I do lots of treadmill work at my Y. Throughout the year (but especially around New Year’s resolution time), there are people who put the treadmill at a high angle (between 5% and what looks to be 25%) and then hold on to the dashboard of the treadmill and walk. I’m trying to get out of the habit of judging people, so can anyone tell me if there’s a benefit to doing this? I don’t see cardio going on, but maybe something that works the range of motion in their hips/knees? Something else?
I see this all the time too. Trying to simulate big uphills to work the glutes??? No idea otherwise.
Just give it a month, you won’t see them anymore.
I’ve never understood it either, but there are lots of things that I observe at the gym that my mind cannot comprehend.
Jump on there and give it a shot. Haha, walk a mile in their shoes. 25% seems pretty tough to me.
Basically if you hold the front of the treadmilll at any grade you’re negating the value of the “hill” and removing the component of gravity that you’d otherwise be working against. I can’t see the value as it also removes any benefits to the core as well as basic balance. I’d estimate that simply walking on a zero percent grade without holding onto anything would be a superior workout.
I’m not sure about holding the bar, but have you ever done a graded treadmill test? As part of my mandatory yearly physical we have to do a test on the treadmill that holds a steady pace (maybe 3mph, not sure exactly) and increases the grade steadily in 2 minute increments. Every year this is done in September or October so I am still well trained from my race season, and I am a pretty strong racer (sub 2-hour OLY), but that stinking test kicks my butt! The test is supposed to estimate VO2 max and they determine that you have finished when you reach a certain HR (using the 220-age formula), and normally I fight to go as many rounds as I can for some stupid reason (nobody ever sees these except the proctor and I). This year I finally wised up and realized that if I keep my HR down below that number when I reach 2:00 in one stage, I have to go the full 2:00 of the next stage at a harder grade and in much more agony, how stupid would that be?! I did everything I could to get my HR up quicker this year and saved myself about 4:00 on the treadmill hell!
Bottom line: at a steep enough grade, they might be going WAY harder than you are giving them credit for.
Basically if you hold the front of the treadmilll at any grade you’re negating the value of the “hill” and removing the component of gravity that you’d otherwise be working against. I can’t see the value as it also removes any benefits to the core as well as basic balance. I’d estimate that simply walking on a zero percent grade without holding onto anything would be a superior workout.
I do find their workout ridiculous, but I still guarantee you’ll get a more strenuous workout with TM @ incline 15% walking even hanging off the front compared to 0% incline no hang. Just try it. There’s no way these walkers are offloading so much body weight that they’re offsetting the added load of the 15% incline. At lower inclines though, like 2%, sure, I’d agree.
That said, I find that workout ridiculous as well.
I’m not sure about holding the bar, but have you ever done a graded treadmill test? As part of my mandatory yearly physical we have to do a test on the treadmill that holds a steady pace (maybe 3mph, not sure exactly) and increases the grade steadily in 2 minute increments. Every year this is done in September or October so I am still well trained from my race season, and I am a pretty strong racer (sub 2-hour OLY), but that stinking test kicks my butt! The test is supposed to estimate VO2 max and they determine that you have finished when you reach a certain HR (using the 220-age formula), and normally I fight to go as many rounds as I can for some stupid reason (nobody ever sees these except the proctor and I). This year I finally wised up and realized that if I keep my HR down below that number when I reach 2:00 in one stage, I have to go the full 2:00 of the next stage at a harder grade and in much more agony, how stupid would that be?! I did everything I could to get my HR up quicker this year and saved myself about 4:00 on the treadmill hell!
Bottom line: at a steep enough grade, they might be going WAY harder than you are giving them credit for.
No, I’ve done these 15% treadmill walks. Yes, it’s harder than a 0% walk by a lot. But no, it’s not as hard as a moderate paced jog and wouldn’t stress even a BOMOP triathlete significantly. Walking faster at normal inclines seems much more physiologic to me.
Zero benefit…
Raising the angle of the treadmill, then hanging on to the “dashboard” is similar to walking up a hill while having a tow rope pull you up said hill - negating any benefit of “climbing”.
My only guess is that if the user wants to see more calories burned (on dashboard readout), increasing the slope will do so. However the actual number of calories burned will not be the higher number shown on the screen if the user is being “towed” up the hill the entire workout.
IMHO it is a tactic used by some people to make themselves feel like they are working harder than they really are. Or maybe they don’t understand basic physics. Either way, I just chuckle and continue my own workout.
Cheers!
At least when at that grade holding on gives you an arm workout.
Zero benefit…
Raising the angle of the treadmill, then hanging on to the “dashboard” is similar to walking up a hill while having a tow rope pull you up said hill - negating any benefit of “climbing”.
My only guess is that if the user wants to see more calories burned (on dashboard readout), increasing the slope will do so. However the actual number of calories burned will not be the higher number shown on the screen if the user is being “towed” up the hill the entire workout.
IMHO it is a tactic used by some people to make themselves feel like they are working harder than they really are. Or maybe they don’t understand basic physics. Either way, I just chuckle and continue my own workout.
Cheers!
Ding ding.
OK, it probably is a “bit harder” walking “hanging off the front” than walking normally at 0%, but not that much harder. Put it this way…if you walk 15% grade at 5 kph, for an hour, you end up climbing 750m which is almost 2500 feet. The “calories burned” number will be a ton higher. I have found using the same “phychology” a lot of runners always run on the treadmill at 0-1% grade when they have at their disposal the most awesome continuous hill available. You go to the gym, and almost zero runners are using the incline feature. Why? Because runners want to see a big pace number and get credit for more distance, so they almost never use the incline, which probably is one of the biggest benefits of treadmill running (all the benefit of uphill running with zero downhill pounding). It’s almost like runners end up using the treadmill in the opposite mode to the hanging off walkers. I wish more treadmills would show total vertical because I think that would encourage more runners to actually use the incline feature!
I see that a lot as well on the treadmill and the ellipse. I would stay away from that practice since you will never do that in an event. It wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t hold on to the console and used a slow but manageable pace. Just try and look away.
How is this any different from hanging on the aerobars and offloading some weight?
I hate this time of year solely due to the amount of resolutioners in my way. Especially at the pool. I mean, come on MAN!!!
Basic physics…
By hanging on the aerobars, you are not reducing the amount of weight you need to propel forward by pedaling the bike. You are shifting weight from legs to arms, but the total weight is still the same.
When hanging on to the dashboard of an inclined treadmill, your arms are being pulled, thereby reducing the amount of weight your legs need to propel up the “hill”. The dashboard is stationary, and the belt is moving your legs/body backwards. To think of that differently/similarly, when you run, your legs/body move forward, and the “dashboard” would act like a tow rope assisting you up the “hill”.
I see a similar activity when people have their arms locked at the elbow and their hands on the side bars of the treadmill. Essentially, they are holding themselves above the belt and moving their legs in the running/walking motion. However, the arms/triceps are getting more of a workout than the legs/core/running muscles.
Some people will go to great lengths to NOT get in a good workout. LOL!
Ding ding.
OK, it probably is a “bit harder” walking “hanging off the front” than walking normally at 0%, but not that much harder. Put it this way…if you walk 15% grade at 5 kph, for an hour, you end up climbing 750m which is almost 2500 feet. The “calories burned” number will be a ton higher. I have found using the same “phychology” a lot of runners always run on the treadmill at 0-1% grade when they have at their disposal the most awesome continuous hill available. You go to the gym, and almost zero runners are using the incline feature. Why? Because runners want to see a big pace number and get credit for more distance, so they almost never use the incline, which probably is one of the biggest benefits of treadmill running (all the benefit of uphill running with zero downhill pounding). It’s almost like runners end up using the treadmill in the opposite mode to the hanging off walkers. I wish more treadmills would show total vertical because I think that would encourage more runners to actually use the incline feature!
You have a valid point but at least for myself (and I assume many others) the main reason for running at 1% incline and not higher is because of the simplicity as it translates speed indoors to speed on the road. I never plan to run indoors, running outdoors is always my number one option but when the roads are covered in snow, or it’s dark and late, I can do the same indoors. Now that doesn’t mean there are great workouts using the incline feature I could be using, it just hasn’t crossed my mind.
As to the impact of incline on calorie burn, I did a treadmill test a few weeks ago which consisted of waling at 0 incline for 10 minutes, 5% for 10 minutes, then 10% for 10 mins, then 5% for 10 minutes, then 0% for 10 minutes. I found it to be very easy and the impact of incline on measured calorie burn seemed minimal, based on measurements such as skin conductivity (GSR) and heart rate. For example my HR never exceeded 105-110 even at 10% incline. Not sure what would happen at 15% but I doubt it will reach my threshold heart rate.
Egads, elite triathletes like you should not have to endure the standard Balke treadmill protocol! Yes, this protocol is widely used for the average Joe, however, exercise physiologists worth their salt know better and would either modify the Balke using a faster speed or use another protocol. Sure, now you have prior tests for reference over the years, but your performance has been limited by leg fatigue rather than aerobic capacity. Ask to let you reach a true maximum HR at a jogging speed.
Re: holding on the treadmill: Even using 2 fingers significantly reduces the workload.
I’m not sure about holding the bar, but have you ever done a graded treadmill test? As part of my mandatory yearly physical we have to do a test on the treadmill that holds a steady pace (maybe 3mph, not sure exactly) and increases the grade steadily in 2 minute increments. Every year this is done in September or October so I am still well trained from my race season, and I am a pretty strong racer (sub 2-hour OLY), but that stinking test kicks my butt! The test is supposed to estimate VO2 max and they determine that you have finished when you reach a certain HR (using the 220-age formula), and normally I fight to go as many rounds as I can for some stupid reason (nobody ever sees these except the proctor and I). This year I finally wised up and realized that if I keep my HR down below that number when I reach 2:00 in one stage, I have to go the full 2:00 of the next stage at a harder grade and in much more agony, how stupid would that be?! I did everything I could to get my HR up quicker this year and saved myself about 4:00 on the treadmill hell!
Bottom line: at a steep enough grade, they might be going WAY harder than you are giving them credit for.
Hello gellerche and All,
When I have an exercise electrocardiogram they use the Bruce Protocol.
Naturally I train for it at the gym.
It uses the muscles differently and training helps.
http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/bruce.htm
My doctor was properly impressed with my awesomeness … 
It seems like cheating but they let you hold the handles.
Cheers,
Neal
+1 mph Faster
Rather than worry about how they do it, be happy that they are doing it, even if for a few minutes or weeks.