You'll definitely hit your target heart rate faster on an incline than a flat surface. A 2013 study revealed that an incline anywhere between 2% to 7% was enough to raise the heart rate of study participants by 10%. At these incline levels, you should enjoy a more intense cardio workout on your incline treadmill.
To maximize fat loss, aim for inclines between 5-15%, speeds between 3-4 miles per hour, and 30-minute, three-to-five-day exercises. To minimize burnout and injury, start carefully and increase intensity and duration as your fitness improves.
Experts often recommend setting your treadmill at an incline of anywhere from 1-6% all the time. This increases two things: your effort level and your glute/hamstring activation. Both are too low because you're not pushing through the air and the incline helps correct that.
Generally speaking, a speed of 5-7mph is considered optimal for weight loss, but you should always consult a doctor or a personal trainer for more specific advice. A good rule of thumb is to start slowly and gradually increase your speed as your fitness level improves.
A 2–7% incline (a small or moderately steep hill) can increase your heart rate by 10% compared with walking on a flat surface. A 10% incline (a steep hill) will help you burn about twice as many calories as a flat surface.
Walking on an incline increases workout intensity, helping you burn more calories. Begin with a low incline (1-5%) and gradually increase as your fitness improves. Intermediate inclines (6-10%) offer a balanced challenge for moderate fitness levels.
To break it down, the 12-3-30 workout involves walking at a 12% incline, 3 miles per hour, for 30 minutes. But, while this method has certainly gained popularity, the truth is there's no magic formula for weight loss.
Speed Matters When Walking for Fitness
If you're walking for your health, a pace of about 3 miles per hour (or about 120 steps per minute) is about right. That's a 20-minute mile. To walk for weight loss, you'll have to pick up the pace to 4 miles per hour (or 135 steps per minute), a 15-minute mile.
If the treadmill reads 7 mph your going 7 mph.
Walking on a treadmill is a highly effective way to lose belly fat and tone abs, especially when combined with a healthy diet and strength training. Try brisk walking, interval training, and incline walking to maximize your results.
“Speed walking and power walking absolutely help build glute strength,” says Matty. However, incline is a crucial factor if you want to have the greatest impact on glute recruitment. “Walking on an incline maximizes your glute activation,” he says. “The hill is your friend.”
12-3-30 Treadmill Workout
Try adding in one or more of these incline workouts 2-3 times a week to see an improvement in your cardio fitness levels. For well rounded fitness, make sure to include some strength training and flexibility work each week too -- find your nearest gym here to get started.
Once you become more capable and comfortable with incline walking, it's time to step up your game. An incline between 5% and 10% is often recommended for a moderate- to high-intensity workout. But get there slowly – try increasing incline levels by 2% at a time.
Walking for 30 minutes burns about 125 calories for a 150-pound person — and adding an incline will increase that calorie burn.
30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (biking, walking on a treadmill, etc.) may help burn abdominal fat, as Harvard Health pointed out.
If you're looking for a workout to aid in weight loss, increase your treadmill incline to 3-5% after a solid warm up. If you're an advanced runner, consider increasing the incline to 6-12%. This will help improve your cardiovascular health and challenge your body more.
The calories you burn in 30 minutes on a treadmill depend on your speed, weight, and intensity. On average, walking briskly might burn about 150-200 calories, while running can burn 300-450 calories. Treadmill workouts can vary greatly based on these factors.
Can a person lose belly fat by walking? Regular aerobic exercise such as walking may be an effective way to lose belly fat. A 2014 study supports this and concluded that walking could help to burn body fat, including fat around the waist and within the abdominal cavity.
The 4 30 10 method refers to performing four strength training sessions per week, 30 grams of protein each meal, and walking 10,000 steps daily. These key elements to successful weight loss, help to build muscle, increase metabolism, and burn body fat.
It can lead to early fatigue and overexertion, which might discourage continued exercise. It's essential for users to assess their fitness levels and start with a manageable incline. Potential for poor posture: Maintaining proper posture on an incline is more challenging.
Best Treadmill Settings to lose fat: Start with a Moderate Incline: Begin your workout with an incline setting of 2 to 3 percent. This moderate incline simulates natural walking conditions, adding enough resistance to increase calorie burn without overstraining your body.