Walking with incline on treadmill

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brlandr1
brlandr1 Posts: 9 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Question:
Will walking for a minimum of 60 minutes at an incline of (7.0) 7% with a speed of 3.5 or higher be effective for weight loss and the loss of inches?
additional info: this of course is being combined with controlled eating, low carb-high protein way of life. *Also I cannot run or use the elliptical as of now due to a recent surgery. I have only been cleared for treadmill use and extremely light weights (10-15 pounds.nothing higher).
Any advice or success stories welcomed and appreciated!!!!:wink:
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Replies

  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Question:
    Will walking for a minimum of 60 minutes at an incline of (7.0) 7% with a speed of 3.5 or higher be effective for weight loss and the loss of inches?
    additional info: this of course is being combined with controlled eating, low carb-high protein way of life. *Also I cannot run or use the elliptical as of now due to a recent surgery. I have only been cleared for treadmill use and extremely light weights (10-15 pounds.nothing higher).
    Any advice or success stories welcomed and appreciated!!!!:wink:

    Incline on the treadmill will increase intensity of your workout as long as you are not holding on that kind of makes the incline pointless... I have bad knee's so I tend to stick to the elliptical cause I can not take the pounding on the treadmill but prefer to walk at an incline when I am on there.... Best of Luck...
  • josieslow
    josieslow Posts: 2
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    I started walking the treadmill at an incline about a month ago. I can already see a huge difference in my thighs, hips, waist, and most importantly - my booty. :) I alternate incline (8-12) and speed (3.2-4.2) for 35-60 minutes about 4 times a week. I've never really been much for exercise, but I also know that I won't continue losing if I don't step it up - literally. I am a big fan of the incline on the treadmill!
  • jdswaker
    jdswaker Posts: 36 Member
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    At this weight the only way I can get a good calorie burn is to raise the incline. I keep it at an incline of 15 for the 60 minutes, speed 4.0-4.5 mph. I hold on but walk upright so that I feel that in my calves, thighs and glutes. I do a two minute warm up and cool down. I am drenched afterward so I figure I burned enough.
  • suaku
    suaku Posts: 45
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    Absolutely!

    If your doctor has cleared you for 3.5mph and 7% incline, you should be able to make a lot of progress.

    Treadmill with incline (similar settings) along with a normal diet (eat everything but follow MyFitnessPal calorie/nutrition targets) has allowed me to lose 100 pounds in the last six months. I try to do 90-120 minutes per day and some light weights, but I'm sure 60 would work, too.

    I'm a little surprised that your doctor has cleared you for treadmill but not elliptical since elliptical is easier on the joints for me, but I'm not a doctor.

    Good luck with your fitness goals! :)
  • Vyshness8699
    Vyshness8699 Posts: 428 Member
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    I've been very SUCESSFUL !!!! I've walked at an incline 15-30 at a speed of 4.0 mph for 60 mins I've burned up to 1200 calories doing this !! You can do it ; )
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    As others have said, incline treadmill walking is excellent for burning calories. To repeat, in order to get the most out of it, you cannot hold on to the handrails.

    Research has shown that handrail support can reduce the amount of calories burned by as much as 70% (compared to what you would expect based on the speed and incline).

    People who walk at high speeds and high inclines, but have to hold on for dear life, not only have bad biomechanics, but are only burning a fraction of the calories they think they are.

    It it much better to start with a slower speed (in the 2.5-3.0 mph range) and learn to tolerate the higher inclines (10%-15%)--it's the incline that really adds the itensity--without handrail support. It takes some getting used to -- your back will get a little achy at first-- but it pays off in the long run.
  • psse01
    psse01 Posts: 29 Member
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    The "trainer" at the gym I just joined told me that the benefit from the incline is minimal and that I was better off just doing intervals instead (2 or 3 minutes of higher speeds every 5 minutes or so). I thought that sounded a bit odd, how can walking on an incline NOT burn more calories?
  • chelseaalicia
    chelseaalicia Posts: 164 Member
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    Walking with an incline can be a great workout, but going at a slightly lower incline and NOT holding on to the rails is much, much more effective than walking on the highest possible incline but holding on the whole time (I tested this with my heart rate monitor).
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    The "trainer" at the gym I just joined told me that the benefit from the incline is minimal and that I was better off just doing intervals instead (2 or 3 minutes of higher speeds every 5 minutes or so). I thought that sounded a bit odd, how can walking on an incline NOT burn more calories?

    It will. It sounds like the "trainer" is caught up in the "only interval training is good" idea that is the current fad. There is a place for higher-intensity interval training and there is a place for steady-state training (at different levels). Focusing on one to the exclusion of everything else is kind of a sign that the trainer has a limited background.
  • psse01
    psse01 Posts: 29 Member
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    Thank you...I feel the same way. I guess I need to find what works best for me and go from there.
  • tuffytuffy1
    tuffytuffy1 Posts: 920 Member
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    I do 2 30 minute strength training sessions a week, and when I consistently add 2 more incline walks on the treadmill, I start losing weight again. It does work! I read a book on my tablet when I do this, and I walk 2 miles in 31 minutes.
  • fairc3jam
    fairc3jam Posts: 136 Member
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    Question:
    Will walking for a minimum of 60 minutes at an incline of (7.0) 7% with a speed of 3.5 or higher be effective for weight loss and the loss of inches?
    additional info: this of course is being combined with controlled eating, low carb-high protein way of life. *Also I cannot run or use the elliptical as of now due to a recent surgery. I have only been cleared for treadmill use and extremely light weights (10-15 pounds.nothing higher).
    Any advice or success stories welcomed and appreciated!!!!:wink:

    Just wondering why you can walk at 7% incline but not use eliptical? Wouldn't the incline pretty much work same miles as eliptical?

    To answer your question yes. You will have a higher burn with a higher incline (resistance) but also if you increased the speed.
  • suaku
    suaku Posts: 45
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    I agree with other posters who have advised NOT to hold on to the handlebars when walking at an incline. If you need to hold on, you're going to fast or at too high of an incline or both.

    With practice, you'll even be able to walk at a 15% incline without holding on to anything. :)
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
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    I lost the majority of my weight walking on the treadmill at a speed of 3.3mph, incline 10%, for an hour 5X/week. I also started out holding onto the rail, but stopped using it once I got used to it.
  • jerseyman42
    jerseyman42 Posts: 4 Member
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    From everything I have read on this subject. It depends upon your age and heart rate target. I would suggest if burning fat is your ultimate goal it does not mean you have to be at a 15% incline. I would go at brisk pace of 3.5 on the treadmill for 60 minutes and increase the incline until you reach your targeted heart rate to burn fat. As you progress , you will naturally have to increase your incline to raise your heart rate to reach this target and continue to burn fat. Here is a link http://walking.about.com/cs/calories/l/blcalcheartrate.htm to figure out heart rates.
  • danigomezc
    danigomezc Posts: 4
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    Hi. I'm a little confused about the incline on the treadmill. If the incline on the treadmill reads 5, does that mean it's at 5%? Cause going steeper than 5 makes my lower back hurt :/

    Also, after walking for 1 hour at 3.5-3.8 on that incline, my HRM said I burnt 912 calories! Is it crazy? Or is that actually possible?
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Hi. I'm a little confused about the incline on the treadmill. If the incline on the treadmill reads 5, does that mean it's at 5%? Cause going steeper than 5 makes my lower back hurt :/

    Also, after walking for 1 hour at 3.5-3.8 on that incline, my HRM said I burnt 912 calories! Is it crazy? Or is that actually possible?

    Not at that worklaod.

    Even if you kept it at 3.8 mph and 5% hill the entire hour, and you did not hold on to the hanrails, you would have to weigh over 360 lbs to burn 912 calories in an hour at that workload. I think your HRM is out of whack.
  • labellecanuck
    labellecanuck Posts: 105 Member
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    I speedwalk at a speed of 6.0-6.5 on an incline between 8-10 and burn about 500cal in 24minutes. I don't do this everyday because I heard the incline is bad for your knees.
  • demorelli
    demorelli Posts: 508 Member
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    Question:
    Will walking for a minimum of 60 minutes at an incline of (7.0) 7% with a speed of 3.5 or higher be effective for weight loss and the loss of inches?
    additional info: this of course is being combined with controlled eating, low carb-high protein way of life. *Also I cannot run or use the elliptical as of now due to a recent surgery. I have only been cleared for treadmill use and extremely light weights (10-15 pounds.nothing higher).
    Any advice or success stories welcomed and appreciated!!!!:wink:

    Absolutely! It's way more than zero exercise and will burn a good amount of calories. It will also build muscle in your legs, which, in turn, will also up your metabolism and burn calories.
  • RunningMannn
    RunningMannn Posts: 135
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    As others have said, incline treadmill walking is excellent for burning calories. To repeat, in order to get the most out of it, you cannot hold on to the handrails.

    Research has shown that handrail support can reduce the amount of calories burned by as much as 70% (compared to what you would expect based on the speed and incline).

    People who walk at high speeds and high inclines, but have to hold on for dear life, not only have bad biomechanics, but are only burning a fraction of the calories they think they are.

    It it much better to start with a slower speed (in the 2.5-3.0 mph range) and learn to tolerate the higher inclines (10%-15%)--it's the incline that really adds the itensity--without handrail support. It takes some getting used to -- your back will get a little achy at first-- but it pays off in the long run.

    It might be a 10-20% difference..No way is it 70%..I walk at very high inclines and my heart rate is much higher holding onto the front rail compared to walking at a 10% incline and not holding on..Plus I can feel it my legs much more at 30-40% incline holding on the rails..Plus my lower back is much stronger now then it was before I started..

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