Treadmill speeds

strivingfor130
strivingfor130 Posts: 221 Member
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
For a long time, I've always thought my treadmill speeds were different than most. So I came to see what everyone else has to say....on walking plans I see that you should still be able to walk at 4 mph, but mine I can be jogging at 3.5...I dont know if maybe I just can't keep up?? But I can get a good workout (for me) walking 3.0 mph and get out of breath quick, but when I put it in myfitnesspal that I walked this pace for only 15 minutes, it said I only burned 83 calories, but I'm sweating like crazy (this could also be than I ran for 1 minute.) Idk...thoughts? At what speed do you start jogging/running on your treadmill?

Replies

  • LisaZaugg1976
    LisaZaugg1976 Posts: 1,144 Member
    when I use the treadmill for my running I usually do 5.5 for my speed. I actually prefer the elptical interval program I do that alot. I do it where it is level 1 and then level 8 and I usually burn 400 cals in 35 minutes doing that.
  • T0RIEELIZABETH
    T0RIEELIZABETH Posts: 376
    I have a knee injury and 3.5 for me is the fastest I can go, but I'm still walking.
  • sarahsmom1
    sarahsmom1 Posts: 1,501 Member
    I think it can also depend on you stride and how fast you can walk. I'm new to the treadmill and out of shape and i go between 2.4 and 3.0 any fast I would have to jog. Next to me today was a 80 year old man way fitter than me was walking fast at 4.0. So I think there are many factors and will be different for most.
  • newmeat30
    newmeat30 Posts: 766 Member
    When I use the treadmill at the gym I have it set at 3.4-3.5 with the incline at 6.0 and in 40 minutes I'll burn about 290 calories. I just got a heart rate monitor today so we'll see what it puts up as my calories burned.
  • jayshann
    jayshann Posts: 39 Member
    Everyone's walking speed should be a little different depending on your level of fitness. I hit the treadmill everyday and my fast paced walk is 3.5 but I am 6 feet tall and 350 pounds so it is relative. I use a Life Fitness treadmill and in 65 minutes I can burn 1000 calories. The key is keeping your heartrate up and if you are running with any incline.
  • mrsdsmith
    mrsdsmith Posts: 22 Member
    I usually go 3.0 to 3.5 ( I am just starting at this) I am walking but at a good brisk pace. I see alot of people walking at 4.0 (not even breaking a sweat) and would probably be flying off the back of the treadmill :) I say go at your own pace!!
  • mikeyml
    mikeyml Posts: 568 Member
    I can't walk at 4 mph on my treadmill. I probably could if I really wanted to but it would be an impossible pace for me to keep up. For me anything at 4.0 + is jogging and running begins around 5.5 - 5.8. If I want to walk briskly I keep it on anywhere between 3.2 and 3.5 mph.

    But I am pretty out of shape so I'm sure it's different once you get into better shape.
  • MsRaeJ
    MsRaeJ Posts: 16
    I think your question related to the speed of the treadmill belt itself and not on the speed you're walking, right? The answer would be yes yes and yes! I have a belt that runs on the fast side too. I can run a 9 min mile outside, no problem, I can still talk and I'm not running so hard I feel like I'm going to die. On my treadmill I can't even keep up with a 6 without flying off.....which would be a 10 min. mile......so something is obviously not in synche here. I've been a runner for years and I can pretty much tell what "speed" I'm going by how I feel so I kind of just project that onto my calories I log. For example if I run for 60 min., even though my treadmill only says I've ran 4.5 miles, I log 6 miles on my running log and when I log my cals I log 60 min at a 10 min mile pace......which is still on the slow end for what I usually run, but I'd rather log fewer calories than too many, make sense?
  • jerseygeorge
    jerseygeorge Posts: 7
    Striving-

    I travel for business and wind up in a different hotel gym almost every day (and at many elevations). I have noticed that treadmills vary from place to place compared to mine at home. At home my top walking speed it 4mph. I normally warm up to 3.8, walking, then jog beginning at 5.3, and run one minute intervals up to my max of 7.5. When I bonk I slow down to 4, my fastest walk.

    So I am pretty good at judging what I can do at that speed and on some machines I can not walk at 4. They do vary.

    Mathematically you can figure out your speed easily. If you measure the treadmill conveor length (don't get pinched or stuck fingers). You could make two or three marks (chalk, tape). And jog the meter measuring the three individual lengths and adding them up. Once you know the length of the band you can run it for a fixed time 10 seconds or 60 seconds counting the distance. That would tell you how many feet per minute the conveyor is going.

    Then use a calculator from FPM to MPH. You can find them in google, but here is one. You would then know the true speed. It is not that hard. Good luck. LINK TO CALCULATOR. http://www.calculateme.com/Speed/index.htm
  • ShellyBrew
    ShellyBrew Posts: 823
    Alot has to do with the length of your legs and the length of your stride on how hard you work. I am only 5'2' and have short lets with a pretty small stride...3 on the treadmill is a brisk walk for me! Treadmills are not good indicators of calories burned because it is so generic..if you can input your weight that helps some...using a good heart rate monitor that helps calculate calories is more accurate if you really want to know how many calories you are burning...Don't judge your workout by the speed others are going...If you are working hard, have your heart rate up and are sweating...you are burning those evil calories...don't give up :)
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