One of my favorite aspects to frequent treadmill use is that it gives you the ability to constantly change your workout routine and find new ways to challenge your body. One of my favorite treadmill workouts is to run on the treadmill with weights. This may sound like something foreign to you, but it makes for an incredibly difficult workout and has helped many of my clients lose a lot of weight.
Running on a treadmill can be a very challenging workout and I have incorporated it into my workout routine a few times a week. I am also a fitness model and am always looking for the best workouts to challenge my body and stay in shape. I recently starting doing a treadmill routine with weights and could not believe the all- body challenge it created. It was an extremely challenging workout for my shoulders, core, back, and of course legs.
I also highly recommend running on a treadmill with weights for anyone who is looking to improve their speed. You get incredible practice with your arm swings and also with your leg drive. The resistance helps to develop an incredibly strong lower leg drive which will translate into much better stride frequency. As someone who has trained for speed and who works with many top athletes in a wide variety of sports, it has been an incredible training tool. The key to running with weights is to make sure you are using a weight that is light enough to keep great running form.
The workout is completely ineffective if you are using a weight that is too heavy. This can actually put you at major risk for injury and will put undue strain on your lower back and joints.
The best part about running on a treadmill with weights is that it will speed up your calories burned and fat loss. Running with weights will add an extra challenge to the workout and will put your shoulders, biceps, triceps, traps, and core muscles to work. This can help you burn an extra 100-200 calories per workout and give you the ability to get in a full body workout on the treadmill!
You can get really creative with your weights routine on the treadmill. Many people will do lateral raises while they walk do develop shoulder muscles. Some will do bicep curls or overhead presses while walking. The key is to stick with a very light weight (3 to 5 lbs max). You may be tempted to go heavy but remember that you should be doing your routine for at least 5-10 minutes. If you go too heavy with your arm swings, lateral raises or any other weighted movement you are putting yourself at serious injury risk.
I have got many of my personal training client’s speed walking and running on a treadmill with weights. Speed walking with weights is great for anyone with joint issues and gives you the ability to burn almost as many calories as someone who is running. One lady that I train will do speed walking on an incline with weights and burn close to 500 calories in a 30 minute session. She has contributed a huge portion of her recent weight loss to this new routine.
One of my friends who is training for football will run sprints holding 3 lb weights in each hand at an incline. He said that he has improved his speed immensely since starting this routine.
As you can see running on a treadmill with weights can help a variety of people. Whether you are an older lady looking for an extra challenge to your workout routine or a top level football player… running on a treadmill can be an effective and challenging workout. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to take their fitness and weight loss to the next level.
