Treadmill Steep Incline

taziarj
taziarj Posts: 243 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have seen this more than once while at the gym and I don't understand it.

I see people using the treadmill with a steep incline. This makes sense as the incline would be like walking up a hill which is harder than walking level. However these people have the treadmill on a steep incline and are leaning back supporting themselves by holding on to some part of the treadmill. Doesn't this defeat the purpose of the incline. If your body is still at a 90 degree angle to the belt, isn't it the same as walking level?

If you are walking up a hill not on a treadmill there is no bar in front of you that you can hold on to and lean back and walk, so there is a gain there, However, doing this on a treadmill doesn't seem like it would have the same effect. Perhaps one gets a good arm and shoulder workout, but the gain of walking uphill is lost when you body is at a 90 degree angle to the belt as this is the same as walking level. Help me understand...

Replies

  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
    It's lost on me as well. I'm so used to walking around pushing a stroller that I actually had to reteach myself how to walk without holding on, and I know when I do hold on, my heart rate drops significantly, losing the whole point of working harder.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    You've got me too, I'm not sure it would entirely defeat the purpose of the incline but your logic seems sound.

    When I used my dreadmill (before discovering the liberation of running outdoors) I'd set the incline fairly steep and there were times I'd feel like holding on for dear life but I always thought the idea was to remain perpendicular to the surface of the earth not the treadmill's mat.
  • angeldaae
    angeldaae Posts: 348 Member
    They are still working against gravity.

    Think about driving your car up a hill. Your car remains parallel to the road, but the engine has to kick it up a notch to climb the hill.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    They are still working against gravity.

    Think about driving your car up a hill. Your car remains parallel to the road, but the engine has to kick it up a notch to climb the hill.

    Is a car going up a hill analogous to a treadmill? With a car it provides it's own propulsion to move forward up the hill on a treadmill the mat is moving which propels, to some extent, the person using it.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    It's really a dumb thing to do. You may be working somewhat harder than on the level, but you are not working nearly as hard as the workload would suggest--not even remotely close. Research has been done on handrail support that indicates that holding on at a steep incline and brisk pace reduces the actual amount of work you are doing by almost 70%. That's right---70%.

    Not to mention the bad posture, poor biomechanics, and stress on the machine (since many people hang on to the console). It definitely is in my Top 5 of Stupid Fitness Center Tricks. I have found the people who do this type of walking to be some of the most resistant to instruction/correction of anyone in the gym. At this point, I have given up trying. I think a big part of the problem is that they start off walking too fast, so when they crank up the incline, there is no choice but to hang on.

    Incline walking can be great for conditioning and calorie burning, but only if you don't hold on. Most people would do better to put the speed way down (below 3.0 mph), get used to the incline w/out holding on, then start to gradually increase their speed.
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
    Bump, I need my son to read this. A trainer told him to hold on and, he will not listen to me. What do I know!!?!:grumble: :huh:

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