Weight loss is a good fitness goal to improve physical health and enjoy a better life, and what’s a better way to burn calories than by running on a treadmill.
According to an estimate, running on a treadmill for one hour can burn up to 700 kcal for an average 80 Kg male. The calorie burn can be increased by trying high-intensity interval training or anaerobic running.
However, most treadmill runners can’t keep up with their exercise routine for long. One of the reasons for quitting early is demotivation arising from no-visible weight loss.
Although treadmill running is a great cardio exercise for burning more calories, it won’t bring instant results in most cases. You would often notice that your first week’s weight loss would be lower than your weight loss in the subsequent weeks.
The deviation occurs mainly due to water weight. As you might know, a human body consists of 70% water, which is removed in the form of sweating. Once you start working out on a treadmill, your body will have greater water excretion that enhances your weight loss in the first week.
However, once you have lost your water weight, the latter exercise intervals would target your body fat that is more challenging to remove.
Hence, the results can be slow and sometimes not measurable.
I understand that slow results can push you to quit your exercise routine or shift to other exercise forms, so to help you stay motivated, we have come up with this post.
In this blog, we will talk about quick weight loss methods on a treadmill. Our particular focus would be to help you lose weight within two weeks using HIIT workouts and a good diet.
Let’s go!
Contents
Is it possible to lose weight considerably within two weeks?
Before we talk about the tips to lose weight, it is essential to know our goal. Experts recommend that a human body under 100 Kg can lose up to 1 kilogram per week without compromising on the body performance.
However, we can enhance the fat loss per week by intensifying our workout routine and cutting down on our diet.
According to an estimate, burning 3500 kcal equals 1 pound of weight loss. A treadmill workout can help you burn about 700 calories in an hour at an optimal heart rate. Hence, 5 hours of treadmill workout would approximately burn up to 3500 calories, reducing your weight by 1 pound.
If you shift to a diet from a weight loss program, the calorie burn can be increased further.
Our body gains energy by utilizing the carbohydrates we consume in our diet. The excess carbohydrates are stored in our body as fats and used when our body has less energy.
Once you reduce your calorie intake, your body would have fewer carbs to feed on; thus, the fat burning process would start. It would help you in losing weight quickly.
With everything in place, it is time to answer how much weight we can burn in two weeks without compromising our health.
Experts suggest that we can lose about 6 to 7 pounds within two weeks with a good diet and cardio workout.
Our plan below simplifies the process that would help you ease the weight loss process and gain lean muscle mass.
High-Intensity Interval Training
If a trainer is looking for quick weight loss without working out 24/7, then HIIT workouts are the go-to exercise. The training involves pushing your heart rate into the fat-burning zone using high-intensity intervals.
The variations in your heart rate help boost your metabolism that help in burning calories. This technique is proven to assist in losing weight while on a diet.
Metabolism and Diet
There is an interesting relationship between calories and metabolism. Although metabolism helps in burning your body fat, your metabolism rate reduces as your calorie intake goes down.
This means that a diet may not have the best impact on weight loss without regular high-intensity workouts.
Your metabolism proliferates when your body is training at a heart rate between 40-65% of the maximum. It is referred to as the fat-burning zone- the higher the fluctuations in your heart rate, the more calories will be burned.
However, as HIIT treadmill workouts push your heart rate to a high rating, it is essential that you seek professional medical advice, especially if you have chronic heart disease.
Let’s talk about the sequence of the fat-burning workout.
The Process
As I mentioned above, we will focus on heart variations in the fat-burning zone to enhance weight loss. The HIIT workout contains repeated cycles of high intensity separated by rest intervals. The changes in intensity would lead to varying efforts that would create fluctuation in your heart rate.
Start with a 5-minute warm-up session. The first five minutes of the exercise are to be allocated to heating your muscles so they don’t feel sore after the workout. You can start the warm-up at two mph and take it to four mph in the second half. Two mph is a slow speed, so you can try some stretching exercises to improve your flexibility for the later part of the workout.
The high-intensity interval is marked by a fast pace and high incline. The interval would surge your heart rate to the fat-burning zone. Ideally, your heart rate would rise to about 65% of the maximum. You should set a 7-9 mph pace and an incline level of 3. The interval would last about 1 minute.
After a high-intensity interval, you can have 1-minute of resting time. For the interval, you can set the pace to 2-4 mph on a flat track. You need to make sure that your heart rate settles to 40% of the maximum during the period.
The high-intensity exercise consists of 10 cycles of maximum intensity and rest intervals. The workout is designed to promote weight loss and burn fat. Ideally, you should have three cycles at 7 mph, 8 mph, and 9 mph each. Your high intensity and rest intervals must last for the same amount of time.
Overall, the workout would last for 25 minutes. So, you can practice it at least 3 times a day to lose weight rapidly. However, performing the same treadmill workout may get tedious.
So, you can try different treadmill workouts to burn extra calories without getting bored.
Ladder Workout
The treadmill is a versatile cardio machine; it allows you to perform multiple exercises to target your lower body muscles. Despite your motivation to lose weight, treadmill weight loss sessions with one exercise alone can be boring and may be tempting to quit.
Hence, you can try a range of exercises to help in strength training.
The ladder workout is helpful in burning extra calories and improving your metabolism and immune system. It involves changing inclines at a moderate pace, so your workout feels like hill walking.
Although the training doesn’t include high-speed intervals, it is effective due to the changing incline levels that create fluctuations in your heart rate.
The Process
Start your workout with a 5-minute warm-up session. As the later part of workouts would put excess strain on your lower muscles, they must be warmed up to avoid soreness after the training. Set a pace of 2mph and raise it to 4 mph in the second half.
In the second interval, set a pace of 4 mph with an incline level of 1. The session would last for about 3 minutes. Your heart rate would rise to approximately 35-40% of the maximum.
In the third interval, keep the pace constant and raise the incline level to 2. This session would last for 3 minutes.
In the fourth interval, increase the pace to 4.5-5 mph with an incline level of 3. The session would last for the same time too. It is a fairly intense level with increased strain on your calf muscles.
For the final interval, we will be jogging at a considerable pace of 6-7 mph with the maximum incline level. It is a high-intensity session where your heart rate would surge to about 70% of the maximum. You need to make sure that your body is accepting the increased pace and incline without reacting improperly.
Once the interval ends, repeat interval 2/3/4/5 in the same sequence. End the workout with a recovery period of 5 minutes. You can turn to a flat track with a 3 mph pace.
Diet
Experts have suggested that diet and treadmill workouts are complements; none of them will bring significant results on its own. However, if you mix intensity workouts with a healthy diet, your weight loss goals will be easier to achieve.
Usually, your personal trainer will help you define a good diet depending on your preferences.
Higher Proteins
Protein helps in building muscles and is easily digestible. Fishes, meat, and nuts contain proteins; these foods provide a valuable energy source to the body and enhance your metabolism. As the foods are easily digested, they aren’t stored in the body.
Lower refined carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are divided into two subsections- sugar and starch. Starch is a compact form of energy and is easily digested by the body; thus, its consumption is healthy. On the other hand, refined carbs or sugar is stored in the body as fat that reduces your weight loss and muscle gain. Instead of carbohydrates, you can switch to whole grain foods with a similar energy proportion.
Shorten your food portions
One of the major causes of obesity is excess food consumption. If you want to lose weight, a tried method is smaller food portions. You should make sure that your diet consists of proteins and smaller parts. Divide your three meals a day into five or six meals. It would ensure that your body uses all of the food energy before the next meal.
Conclusion
We have finally come to the end of the blog. I summarized all the key points to maximize your weight loss within two weeks. For more advice and tips check out these posts.
Although the plan effectively burns calories and reaches your desired weight, it won’t last long if you return to your unhealthy lifestyle after two weeks.
Healthy living is a lifestyle that you must adapt to ensure you live a long and happy life.
Treadmill workouts are great in improving your weight loss and muscle gain. With the right exercises, you will be able to achieve your desired body.
FAQs
Can I burn ‘so many calories’ using treadmill workouts?
Treadmill workouts are great in helping you lose excess weight. If you follow a workout routine and settle on an improved diet, you will notice a healthier body within some weeks.
HIIT treadmill workouts can be great in burning calories within an hour.
Is the incline feature important for weight loss?
Incline levels in a treadmill determine the intensity of the workout. Once you increase the incline level, the slope of your track will rise.
Walking on a high incline track requires more effort, resulting in higher calorie burn. So if your goal is to improve your weight loss, higher inclines alongside a faster pace can be of great help.
You can look at the ladder workout to get insights into a HIIT workout involving incline features.
