Incline on the treadmill

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BLady44
BLady44 Posts: 50 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I was at the gym today and noticed that the person to the right of me had the incline set to very high, I think it was 8 and was walking around 3 for speed and the guy on the other side of me had the incline set to 0 and was running about 6 for speed..

Are there benefits to having the incline higher? or just preference..
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Replies

  • BehindBlueEyes988
    BehindBlueEyes988 Posts: 433
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    A higher incline tends to get endurance up more, but with the speeds being so different they honestly might have leveled out. An 8 incline is sure steep!! I've always heard if on a treadmill run at at least a 2% incline to copy running outdoors
  • BLady44
    BLady44 Posts: 50 Member
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    Thanks for the response :)
  • BehindBlueEyes988
    BehindBlueEyes988 Posts: 433
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    No problem! Hope it helped! =] Keep up the good work!
  • momwhosbusy
    momwhosbusy Posts: 154 Member
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    I like to use the incline because it allows me to burn more calories than without it...also a friend who is also a Dr. and avid runner told me that if I run on the treadmill using a 1-2%incline will be easier on the knees than no incline. (I was having pain after running on the treadmill and it did work!) When I walk I pop the incline up to about 6 and it will burn the same ammount of calories as running at 2% and 5mph. for the same length of time.
  • Lisha_R
    Lisha_R Posts: 92 Member
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    I like to use the incline because it allows me to burn more calories than without it...also a friend who is also a Dr. and avid runner told me that if I run on the treadmill using a 1-2%incline will be easier on the knees than no incline. (I was having pain after running on the treadmill and it did work!) When I walk I pop the incline up to about 6 and it will burn the same ammount of calories as running at 2% and 5mph. for the same length of time.

    Good tips. I am overweight and am hesitant about running/jogging right now. I can jog for about 5 min and have to walk. I have been walking at 3.2-3.5mph with a high incline to get my HR up around 140/min. Its good to know that I am still burning that same calories walking as jogging would. I think in the long run it will be better on my knees to wait until I get rid of more of this weight.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I run at various inclines because outside is rarely flat. I set up for doing hill repeats up to an 8% incline just to build up stamina for hills.
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
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    When I used to walk on the treadmill, I would walk on a speed of 3.3-3.5mph and jack the incline up to 12. However, I'd die if I tried to run at that incline! I run at a speed of 6.6mph and the incline is at 1.
  • coolraul07
    coolraul07 Posts: 1,606 Member
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    I'm a pure walker right now. Currently I do 3.0-3.2 mph at 10% incline the entire time to keep my heart rate ~85% max. I'll do brief periods (~6m) at 15% around the middle of my workout then drop back to 10%. I feel awkward using a treadmill at anything lower than 3%; just doesn't feel right. Probably because my home unit bottomed-up at 1.5% When I finally work may way up to jogging, I'll probably start at 3% and work my way up from there (speed first, then inclination).

    Funny thing is that the LifeFitness treadmills at work often calculate more than 1,000 cal/hr, but my burn is sometimes in the 800-900 cal range. My thought process is that the cal/hr measure is based on static calculation (speed, incline, and weight) but the actual burn measured also factors in my average heart rate (handle sensors). I probably avg 1 heart measurement every 1-2 minutes. Thoughts?
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    I like to use the incline because it allows me to burn more calories than without it...also a friend who is also a Dr. and avid runner told me that if I run on the treadmill using a 1-2%incline will be easier on the knees than no incline. (I was having pain after running on the treadmill and it did work!) When I walk I pop the incline up to about 6 and it will burn the same ammount of calories as running at 2% and 5mph. for the same length of time.

    Good tips. I am overweight and am hesitant about running/jogging right now. I can jog for about 5 min and have to walk. I have been walking at 3.2-3.5mph with a high incline to get my HR up around 140/min. Its good to know that I am still burning that same calories walking as jogging would. I think in the long run it will be better on my knees to wait until I get rid of more of this weight.

    Incline walking is a great choice for those who can/want to work harder, but who cannot tolerate running.

    However, in order to get the full benefit, you cannot hold on to the handrails for support. Otherwise you are cutting down the intensity (and thus the calorie burn)--by as much as 70%.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    I'm a pure walker right now. Currently I do 3.0-3.2 mph at 10% incline the entire time to keep my heart rate ~85% max. I'll do brief periods (~6m) at 15% around the middle of my workout then drop back to 10%. I feel awkward using a treadmill at anything lower than 3%; just doesn't feel right. Probably because my home unit bottomed-up at 1.5% When I finally work may way up to jogging, I'll probably start at 3% and work my way up from there (speed first, then inclination).

    Funny thing is that the LifeFitness treadmills at work often calculate more than 1,000 cal/hr, but my burn is sometimes in the 800-900 cal range. My thought process is that the cal/hr measure is based on static calculation (speed, incline, and weight) but the actual burn measured also factors in my average heart rate (handle sensors). I probably avg 1 heart measurement every 1-2 minutes. Thoughts?

    Life Fitness treadmills use only the actual workload (speed and elevation) to calculate estimated calories. They do not use heart rate. If you are not holding on to the handrails, the calorie estimates on Life Fitness treadmills are the most accurate method there is -- more accurate than an HRM.

    Calories are calculated continously based on workload--if you are seeing a lot of "1000 kcal/hour" displays, but the total after an hour is less than that, it just means you are spending more time below that threshold than above--and if you are doing a program workout, there is a lower-intensity warm up that is included.
  • mommanurse33
    mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
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    Glad to have stumbled on this. I have always run on a 0 incline. Will have to try to bump it up a bit. Baby steps, baby steps..
  • spersephone
    spersephone Posts: 147 Member
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    My absolute maximum would be 600 calories burned in an hour. My treadmill (not LifeFitness) thinks I easily get up to 1000 calories in an hour but there's no way. I'm more likely to average around 500 for a good workout, up to 600 for a very very intense workout. If I'm just walking on the treadmill, it would be no more than around 300 calories.

    If I went by what the machine said, and ate back my calories, I'd be wondering why it's not working for me. After a long workout, that 400 calorie difference would make quite a big difference in my opinion. The shorter the workout and the less intense, the closer the treadmill is to what I believe to be the truth, but over time the difference drifts further and further apart.
  • NextChapter60
    NextChapter60 Posts: 78 Member
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    I have knee/hip issues and I don't mind the treadmill, but I was getting bored when I read this recommendation. After a few minutes of warming up, increase the incline up by one every two minutes, until you achieve ten. After two minutes at ten, decrease by one every two minutes, then cool down. This makes for about a 40-45 minute walk. Keep the speed at 3 mph throughout. I'm a beginner in cardio, so this works really well for me! (And I have to keep at least fingertips on the handles, for balance.)
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I have been hill training for a 10K and I use the incline interval for my runs.
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
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    Incline walking will help activate the glutes and hamstrings. I like to trail run and I do quite well on the hills for a guy my size. I attribute that to the incline walking. I do 5 min at 15% pre workout. It's tougher than running at 6.5 mph.
  • spersephone
    spersephone Posts: 147 Member
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    I have knee/hip issues and I don't mind the treadmill, but I was getting bored when I read this recommendation. After a few minutes of warming up, increase the incline up by one every two minutes, until you achieve ten. After two minutes at ten, decrease by one every two minutes, then cool down. This makes for about a 40-45 minute walk. Keep the speed at 3 mph throughout. I'm a beginner in cardio, so this works really well for me! (And I have to keep at least fingertips on the handles, for balance.)

    That's how I like to do a cooldown after a run on the treadmill, if I have the time. It's great - the highest inclines are really hard, but they're over soon enough.
  • happycauseIride
    happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
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    I'm a beginner runner, so I run on the lowest setting for incline. Then on my off days I walk, but bump up the incline up to keep my heart rate up. Plus it builds strength, works the buns and thighs, and makes me feel like I'm working hard while walking, too.
  • Dunkelheit666
    Dunkelheit666 Posts: 223 Member
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    I saw Jon Jones running backwards on the treadmill so i tried it. I almost killed myself!
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
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    Incline and slow = muscle growth
    no incline and fast = fat loss
  • starjumper12
    starjumper12 Posts: 64
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    i had a trainer tell me once that as long as it gets your heart rate up the same way, a high incline is a good lower-impact alternative to jogging. i like to push it up and down in intervals :D

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