Notes on the treadmill crowd

[jon-nyc]

For about two months I’ve been going back to the gym a second time at night to do a brisk 30m walk on the treadmill.

A couple things I’ve noticed.

• far more people walk briskly on them than run. And the correlation to age isn’t as strict as you’d think. Almost all older folk walk briskly, but so do most of the yoots.

• a relatively common thing is for young men to put the incline crazy high, like 10, but then hold on to the top of the machine while they walk or run. You’re missing the point guys. You’re not really doing 10. It reminds me of the same demographic that do shit form so they can say they did more weight. Great, so you ‘curled’ 100lbs by swinging your whole body wildly and getting it up. Yay.

/rant over

[Mik]

Yep I see similar things, sacrificing form for a number. Dumb.

[89th]

That does remind me, when I was having some foot pain I switched from running to incline walking (12 degree) for 20 minutes. It was a nice cardio workout but felt easier on the joints and I was able to more easily watch the TV in front of me.

[89th]

And no I didn't hold onto the front of the treadmill like a pussy.

[Horace]

I had no idea anybody considered 10 crazy high. it's only 10 more than no incline at all.

But my calibration is to the sub-brisk pace of 2.3 mph.

For those with the magic knee joints that can handle running over the long term, good for them. But I think they are a lucky minority.

[Klaus]

I've also recently started to do cardio in the gym, but I'm using a bike trainer. I repeat "5 minutes slow, 5 minutes fast" four times, whereby "fast" means "reach max heart rate at the end of the 5 min". Interval training should beat steady-state.

[jon-nyc]

I guess at 2.3 10 wouldn’t feel crazy high, unless you’re walking backwards.

[Mik]

We are about a week and a half from our basement being done and ready to put out the elliptical and Airdyne bike. Then we will be able to do a lot more cardio at home.

Then we have to do carpet, a new sidewalk, seal the driveway... it never ends.

[89th]

Sealing the driveway is the cheapest thing by far on that list, at least.

[Mik]

I'm a bit worried we might have to replace it. 30 year old blacktop.

[jon-nyc]

Racist.

[xenon]

I think it’s Zone 2 cardio. Peter Attia has been a big proponent on the bro science side of things.

Link to video

[Mik]

@jon-nyc said in Notes on the treadmill crowd:

Racist.

Gedouddahere. I could have chosen whitetop you know. Some of my best driveways are black.

[Tom-K]

My wife and I walk brisky. (We have a home gym.)

[kluurs]

@Klaus said in Notes on the treadmill crowd:

I've also recently started to do cardio in the gym, but I'm using a bike trainer. I repeat "5 minutes slow, 5 minutes fast" four times, whereby "fast" means "reach max heart rate at the end of the 5 min". Interval training should beat steady-state.

That is a great and proven strategy for increasing V02 max. It's a bit more challenging in the winter as an outdoor runner.

[bachophile]

I think there was a big fad of 3-12-30 on the tread.

3 mph (5 kmh for rest of us) 12 degree incline 30 minutes. Its supposed to be a nice combination of cardio and leg muscles.

[bachophile]

Since my meniscus tear I can’t run anymore or risk knee replacement. So I walk.

[Mik]

Yeah, I've got one knee that has little to no cartilage. i can occasionally feel the epiphyses rub each other. No pain unless I overdo lifting, but it's coming. So I stay away from weight bearing cardio.

[jon-nyc]

What kind of cardio do you do? Swimming or rowing?

[Mik]

Biking and elliptical mostly. I'm really interested in a seated Elliptical. As of this morning I'm down 56 lbs. Things are going well.