Treadmills suck!

The end of the week is my devils advocate blogging time. A chance to facetiously take on a hot topic in the fitness industry. 

Making you question the reasoning behind gym behaviours, and how to get the best results without falling for marketing hype bullshit.

So if you are a feeling like a little bit of a snowflake today and you love your treadmill, then maybe exit stage left.

If you have been at the gym for a few years or have owned a treadmill at home and your butt still resembles a miss-shaped heart then it's time to re-think your strategy!

Having an upright heart shaped buttocks is actually the sign of weak Gluteal muscles, (also known as: butt, ass, derriere, keister, behind, posterior, rump, tush, or backside)

This means we have no volume of Gluteus maximus, the muscle that fills out the middle and lower cheek pockets. 

The upper glute area will hold extra fat if you gain weight and with a diminished lower muscle massed rump, the heart shape from a functional and visual perspective looks poorly.

An upside down heart is more of the ideal look for a great set of cheeks!

Strong Gluteus maximus, sculpted supporting team members (Glute medius, minimus, and all of the hip rotators). 

The great question to ask is "what is your goal?"

To look more sculpted?, get fit?, get leaner?, good thigh strength?, or to just run away stress?

Why use the treadmill?

Are you getting the best bang for your buck?

I will add one positive side of the treadmill story before you all jump on my back and start bitching and moaning. 

If you have a really balanced workout regime, with strength components, structural integrity, good posture, not overly heavy body and the ability to take part in outdoors general fitness activity, then adding some treadmill running as a supplementary component will not hurt you. If you have a real enjoyment factor relationship with this machine, then go for it. 

NOW LET ME DESTROY IT!

Point #1

The use of a treadmill to help road runners is limited.

This is like comparing a Lat pulldown exercise to Pull-ups. They look similar but the nervous system reads them very differently.

When you run on a stable ground, you get a beautiful traction onto the hard surface, and the glutes job is to stabilise, then project you off that surface and produce power, propelling us forward. 

Running on a treadmill is chasing a belt!

The ground is rolling under you, so the body does not get the same glute traction. If the earth rolled a lot faster, then perhaps there would be similar feeling and response.

The question to be asked now is: "could this treadmill create a false fitness?". 

If you gain fitness from regular treadmill running (I have no problem with this), but lack the mechanical strength to transfer to real life movement that especially requires strong hips, then is this a pre-curser to injury?

Point #2

If your goal is to create good looking buttocks, then the treadmill is not your best bet!!

The Glute max loves 2 things:

• Depth
• High speed

What is the range of motion that the lower body joints go through with a jog? (Short)

Compare this to deep squats, box jumps, lunges, or stair sprints.

To build a more rounded bulbous posterior, you are going to have to get strong and fast.

Thousands of repetitions at a low intensity don't really scream strong, tight and powerful?

Why are the ladies lined up like sheep on the treadmills at the gym then? 

Maybe to catch up on the latest T.V show, or to show off the latest funky cross-trainer shoes?

Are you being lied to?

The treadmill is a type of cardiovascular training apparatus. Don't mistake it for a strengthening or toning machine (whatever the hell toning means)

If you really want to do a rip snorter of a workout on those machines, get coaching for a sprint type workout on it. (and only when you have the strength to handle the load)

Point #3

Why are the infomercials selling shitty treadmills still?

They are aimed at sucker consumers!

Most people don't like walking on those stupid things and then tucking it under the bed.

Like I always say, if you don't have an enjoyment factor or a LOVE for this type of exercise, you will never sustain it as a habit.

Don't be sold on the benefits. Any movement will help you!

There is this really cheap form of high repetition aerobic exercise that has huge benefits. 

Are you ready for it:

GO FOR A WALK OR JOG OUTSIDE!

Point #4

Humans are designed to throw a rock at the rabbit, not chase it.

If you lack strength, coordination and speed your chances of survival would have been limited throughout history. 

Another analogy I like is: Cardio is the entrée, Strength is the chef d'oeuvre (Main)

So being clear on what is really going to make the greatest impact on your health, survival and look.

In general, the people at the gym who primarily choose the treadmill type exercise as their main focus, suffer more with sarcopenia (muscle loss), strength deficits, coordination skill loss, and poor bodyfat control.

There are always outliers in the fitness industry that people will try to call on as examples to justify a poor argument. Just ask a Vegan to tell you about one of the well muscles athletes they found.

I could find you some amazing runners that function and look fantastic. (they love running by the way)

Your own personal test is to do a tally of all the type of exercise you do, then look in the mirror and see if it adds up.

So in summary to this point: 

Find a balance to strength, and cardiovascular training that suits your physiology and lifestyle

Point#5

Get of the treadmill and get in the squat rack!

Stop displacing the chance to do better things for your physique.

Gyms are LAZY!

Too many people, and not enough squat racks and lunge spaces. 

Teaching amazing lower body development takes passion, time, and skill.

Ask your gym owner to show you an ass to the grass squat, or a deep sled push?

This will test their love and passion for owning a real gym laboratory vs a business that was designed to just make money!

A few variations of beautiful squat patterns that you fall in love with, will change your physique forever, and give you joint integrity for life.

The best gyms started with simplicity:

Learning to use your bodyweight, climb, jump, wrestle, 

throw etc..

New gyms are a corporate mess!!

Does this make sense?

Who designed these rooms?

It's time to wake up!

Get out of the MATRIX!

Are we having fun yet??

#sorrynotsorry

Everyone who knows me, realises my passion for human improvements. So I question everything.

Always with the aim to increase FUN and create better lives.

So being a pragmatist is to push aside all the so called experts and theoretical ideas and question whether you are getting the best results with the tools you have.

If you know of people that are obviously putting in the effort physically and not getting results, send them my way.

I'm not the only way, but We do  have a lot of fun at SmallWONDERS!