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Vary what you do on a treadmill or elliptical machine or stationary bike, just like you would vary it if you were walking running or bicycling, what with hills, traffic, fatigue, etc.
What you want for a complete cardiovascular routine (not all in one session, necessarily) is a combination of
1) Low intensity long duration (heart rate still elevated, but always able to converse in normal speech) - 9-10 minute miles for me, 40-70 minutes
2) Medium intensity medium duration - 8 minute miles - maybe 3 miles
3) High intensity short duration - a single 7:30 mile, for me
4) Sprint - 100 yards or so, max effort
Your body needs to experience all of these regularly.
Most people like to finish up a run or bike ride with a sprint or "sprint-ish" effort, anyway - it just seems natural, so do something like that on the stationary machine too.
Vary what you do on a treadmill or elliptical machine or stationary bike, just like you would vary it if you were walking running or bicycling, what with hills, traffic, fatigue, etc.
What you want for a complete cardiovascular routine (not all in one session, necessarily) is a combination of
1) Low intensity long duration (heart rate still elevated, but always able to converse in normal speech) - 9-10 minute miles for me, 40-70 minutes
2) Medium intensity medium duration - 8 minute miles - maybe 3 miles
3) High intensity short duration - a single 7:30 mile, for me
4) Sprint - 100 yards or so, max effort
Your body needs to experience all of these regularly.
Most people like to finish up a run or bike ride with a sprint or "sprint-ish" effort, anyway - it just seems natural, so do something like that on the stationary machine too.
I do HIIT about once a week with body weight exercises. I have problems with my feet so I avoid running, so I'm trying to get high/medium intensity exercise somehow using inclines and stuff. Maybe I need to start using the exercise bike...
I'm trying to figure out which would be more effective as cardio.
12-15% incline @ 2.4mph
6% incline @ 3.7mph.
Input? Would this workout be similar at all to running in terms of heartrate?
Uphill is a great cardio. I would strive for 3.8 or faster at 15. You can do it in increments. One minute or less and then back down. Start where you are and every time add just a bit more incline or speed or both.
I started like you and 6% incline ended up being my cool down incline . I mixed it up quite a bit with incline and then sprints. It made my 30 minutes go by faster than just plodding along at one speed and incline. And its much more efficient for burning calories and building cardio health.
Uphill is a great cardio. I would strive for 3.8 or faster at 15. You can do it in increments. One minute or less and then back down. Start where you are and every time add just a bit more incline or speed or both.
I started like you and 6% incline ended up being my cool down incline . I mixed it up quite a bit with incline and then sprints. It made my 30 minutes go by faster than just plodding along at one speed and incline. And its much more efficient for burning calories and building cardio health.
I'll probably try to do this, or just try to do 30 minutes, 15% @ 3.5-3.8, but that's probably pushing it already
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