This 2-In-1 Treadmill Routine From TikTok Is My New Favorite Workout

When you aren’t sure what to do at the gym, hopping on the treadmill is always a good option. You can walk on an incline, jog, sprint, or do an interval workout — all without switching machines. But did you know you can get in some light weight training, too?

On #FitTok, creators are always sharing new ways to spice up a typical exercise routine, and right now, 2-in-1 treadmill workouts with dumbbells are a big hit. The goal is to add a little extra oomph to your usual walk, while also strengthening your muscles.

There are so many combos to be had. Creator @lahnazakia gets her steps in on a treadmill while squeezing in a quick ab workout by doing dumbbell overhead holds, oblique twists, and around-the-worlds. “There’s honestly so many more ways to work out than people think,” she wrote in her caption.

Creator @hellosusanlee likes to walk with light dumbbells in hand as a way to get her heart rate up, while creator @naireekiana is a fan of doing an arm routine on her tread. As she strolls, she does sets of hammer curls, 90-degree raises, biceps curls, front raises, external rotations, and wide biceps curls.

In her comments, someone said, “Why has my brain never thought of combining these two things!!?!” Here, a trainer explains why dumbbells on the treadmill is a genius combo.

Using Dumbbells On The Treadmill

According to April Medrano, a certified personal trainer who works with Stride Fitness, using dumbbells while you walk on a treadmill is a great way to combine cardiovascular training and endurance-based strength work.

“Walking alone elevates heart rate, and adding resistance in the form of light dumbbells helps increase muscular engagement in the arms, core, and shoulders,” she tells Bustle. Think of it as a way to up your workout’s output, as well as a way to get more bang for your buck when you’re short on time.

To ease into this routine, it’s best to keep your dumbbells light, especially if you just want to hold them while you do your usual walk. “I recommend starting with 2 to 5 pounds,” she tells Bustle. “The weights should never be heavy enough to make a normal arm swing feel cumbersome. Maintaining a natural arm swing is important for balance and overall walking mechanics.”

As you get stronger, you can also work your way up to adding biceps curls, oblique twists, and other arm and ab moves. Instead of completing your cardio sesh on the treadmill, and then hopping off to do a separate weight training program, you can do both at the same time to boost your heart rate, strengthen your muscles, and save time.

Make sure you can do these exercises on the floor before attempting them on a moving track. As you stroll, focus on form and posture to make the most of each move.

Trying A Treadmill Dumbbell Workout

As someone who appreciates efficiency, I immediately wanted to try this trend. To do so, I grabbed an Atkin’s Strong High Protein Shake for energy, snagged a pair of 3-pound dumbbells, and hopped on a treadmill. My little setup was giving “fitness pro.” I had my nutrition and my weights, and I felt ready to go.

To start off slow, I followed a simple routine Medrano recommended:

• Grab a set of 3- to 5-pound dumbbells.
• Walk at 3 mph with the dumbbells hanging at your sides.
• Let your arms swing naturally as you walk.
• Walk for three minutes with the dumbbells.
• Walk for two minutes without the dumbbells.
• Repeat for four rounds or 20 minutes total.
• If you want a boost, add a 1% to 3% incline.

Walking on an incline already boosts my heart rate — my Fitbit said I was at 130 BPM just during my warm-up — but adding the dumbbells boosted it to 150 within a few minutes. I found that holding the weights also made me pay more attention to my form, which is always a good thing.

Instead of plodding along and zoning out to my music, I fixed my posture, kept my chin up, and noticed that my core felt more engaged than usual. That’s because it was working to keep me steady as I held onto the weights. I could also tell that my biceps and triceps were lighting up. By the time the 20 minutes were up, I was sweaty in the best way.

For my next workout, I turned to TikTok for more dumbbell-themed ideas and noticed many creators are doing the standard arm exercises you would typically do next to a weight rack. Think biceps curls, hammer curls, and front raises. As I walked, I did three reps of 15 each with my 3-pound weights.

While some girlies can do these moves while striding at 3 mph on an incline, I kept my treadmill flat and set to 2.5 mph so I could stay steady and balanced. By the end of my walk, I was way more out of breath than usual. The next day, I even felt some soreness in my arms and core — a sign that my muscles did, in fact, get a workout. Next time, I plan to increase my speed and up my weights.

Before seeing this trend on TikTok, it had never occurred to me to bring a set of dumbbells onto a treadmill, but now it’s my favorite thing. It gets my cardio up, works my core, strengthens my arms, and makes me feel like I’m making the most of my gym time.

Source:

April Medrano, CPT, certified personal trainer, vice president of programming, education, and experience at Stride Fitness