According to Exercise Equipment Reviews, treadmills are still the No. 1 piece of exercise equipment on the market. The Bowflex TreadClimber is a piece of cardiovascular equipment that functions as three fitness machines in one: treadmill, stair climber and elliptical. This exercise machine blasts calories, burning on average up to three times more calories than exercising on a treadmill.
Identification
The Bowflex TreadClimber is a cross trainer that offers three workout modes (treadmill, stair climber and elliptical). The TreadClimber allows you to engage in a low-impact, intense workout. The pedals appear and function much like those of an elliptical trainer, operating independently or together, lifting up and under your foot. You must physically lift up your feet throughout your workout, which forces you to focus on multiple muscle groups. This machine offers cardiovascular as well as muscle toning benefits.
Exercise Intensity
The Bowflex TreadClimber is designed for a low-impact workout that combines intense walking, climbing and stepping. The speed, resistance level and workout duration determine your workout intensity. The speed range (depending upon the model) is 0.7 to 4.5 miles per hour, and there are 12 resistance levels. For an effective workout, you can use the different settings (resistance, speed and duration) to target multiple muscle groups, work up a sweat, and torch calories. By working your body in a non-traditional way, your muscles are less likely to plateau.
Caloric Expenditure
Factors that affect how many calories you burn during an aerobic workout include gender, age and fitness level. Workout intensity determines caloric expenditure. Speed, resistance and incline level alter intensity and, thus, the amount of calories burned during a workout. Oxygen consumption, measured by VO2 max, is the best indicator of exercise intensity because it is tied closely to energy expenditure, according to Jeffrey Janot, Ph.D., of the IDEA Health & Fitness Association. The more intense the exercise, the more oxygen you consume and the more calories you burn.
TreadClimber Vs. Treadmill
The Bowflex TreadClimber enables you to reach your VO2 max quickly to burn the maximum number of calories. Clinical tests comparing caloric expenditure were conducted in 2005 at the Human Performance Laboratory of New York's Adelphi University. It was discovered that at comparable speeds and intensity levels, it takes more than twice as long to burn the same number of calories on a treadmill as on a TreadClimber. At the same pace, you would have to walk on a treadmill for an hour and 17 minutes to burn the same number of calories as you would in 30 minutes on the TreadClimber.
Efficient Exercise
An individual who weighs 130 lbs. burns approximately 191 calories working out on a stairclimber (at level 3) and about 240 calories walking on a treadmill at 3 mph and an incline of 9 percent. Working out on the Bowflex TreadClimber for 30 minutes (3 mph, level 12) burns approximately 321 calories. These numbers were based on 22 clinical trials led by Dr. Neil Wolkodoff, a trainer of professional athletes, and conducted at the Human Performance Laboratory of New York's Adelphi University.
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