Treadmill a waste?

[J'aimelescravates]

It would only be gay if we had tandem bikes. Never done the fl ms150...did you do it last year?

 

[adversity04]

Originally Posted by warlok1965

-Roads are tough on joints, please don't give me that bullshit about proper form. I've been running for many years.
Just because you've been running for many years doesn't mean you've been doing it properly. Hell, if just doing something for many years means you're good at it George Bush wouldn't be such a lousy president.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by adversity04

Just because you've been running for many years doesn't mean you've been doing it properly. Hell, if just doing something for many years means you're good at it George Bush wouldn't be such a lousy president.

Wait. So, does that mean that all of those older professional runners and athletes with knee problems were all running incorrectly?

 

[warlok1965]

Originally Posted by adversity04

Just because you've been running for many years doesn't mean you've been doing it properly. Hell, if just doing something for many years means you're good at it George Bush wouldn't be such a lousy president.

Oh please, I'm no George Bush thank goodness.

Like 95% of long term runners out there I've been through enough injuries to understand how my own body mechanics work and adjust form accordingly.

My point (relating to the original question) was that treadmills can be good/worth the $ because they are (usually) easier on joints than roads, bad form or no. But buying a treadmill may cause you to focus exclusively on one type of exercise, hence my suggestion that a gym membership may be a better value for your money.

 

[warlok1965]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

Wait. So, does that mean that all of those older professional runners and athletes with knee problems were all running incorrectly?

A friend of mine ran marathons for many years. He describes himself as truly addicted to running. He wouldn't/couldn't allow himself enough recovery (lots of back to back races) and has now had both hips replaced.

 

[stevejobs]

Originally Posted by warlok1965

Oh please, I'm no George Bush thank goodness.

Like 95% of long term runners out there I've been through enough injuries to understand how my own body mechanics work and adjust form accordingly.

My point (relating to the original question) was that treadmills can be good/worth the $ because they are (usually) easier on joints than roads, bad form or no. But buying a treadmill may cause you to focus exclusively on one type of exercise, hence my suggestion that a gym membership may be a better value for your money.

Treadmill exercises are good for weight loss/cardio if your objective is not strength training/body building.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by stevejobs

Treadmill exercises are good for weight loss/cardio if your objective is not strength training/body building.

I disagree. If you just go long and slow, sure. But if you do sprints on them, at an incline, they are great for building leg strength and muscle endurance.

 

[HomerJ]

I like indoor machines, treadmills, ellipticals, etc.

I ride an exercise bike because I can ride regardless of weather and I can keep an eye on things around the house, dismounting whenever I need to. I also don't need to plan for the return distance. If a game is on TV that keeps me on the bike longer. My wife reads books on the bike. Some people are just lazy and yeah the equipment turns into a coat rack but that's hardly the fault of the equipment.

 

[warlok1965]

Originally Posted by stevejobs

Treadmill exercises are good for weight loss/cardio if your objective is not strength training/body building.
Yes they are great. For me however running alone reached a point of diminishing returns. Even if your goal is only weight loss or maintenance, you are doing the same thing over and over and over and you run the risk of either injury or your body becoming so efficient and adept at doing it that you plateau.

 

[velobran]

Originally Posted by J'aimelescravates

It would only be gay if we had tandem bikes. Never done the fl ms150...did you do it last year?

Good point in the tandems. This will be my 3rd year. It's a nice ride down (coming back is a little less fun).

 

[Saucemaster]

Originally Posted by warlok1965

Yes they are great. For me however running alone reached a point of diminishing returns. Even if your goal is only weight loss or maintenance, you are doing the same thing over and over and over and you run the risk of either injury or your body becoming so efficient and adept at doing it that you plateau.
This is true to a point, but I find it's actually easier to avoid (or break) a plateau on something like a treadmill. Let's say I'm doing sprint intervals (which is mostly what I use treadmills for, especially in winter or the most humid days of summer, when I don't want to do them outside). If I raise the incline on the sprint by half a percent for half of my sprints, and force myself to do the same number as before, I'm forced to make progress. Whereas when I'm doing sprints on a track, or biking outside, etc, the only thing ensuring that I continue to progress is my own willpower, making it much easier to plateau. My $0.02. I love treadmills, they're sort of my go-to cardio, but they're not all I use (jump rope, light weight circuits, biking, and most of all outdoor sprints when the weather is decent).

 

[2sweet]

Well the treadmill is doing most of the work for you. After half an hour, I felt dizzy but didn't even break a sweat, even maxing out incline and speed.

 

[Saucemaster]

Originally Posted by 2sweet

Well the treadmill is doing most of the work for you. After half an hour, I felt dizzy but didn't even break a sweat, even maxing out incline and speed.

What the hell are you talking about?

 

[2sweet]

Think about it. The treadmill is taking care of the forward motion for you, not your own muscles and activity. If you run on grass or concrete, your muscles actually have to push you forward. The treadmill does this for you instead. Your body is moving, but not burning many calories. It's a lame workout.

 

[smw356]

I don't know how you guys do sprint intervals on a treadmill. I'm just glad I have access to an indoor track in the winter.