Is it better to run (almost trot) on a treadmill, run at a fast pace or walk swiftly in order to burn max fat?

Kat

When trying to add intensity to a treadmill workout, which is better: Adding more incline or more speed?
Linda

Three days a week, I walk on a treadmill at a pace of 4.0 and an incline of 8.0 for 45 minutes, I jump rope for five minutes, and I work on my abs for 20 minutes by doing basic crunches and reverse curls. The other two days I attend a total-body-conditioning class for an hour, to tone. My question is: Do I do enough to lose weight (body fat), especially if it seems like I'm stuck at a plateau?
Chastity

Great questions all. Treadmills are extremely popular in my gym; more people use treadmills than any other cardiovascular training apparatus. So let's take a minute to talk about treadmills.

In terms of a workout to burn calories, duration is more important than speed, Kat. You might get a more intense workout running, but if you can run only for 15 minutes without getting tired, you may be better off walking briskly for 45 minutes.

We all have a maximum pace that we're comfortable with, whether it's walking or running. Beyond that pace, we run out of steam too quickly and have to stop or slow down. There is a point at which increasing the incline can raise the intensity level of your workout without forcing you to stride more quickly, which can be difficult if you're close to being maxed out.

One way to figure all this stuff out is to use the Calories Per Hour read-out on the treadmill. The treadmills we use at our gym can tell you current speed, current incline, distance, calories burned, pace in minutes per mile, and calories per hour. The calories per hour is an estimation of how many calories you would burn in one hour at the current settings for speed and grade.

So while walking at three mph may burn 300 calories per hour, walking at the same speed on a three percent incline might burn 400 calories per hour. (I'm speaking hypothetically. Calorie consumption is affected by weight. The heavier you are, the more calories you burn at a given pace, so the most accurate readings are available only when you can input your weight.)

So in your case, Kat, you can use the calories per hour read-out to estimate how many calories you would burn at a certain pace for a specified length of time. You may find it easier to slow down and use a slight incline to burn the same amount of calories in a given time, or you might decide to stay on longer.

Linda, it's up to you if you want to add more incline or more speed. At any given speed, increasing the incline will increase your workload. Treadmills enforce precision striding. You can't wobble to and fro like you can outside. And a seven minutes per mile is seven minutes per mile; you can't cheat. If you want to run faster, increase the speed. If you want to build strength, run on an incline. Some treadmills allow you to program a maximum pace and incline for a predetermined distance. Then the treadmill gives you a hilly run, very handy on rainy days when you are preparing for an important race.

I didn't forget you ,Chastity. Let me ask you this: A pace of four miles an hour on an eight percent incline is pretty tough to maintain. Are you holding on? A lot of people do. When you do that, you don't work as hard, because your legs don't support all your weight. The Total Calories Burned summary won't be accurate. If this is the case, try what I've outlined above to find a pace and incline combination that you can maintain without holding on. Also add some pure weight-training sessions to help increase your lean mass and get over that plateau.

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