Incline Training for Weight Loss

When exercising, always strive to choose the most effective means for accomplishing your particular goal. While aiming to lose weight, keep your sights set on ways to increase the number of calories you burn per hour. That will help you lose more weight without keeping you in the gym for a long time. Performing cardiovascular activities on an incline is just another weapon in your arsenal against body fat, allowing you to further refine your physical capacity.

  1. Basic Incline Training

    • Begin with steady state cardio if you have never done incline training and are unsure what your physical limit is. To perform steady state incline cardio, set the treadmill to its maximal or near maximal incline grade (usually between 12 and 15 percent). Walk at a steady pace (between 2.5 and 3 mph) for a designated length of time. Starting out, 20 to 30 minutes is a good length of time, staying closer to the former if you are not yet in fair shape. Incline training will have the advantage of incorporating the muscles of your posterior chain more than flat treadmill walking, helping to tone the areas of your glutes and hamstrings. Those are significant problem areas for many individuals looking to lose fat. Perform basic incline training three or four days per week, gradually increasing the duration of the activity as your fitness level improves.

    Advanced Incline Training

    • Perform advanced incline training either at the gym or outdoors once you are able to complete 30 to 45 minutes of regular incline training without any significant physical discomfort. To perform advanced incline training, alternate between moving at a steady walking pace and moving at a brisk run. Spend roughly 45 seconds walking, followed by a 15-second period of running for easy one-minute "sets" of incline training. As your cardiovascular capabilities increase, increase the amount of time you spend running while decreasing the amount of time you spend walking. To perform this activity outdoors, choose relatively steep hills and perform a series of sprints. Go to the top of the hill then walk slowly back down, repeating as many times as necessary to ensure that you get a good workout.