Run on a Treadmill and Lose Weight
Indoor training has been gradually expanding in Portugal. Among the equipment and machines available in gyms, treadmills have also become increasingly common. The high price of such a device practically limits the use of treadmills to gyms, and quality home treadmills are rare.
In most gyms, treadmills end up being mainly integrated into cardiovascular workout circuits, warm-ups, or very short-duration sessions, but the fact is that nowadays a good part of your preparation can be done on treadmills.
The reasons for using a treadmill are generally as follows:
- Shorter days during winter, avoiding nighttime runs;
- Traffic and the difficulty of running in places that are not restricted by sidewalks, pedestrians, and traffic lights;
- Urban safety, particularly for female runners, thus avoiding running in unsafe areas;
- Bad weather, even knowing that rain and cold are infrequent in Portugal;
- Living in areas characterized by steep terrain that requires constant “mountain runs”;
Using treadmills for long periods as a way to simulate running workouts has positive and negative aspects to consider. You should be aware of them:
Positive Aspects:
- Escape from bad weather. In some countries with snowfall and icy pavements, running outdoors is truly impossible on certain days!
- Very well-measured management of paces, namely running Heart Rates. The constant speed applied manages to regulate the workout to certain intensities quite easily;
- Avoid air pollution. Fortunately, in Portugal the effects are not yet clearly felt, but in some cities, it unfortunately becomes painful to run on the street;
- Very good and motivating for running beginners. The measurement of paces, durations, and inclines makes it easier for everyone who is starting to run;
- Avoid asphalt daily. Some large cities have an almost total absence of parks and trails with soft surfaces. Treadmills can be less aggressive and a good alternative to asphalt and other types of very hard pavements;
- Easy management of company during the workout. Even if you train with friends who have a very different level from yours, the treadmill will allow you to perform your entire session side-by-side without having to force the pace or wait for your companions;
Negative Aspects:
- Running on treadmills is not as specific as running on the street. Part of the mechanical action associated with the running stride is caused by the belt, so the progression is not entirely the responsibility of muscular actions;
- Lack of air resistance. The movement that exists on the street does not exist on treadmills, which is another factor that reduces the specificity of running on treadmills;
- Lack of surface variability. Fortunately for most runners, it is possible to run on various surfaces, knowing that grass, sand, and dirt are much less aggressive than a tensioned belt and allow the musculoskeletal structure to adapt to variations in surfaces;
- Higher dehydration. The lack of air circulation and training in enclosed environments leads to increased temperatures, causing a much greater loss of water than outdoors. Therefore, drink more when running on a treadmill;
- Monotonous for some runners. The pleasure of a long run in the woods is irreplaceable for some. There are stunning training locations that make running a fantastic moment of contact with nature;
- Maladaptation to varied weather conditions. Those who like to compete must also consider adapting to competition conditions, whether the surface, temperature, and others. Constant running on treadmills ends up being considered a “greenhouse” situation with little adaptation to the environment.
Multiple training programs can be designed for treadmills, with a wide variety of objectives. In High Performance, for example, treadmills are widely used for speed and stride cadence work, as well as for ramp work for those preparing for competitions with considerable elevation changes and who want to avoid the recovery between downhill repetitions, which can sometimes be quite aggressive for the back or knee joints.
Another reason that leads to gym enrollment and the use of cardiovascular circuits is associated with weight control. If you intend to get rid of a few extra pounds, follow our 8-week plan proposal.
Before starting our program, you should take the 5 precautions below
- Perform sports medical exams;
- Perform a few training sessions to adapt to running on treadmills;
- Seek advice in the food sector to associate exercise with an eventual change in your habits;
- If your Gym does not provide heart rate monitors, Acquire a simple Heart Rate Monitor;
- Buy sports equipment suitable for running and gym training
When you have already resolved the 5 points above, follow the 3 steps below and you will find that controlling weight using treadmill training is a good solution!
1st Step:
Estimation of your Maximum Heart Rate (HRMax.).
Since we are designing a plan for weight control, we will not ask you to perform a maximum test.
Do the following calculation:
Women: 226 minus Age
Men: 220 minus Age
If you are, for example, 34 years old and female, your estimated HRMax. will be 192 beats per minute (bpm)
2nd Step:
Consult the table below and guide all your training intensities by it.
| HR Max. | 50% | 55% | 60% | 65% | 70% | 75% |
| 150 | 75 | 83 | 90 | 98 | 105 | 113 |
| 152 | 76 | 84 | 91 | 99 | 106 | 114 |
| 154 | 77 | 85 | 92 | 100 | 108 | 116 |
| 156 | 78 | 86 | 94 | 101 | 109 | 117 |
| 158 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 103 | 111 | 119 |
| 160 | 80 | 88 | 96 | 104 | 112 | 120 |
| 162 | 81 | 89 | 97 | 105 | 113 | 122 |
| 164 | 82 | 90 | 98 | 107 | 115 | 123 |
| 166 | 83 | 91 | 100 | 108 | 116 | 125 |
| 168 | 84 | 92 | 101 | 109 | 118 | 126 |
| 170 | 85 | 94 | 102 | 111 | 119 | 128 |
| 172 | 86 | 95 | 103 | 112 | 120 | 129 |
| 174 | 87 | 96 | 104 | 113 | 122 | 131 |
| 176 | 88 | 97 | 106 | 114 | 123 | 132 |
| 178 | 89 | 98 | 107 | 116 | 125 | 134 |
| 180 | 90 | 99 | 108 | 117 | 126 | 135 |
| 182 | 91 | 100 | 109 | 118 | 127 | 137 |
| 184 | 92 | 101 | 110 | 120 | 129 | 138 |
| 186 | 93 | 102 | 112 | 121 | 130 | 140 |
| 188 | 94 | 103 | 113 | 122 | 132 | 141 |
| 190 | 95 | 105 | 114 | 124 | 133 | 143 |
| 192 | 96 | 106 | 115 | 125 | 134 | 144 |
| 194 | 97 | 107 | 116 | 126 | 136 | 146 |
| 196 | 98 | 108 | 118 | 127 | 137 | 147 |
| 198 | 99 | 109 | 119 | 129 | 139 | 149 |
| 200 | 100 | 110 | 120 | 130 | 140 | 150 |
3rd Step:
Follow our plan!
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
| Week 1 | 2×10’/65% with int. 5’/50% | Rest | 5×1’/75% with int. 1’/50% | Rest | 20’/65% | 3×4’/70% with int. 2’/50% | Rest – Weight Control Fasting |
| Week 2 | 2×10’/65% with int. 5’/50% | Rest | 5×1’/75% with int. 1’/50% | Rest | 20’/65% | 3×4’/70% with int. 2’/50% | Rest – Weight Control Fasting |
| Week 3 | 2×14’/65% with int. 5’/50% | Rest | 5×2’/75% with int. 2’/50% | Rest | 25’/65% | 3×6’/70% with int. 3’/50% | Rest – Weight Control Fasting |
| Week 4 | 2×14’/65% with int. 5’/50% | Rest | 5×2’/75% with int. 2’/50% | Rest | 25’/65% | 3×6’/70% with int. 3’/50% | Rest – Weight Control Fasting |
| Week 5 | 2×18’/65% with int. 5’/50% | Rest | 5×3’/75% with int. 3’/50% | Rest | 30’/65% | 3×8’/70% with int. 4’/50% | Rest – Weight Control Fasting |
| Week 6 | 2×18’/65% with int. 5’/50% | Rest | 5×3’/75% with int. 3’/50% | Rest | 30’/65% | 3×8’/70% with int. 4’/50% | Rest – Weight Control Fasting |
| Week 7 | 2×22’/65% with int. 5’/50% | Rest | 10×2’/75% with int. 1’/60% | Rest | 40’/65% | 3×10’/70% with int. 5’/50% | Rest – Weight Control Fasting |
| Week 8 | 2×22’/65% with int. 5’/50% | Rest | 10×2’/75% with int. 1’/60% | Rest | 40’/65% | 3×10’/70% with int. 5’/50% | Rest – Weight Control Fasting |
| Comments / Legend | |||||||
| You should walk if necessary to respect the recommended HR | |||||||
| The tasks marked in orange are always performed with a 10′ warm-up at 50% and a 5′ cool-down also at 50% | |||||||
| 20′ = 20 minutes | |||||||
| Int. = Interval between repetitions | |||||||
| Weight control approximately always at the same time upon waking, same scale, without clothes | |||||||
As with everything related to training, balance, regularity and continuity are what make the difference. I hope this is just the beginning of many runs so that you too can have a Sport Life.
