Update: I lost 100+ pounds exclusively with elliptical workouts. As of today, I’ve lost around 150 pounds total and have been featured on CNN, Newsweek, and the Globe. Check out my blog at 344Pounds.com or add me on Facebook.
I figure I’ve had at least 100+ workout sessions on the elliptical since I started going to the gym 4 months ago. Those countless elliptical workouts have helped me lose a lot of weight, as you might have noticed.
Today will be the first day I won’t step onto the elliptical at the gym. I’m trying to increase the intensity of my gym cardio program — something that can’t be accomplished by sticking solely to the elliptical machine. I’ve become much too comfortable with the elliptical and it only gets easier by the day.
That’s why, starting today, my new cardio machine is the treadmill.
With today being the end of an era so to speak, I wanted to take a look at the elliptical workout program (and its progression) that has been the foundation of my physical activity program and has helped me lose 82 pounds in 19 weeks.
The Beginning
At the beginning of my gym career I wasn’t able or even willing to attempt the elliptical. I was on the stationary bike for the first week or so, afraid to step foot onto the elliptical machine because of it’s “bad reputation.”
Early Elliptical Workouts
After a week of going to the gym, I finally tried the elliptical because an old lady was on my stationary bike. After a couple of days of pain I was able to do 30 minutes on the elliptical at level 1 and burned 320 calories.
I was hooked — my career on the stationary bike was over. It didn’t take long until I was going strong (it’s rhyme time, baby) and in just under 3 weeks on the elliptical I was at level 7 doing 40 minutes every workout.
Increasing Resistance & Intensity
After working out on the elliptical for a month I was able to build a steadily progressing routine. Each week I moved into a new level with a jump of two levels every other week. I think it’s incredibly important to keep up a level of resistance and intensity with every workout, elliptical or not.
By skipping levels and by performing endurance “marathons” (workout pledges), I was able to stay one step ahead of my body’s “comfort zone.”
Getting Cocky, Lazy, or Both
While my intensity on the elliptical machine had been progressing and increasing for months, the time I would spend on the elliptical each session would decrease. 45 minute workouts turned into 20 minute workout some days, with an occasional but rare 30 minute workout thrown in.
As I started to lose weight, I found it easy to justify working out less — either because I thought I deserved to workout less because I had lost so much already or I simply thought I could keep losing weight without working as hard.
I believe this is fairly common, so be careful on your workout program.
Coming to an End
On April 17th, I went through with my second workout pledge and also went from level 18 to level 20 on the elliptical. This is where I would stay for the next 6 weeks, leading up to this past Friday.
When I first started at level 18 I was still in the “dip” that I talked about above, only working out for 20 minutes or so on the elliptical a day. But, once we got into the second week of May, I realized that I was getting too comfortable and increased my elliptical workouts back up to 30 minutes.
Will I get on the elliptical machine again? Absolutely. Will it be apart of my regular cardio program, Monday through Friday? No, it won’t. While it’s sad, considering the literally days I’ve spent on it over the past 4 months, it’s time for something new in the name of progress: the treadmill.
Starting today, I’ll begin to let it earn its place in this journey of mine. If you have any treadmill workout tips or anything I should know, leave a comment.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
The elliptical is a good tool for days in between treadmill workouts because it doesn’t stress your joints the way running can. Keep it in mind if you find that your knees/ankles/hips are hurting after your runs. Swimming or biking could also fill the gap if you’re getting achy.
Also, if you find that you are still achy after a few weeks, you will have to check with a running store about whether you have the correct shoes for your stride.
Also, what sort of socks do you wear? If you wear cotton socks–stop that right now!! Cotton absorbs sweat. The socks then begin to move against your feet, creating blisters. The swelling of the socks also eats up real estate in the toe box of your shoes, increasing the likelihood of ‘runner’s toe’. (Black toenails).
Look for socks that are made of a synthetic wicking material to both increase your comfort (no soggy feet) and cut down on blisters. I’ve been wearing a sock similar to this one for years: http://www.sockgeek.com/p-117-asics-nimbus-quarter.aspx
These socks cost more up front but last an incredibly long time.
Whatever treadmill level/incline you can maintain for three minutes, with effort, is where you should probably start on the treadmill if the goal is fitness.
Runnersworld.com has some great training programs for beginners. You might also try getting an outdoor run in once a week or so. The shift from the treadmill to the outdoors can be quite shocking, and running outside is much more interesting. Once you get some running stamina, I bet you would enjoy trail running.
You’re about to see some amazing losses, I can just tell. You’re making some big, incredible changes these days and I know they’re going to pay off in a big way.
Get creative here… if you use the treadmill every day, in the way you’ll need to in order to get your heart rate up, you will inevitably harm your knees, suffer shin splints… a whole host of problems that could keep you from getting your cardio in. Make use of that eliptical when you give your knee joints that MUCH needed break after your jogging sessions. It’s still your friend.
This is one of those times when “consult a physician”, or in this case a trainer would suffice, is really a good idea. Please, please be careful – people who injure their knees are rarely ever the same – find out what your body can take. But we’d expect no less from a smart guy like you.
I love the treadmill, but a lot of people will do it too slowly to be effective. I’d aim to go at least 6mph as that’s a 10 minute mile (really pretty slow.) A lot of people won’t be able to handle that, which is okay as long as you’re trying to work up to at least 6mph.
I’d consider a 10 minute mile (6 mph) a decent starter time, 9 minute mile respectable (6.7 mph), 8 minute mile (7.5 mph) decent shape, 7 minute mile great shape (8.6 mph). None of these speeds will make you a competitive runner though.
When I’m on the treadmill, I like to stick to a fixed speed. There’s a temptation to slow down 1mph for a minute or two to catch your breath, but it never works for me. I’m just as tired when I speed back up (however, a lot of people will walk slowly for 1 minute ever mile with great effect.) For me, I like to set mini-goals. If I feel that I can’t keep my speed up for the whole run, I’ll tell myself, “Try the next 10 seconds, you can do 10 seconds at any speed.” Then, I ask myself, “Do you really feel that much different than before those 10 seconds? No? Then, I can go 10 seconds more.” I also, tell myself, “Just get to the end of x” whether it’s the minute I’m on or the mile I’m on. I’ll push myself a lot harder if I keep throwing out easy goals like that the whole time.
Distance (or time) is also important. I think everyone should work up to a 10k (6.2 miles.) But most running articles will tell you, you can increase speed or distance, but shouldn’t try to do both. If you’re going to run faster, make it the same distance you did for your last run. If you want to run further, make it the speed you were running at a shorter distance.
One last important tip for running effectively, I have to vary my distance throughout the week. If I’m running a 10k, I’ll run 7 miles on Saturday (distance day), 2 on Sunday (recovery), 3 on Tuesday (speed day), and 3 on Thursday.
Just my thoughts. Hope it helps.
It’s great that you are moving on to the treadmill. It is a wonderful tool. However, you may want to try running outside. I find it to be much more enjoyable and it is easier to vary your pace. The only downside is that there is no machine to record your progress ( calories burned, heart rate, etc ). For that, I use the Nike+ system and an iPod nano.
Anyway, that is just my two cents…good luck!
Oh! I forgot, to avoid harming your knees, instead of increasing your speed, increase the incline. You’ll see the same benefits of increasing the speed ( keeping your heart rate up and increase the burning of calories )
Tyler, being a big man myself i have tried to use the treadmill. The attempt went well but the next few days were rough. I learned a lot from this and would love to share it with you. Make sure you stretch… ALOT. Especially your calves and Achilles tendon. Doing so will save you a lot of pain later on. Dont worry so much about speed but make sure your heart rate is high enough, it is easy for us big guys to over / under work on the treadmill.
Good Luck!
I like running on the treadmill better than the ellipitical. I just started running, so I’m only going 4mph, which is something I spent a few months working up to. My heartrate gets up to somewhere in the 170′s which I think is a pretty good workout (sorry Nick)!
I will just caution you that you might not be able to work as hard as you are used to in the beginning. I started out doing intervals and working my way up to 30 minutes of continuous running. I had sore knees and shin splints. Immediately after I get off the treadmill, I stretch my calves on either the leg press or one of the calf machines. My knees stopped bothering me after a two week rest. You probably won’t have as much pain, etc because you’re in better shape than I was when I started running. I’ll also second Joe’s advice of trying to run outside. I’m having a much harder time running outside than on the treadmill! I use a heartrate monitor and run on a track, so I keep track of my calories, heartrate and distance that way. My goal is to run a 5k in the fall, so that’s what I’m training towards. I don’t think I would as dedicated if I didn’t have a goal like that.
Stretching is important. Warming up is also important.
You can walk or hop on the elliptical for about 5 minutes before you begin to run. Stretching is ALWAYS after the warmup or after the workout. NEVER stretch cold muscles–that’s tearing, not stretching.
It’s even more important for women, who may be wearing heels during the day, to warm up. You need to let your Achilles stretch back down before you start to run if you’ve been wearing heels all day. And begin your run flat if you were wearing heels, and hit the hills/inclines a few minutes into your run. I learned this one the hard way!
Hi Tyler,
I’ve been following your blog for a while now and think you are amazing. And also incredibly generous to share all of this with us. But it makes sense too and has helped me put some things into perspective. I never make a big deal out of my weight loss plans because I always expect to fail. That is a lot easier to do when no one will notice. I also like to extend my planning period and never get around to the execution. Well, today I begin. So here are a few resources that I really like and will not be flaking on this time. For running:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
I know you like to get your cardio in all the time and I’ve heard of some folks just doing the workouts consecutively instead of following the week by week plan. But also consider doing the elliptical on off days to help keep your joints happy. I have always been a fan of interval training. You get more bang for your buck. And this plan gives you the option of time or distance so you could take your workouts outside if you ever want too.
Another challenge I have been eying:
http://hundredpushups.com/week1.html
Also check out the links on the page to the squat and sit up challenges. This might be a good bridge into formal weight lifting.
My other activities:
I go to yoga a few times a week. I’m not flexible so it really is a challenge- both the stretching and the strength needed to execute the positions. I highly recommend it.
Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. Wow is it hard. I’m trying to do it for 30 days straight. Its a quick workout but so far seems very effective.
I also walk and hike with my family. It is important to share a health lifestyle with the ones we love.
I really admire you Tyler and you are setting an amazing example for your little girl. Congrats on all your success so far. I know there is much more to come.
-A
Your blog is doing weird things, so if this is a duplicate post, sorry. Here’s the comment I tried to post once already…
Hills, hills, hills! Cranking up to 12% will kick your butt, or it does mine anyway. Take the impact out of the equation, at least at first. You don’t need it if you do the hills. Do intervals. Walk flat for a couple, walk hills for a couple. And doing intervals also helps a bit with the boring factor. The tread bores me to tears, but you may be over that after doing the elliptical so much. Anyway, I highly recommend hills before starting a running program.
Crazy responses. There’s a lot of information in these comments to digest, I appreciate it everyone. I’ll make sure to let you guys know how my experience on the treadmill went tomorrow.
Tyler,
You have gotten a lot of GREAT advice here. I’m going to throw my 2 cents into the ring as a new runner: SHOES! Find a really good running store in your area and go get fitted. They should make you run on the treadmill for a minute or so to analyze your running style and help you find the best shoe for your particular gait. Since you are still a big guy, it is extra important that you have a good pair of shoes to prevent stress injury. You should expect to spend about $100. I’m a new runner myself, I can tell you that the difference between running in my old gym sneaks and running in a pair of actual running shoes is HUGE.
Seconding all the advice to run 3 days a week, do the elliptical on off days, and try running outside (always on a track or asphalt, never on concrete!). Also, I would revisit the stationary bike. Instead of just doing the elliptical for 30 min, you could do 30 min elliptical, 10 minutes bike, or 20/10, 20/20, 30/15, etc. If you got a real bike, it could be a great way for you & your family to spend time together on a Saturday morning.
Best of luck!
Amen to Jen! Shoes, baby! I didn’t do that when I started on the tread and I have a nice chronic case of plantars fasciitis to show for it now. Let me tell you, it’s painful and it’s an easy injury to get if you’re starting out running as a heavy guy. Get the shoes. Spend the money or don’t run til you CAN spend it.
I’ll put in my two cents about shoes too! I figured my old walking sneakers would be good for running. No. Your running gait is different from your walking gait. (Common sense I guess but I didn’t think about it…) I brought my old sneakers to the sporting good store so they could see how I’m wearing them down. I have flatter feet and I land on the outside of my foot. I got Brooks sneakers and they’ve been great!
Hey,
my gym only has two pieces of cardio equipment: a treadmill and a stair climber thing. I chose the treadmill and keep on it. Though, I would probably like the bike.
Here’s to running to change.
Jen couldn’t be more right about shoes. When I started, I used Nike+ shoes with the Shox…talk about massive shin splints. I went to a locally owned running store – Runners Alley for those in New Hampshire – and they fitted me with some Saucony shoes that made a massive difference.
@Tara3117, 4mph is respectable as well. Really, running speeds depends upon the person, and women often have slower times. I should have thrown in the caveat, those speeds I mentioned were colored by the hue of a 30 year old guy. I.e. I’m in the prime of my running shape … sadly, I’m still slow. My wife runs at 4mph.
Elliptical workouts are the toughest! I crank that baby up to level 14 every night I do an elliptical workout and get a sweat going. I can’t believe how many calories the elliptical burns!
Congrats on you and your elliptical workout program. Keep watching your butt too, it’ll start getting toned.
Hi Tyler,
Holy cow, congrats on the transformation! Just getting started myself, and looking to drop 50 pounds. I thought that might be daunting–but after seeing what you’ve done, it doesn’t seem so hard any more.
I’m going with an elliptical all the way, because it’s easier on the knees. It also sidesteps a number of other hazards common to outdoor running in urban areas—things like hundred-degree heat, rain/sleet/hail/snow, wayward automobiles, muggers, sociopathic canines and (in southern California, at least) choking smog.
Unable to find a blog devoted to elliptical weight-loss and fitness, I started my own at http://fitstormblog.com/
The pounds are already dropping.
Stay fit!
I have been working 2 hrs on elliptcal /treadmill daily for last 8 wks .I have only lost 4 pounds so far .I do level 4-9 on treadmiill and speed 2.3/resistance 1-3 on treadmill .Any suggestions.I am 191 pounds and 5ft3 inch.I also have PCOS and premenopausal.