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Losing Weight on the Treadmill

Katumums Posts: 33 Joined: 2006/08/17	2007/01/24, 02:26 AM Hi everyone, I haven't posted in awhile but I had a question and would appreciate if anyone has an answer to this. (And I'm sure someone does!) The trainer on "Extreme Makeover", Michael Thurmond, said the best way to lose weight is just to WALK on the treadmill for an hour at a time. I kinda questioned it because I'm pretty damn sure I've read the best way to do cardio is by mixing up the intensity levels. But I don't know if it's even considered cardio if you're not really getting your heartrate up? Can anyone give me some insight? TIA.
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/24, 04:18 PM I did strictly cardio (30 min-fat burn- on a treadmill)for about 3 mo straight. I was loosing weight steadily, but i was loosing a good bit of muscle tone in my legs..it wasnt til i joined the gym in October of '06 and incorporated weight training did i start shedding the inches and really starting to see a shape.. cardio burns calories and keeps the heart strong and healthy..but its been stated countless times on this site and others that building muscle increases the metabolism which helps you burn more calories even in a rested state. which allows you to eat more, get lean muscle tone etc... dont get me wrong...any type of physical activity is bettter than none...it boils down to whatever your personal goal is for yourself.. :D good luck!!
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/01/24, 07:30 PM Oh, the things I'd like to do to trainers like that. -------------- Gravity hates you. Enter the Darkside.
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2007/01/24, 08:23 PM Regardless of what you do while 'training', the bodies chosen substrate for use during this time is of little relevance in the big picture. You actually have little choice over this. What is important(for the umpteenth time) is what you do between these sessions. -------------- "If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
SFGiantsMVP Posts: 1,533 Joined: 2005/12/04	2007/01/24, 08:31 PM The absolute best way to lose weight is in your diet. Treadmill walking will help aid to your loss but not without proper diet. I also went real hard and heavy in cardio for months before going to the weights but even though I lost pounds my Body Fat % stayed high and I ended-up with Chicken Legs. Weight training brought back muscle memory and increased the help of dropping my Body Fat % much lower. Extreme Makeover I have never seen and it sounds like I'll never watch it if this is what is being taught. I'm 38 years old and spent years on and off trying to get lean and keep it and it always came down to my diet. Eat bags of chips and crap and look like crap eat healthy and right and feel healthy and right. I like the way BB1fit puts it them best, it's all about your diet as weight training and cardio is just tools to help you achieve your goals along the way. -------------- Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!
bigman101 Posts: 70 Joined: 2005/01/07	2007/01/24, 09:53 PM just a follow up question - i always see some people in the gym walking opposite ways on the treadmill, and stairmaster.... is there any reason for this ??????
wrestler125 Posts: 4,619 Joined: 2004/01/27	2007/01/24, 10:32 PM To watch the televisions behind them.
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/24, 11:05 PM hahaha wrestler...really funny... bigman..its been said that walking backwards is a good alternate exercise on the treadmill...but ummmm..cardio is cardio......might be kinda fun to try to break the boring old way...but thats about it ...
conan_0822 Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/11/23	2007/01/25, 01:27 AM My wife and I love watching "The biggest loser" and she wanted to buy their exercise book and I said "NO!!!". Thanks to this site I knew the things they were teaching those people as far as exercise was not right for us. I wonder how many of those people gained alot of weight back later!!!
asimmer Posts: 8,201 Joined: 2003/01/07	2007/01/25, 08:45 AM Biggest Loser is an extreme situation and the contestants are exercising up to five hours a day - not normal. They are medically supervised, thankfully. But you should note, that for the most part they were using bodyweight exercises and doing cardio, occasionally you would see the men doing a lot of weight on the machines, but they mostly ran the weight off, irregardless of body composition. They all ahd enough weight to lose that muscle loss wasn't a big concern for them, but in a normal environment/timeline you would want to be more conservative with the weight loss per week because you are definitely losing muscle in that situation. I hope that made sense :) Walking backwards on the treadmill seems like an accident waiting to happen, but maybe that is just my lack of coordination speaking:surprised: -------------- Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness, to riches and poverty, to freedom and to slavery. It is we who control these, and not another. Richard Bach
KC_72 Posts: 3,249 Joined: 2006/05/19	2007/01/25, 08:49 AM I hear ya Amy...LOOKING backwards on the treadmill about landed me with a broken nose:big_smile: wrestler...yer funny kiddo!!!!! -------------- "But more than anything, more than anything, My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small, You never need to carry more than you can hold" My Wish Rascall Flats I sing this song to my kids...but I realized..it works for yall too....
conan_0822 Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/11/23	2007/01/25, 10:49 AM ============ Quoting from KC_72: I hear ya Amy...LOOKING backwards on the treadmill about landed me with a broken nose:big_smile: wrestler...yer funny kiddo!!!!! If you did it at the gym, at leat others had entertainment :) =============
Katumums Posts: 33 Joined: 2006/08/17	2007/01/28, 12:19 AM Thank you everyone for your replies...I did a little investigating on the site (after my post) and realized I could have had an answer before posting, hence my "please disregard" post...but I still got some useful information and I appreciate it. :big_smile: Sorry if anyone had to repeat themselves! Katie
SFGiantsMVP Posts: 1,533 Joined: 2005/12/04	2007/01/28, 12:43 AM Repeating myself is just REMINDING myself and if I don't remind myself I FORGET! ============ Quoting from katumums: Thank you everyone for your replies...I did a little investigating on the site (after my post) and realized I could have had an answer before posting, hence my "please disregard" post...but I still got some useful information and I appreciate it. :big_smile: Sorry if anyone had to repeat themselves! Katie ============= -------------- Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!
Katumums Posts: 33 Joined: 2006/08/17	2007/02/01, 12:41 AM Hey, amen to that! :)