes I'm walking with an inclination of 9.8 at 3.0 or 3.5 mph and sometimes goes really low 2.2. Then, the treadmill displays the correct amount of calories I burn depending on the HR, time speed, etc. I think sometimes the people you see holding up may be doing that because of their specific exercise program, not because they're cheaters who are fooling themselves. Not all at least, that's the danger of generalizing.

Don't use a heart rate interactive program. They aren't that good anyway and then you won't have the problem.

OR

if you insist on doing a HR program, get a polar chest strap. Almost every commercial treadmill has a built in polar receiver so your heart rate can be controlled from the chest strap and you don't have to hold on.

Azdak

I actually hold on because the treadmill needs my heart rate. If I let go for even a few seconds, the machine pauses my work out or doesn't count the calories I'm burning when I'm not holding on. The machines at my gym seem pretty new and they adjust themselves until I reach my target HR, so sometimes I'm walking with an inclination of 9.8 at 3.0 or 3.5 mph and sometimes goes really low 2.2. Then, the treadmill displays the correct amount of calories I burn depending on the HR, time speed, etc. I think sometimes the people you see holding up may be doing that because of their specific exercise program, not because they're cheaters who are fooling themselves. Not all at least, that's the danger of generalizing.

you should get a HRM. It is far more accurate than the readings you get on the machines that are not taylored for your individual body make up.

If you don't hold on, and you input your weight, the treadmill numbers for walking (and incline walking) will likely be more accurate than any HRM.