Proform treadmill review – Easy Workout Guide for Overweight beginners

My investment in a Pro-Form Pro 9000 was worth every penny.

Watch on YouTube: Proform treadmill review

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All the information I share with you is from over a decade of research, education, trial and error. Purchasing products with my links supports my channel. I only recommend what I take and believe in. Your support helps me keep my career as an online bodybuilding coach alive. Thank you in advance for your support.

My Top Treadmill recommendations:

In order to understand the value of a treadmill in your home or the use of them at your local gym, we’ll go through the following topics:

Initially I purchased my Proform 9000 treadmill so that my mother could start her Perfect Body Shape Formula program.

She had tested high for sugar levels, pressure, and was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. She also had knee and back problems from her obesity and previous falls she had on the job. She also didn’t have any weight lifting experience so we purchased a treadmill so she could lose weight by walking as she learned to weight train. She started with easy walks using the I-fit programs and with time she started doing hiking programs. It was great because she was strengthening her legs.

Please see this article for additional information on cardio and the benefits:

Benefits of cardio exercise – workouts for beginners | Make it fun

With that said, I mentioned she had knee problems. I purchased a calf stretch tool that I told her to use after every single workout. Within 5 months, she had lost about 50lbs. Her knee pain was gone and she now walks 5-6 miles per day with a 20lb back pack.

I’m getting her to strength train to build some lean mass and to strengthen her core. She doesn’t suffer from back problems either and is more active then ever. Her high sugar levels are completely eradicated and no more high blood pressure.

This was all due to her following her program and getting that work in. She started with the treadmill and then started going outside. She has gone from 225lbs to 165lbs. We are now in the last phase of her journey to get her down to about 130lbs. Stay tuned!

Do I recommend a treadmill?

100% YES. I also recommend that you get yourself a weighted vest and do hikes using the iFit software that comes included with all Proform machines. I believe most treadmills offer the iFit programs. By doing hills and climbing programs, you build strength in your legs and even increase lean mass increasing your metabolism.

Don’t settle for just any treadmill, get one with 2.5 inch rollers or bigger, and a 2.6 CHP (continuous horse power) motor or greater.

I purchased a Pro-Form Pro 9000 that is now discontinued, and it doesn’t seem as if there’s any other treadmills with the minimum requirements I mentioned above. If I see one it’ll be at the top of this post.

Why I personally find a treadmill valuable.

As a personal trainer, training an overwhelming amount of clients, training myself for Crossfit competitions as well as bodybuilding competitions, I needed a way to get my cardio in at any time of the day.

At least 2x’s per week I get on the treadmill and perform a hike / run session with my weighted vest. I usually load it up with 20-40 pounds. On the lighter side if I’m running and on the higher if I just do a straight up steep hike. Watch my video so you can see me in action.

The treadmill can be a very effective tool or it can be a complete waste of time. I see many people in the gym doing all kinds of crazy things on the treadmill and let me talk to you about do’s and dont’s.

The point of exercising:

Unless you are training for some type of special event where it’s important for you to do certain movements, do not engage in side movements, or leg kicks, or any other crazy movement. Stick to the basics so that you don’t look like a dummy on any machine.

I see people doing side to side steps (with bands!), I’ve seen people running  backwards on the gym, and for what purpose? They probably get these ideas from their favorite social media fitness influencers and celebrities who have zero experience or credentials when it comes to creating fitness programs.

Not are these routines completely unnecessary and dangerous, these people are obviously out of shape and should not be using those movements, especially if they are overweight, uncoordinated, or have underlying conditions.

Additionally, by jogging at a good pace and using inclines you can get your heart rate up higher burning more calories which is critical in a weight loss and fat loss program.

Stick to the basics! What are the basics of the treadmill?

Every treadmill has two settings which you can change. The incline and the speed. Increasing the incline will help you establish more lean body mass and thus increase your metabolism (especially if you use a weighted vest). If you are overweight, please spend a good 5-10 minutes stretching after. Stretch your hamstrings, your calves, and your quads.

If you are obese or overweight speed walk more than anything moving your hands and picking up your feet to really get some intensity in. Little by little, as you develop more cardio, lose weight, increase strength, then start increasing the speed and incline until you reach your goals.

Like my mom, she started with 15 minutes a day and now she feels unaccomplished if she doesn’t get 5-6 miles in which she usually does in about 1.5 to 2 hours. For those of you who are curious, she is 5’2 and weighed 225 lbs when she started.

Using the incline:

Inclines are great because they add a level of intensity that’s definitely fat burning. On that note, I see a lot of people maximizing the incline on the treadmills and holding on to some part of the treadmill. This is completely pointless and useless. If you need to hold on it’s too steep!

By holding on to any part of the treadmill, especially the front of the treadmill, you are allowing yourself to maintain a perpendicular position which is the exact same position you do without an incline. In other words, you are taking the purpose of the incline out of the equation, which is to increase resistance so that you can develop some lean muscle mass and build strength.

My tip is to only hold on to the bars in front of you where you can check your heart rate, and only use them when you really need the break. After a few seconds or a minute, let them go and continue climbing.

When you are using a high incline it should feel tough, it should feel as though you are climbing a mountain. Your body should be lunging forward slightly.

With that said, I hope these tips help you and next time you’re on the treadmill, you’ll be able to get a great workout that is efficient, and that you don’t look dumb doing it.

I also recommend the Norditrack in this article because it is very similar to the Proform brand and include iFit programs.

If money is no issue, this is a solid treadmill with 1 year ifit membership. I believe ifit is an amazing app and should be part of the package.

The Nautilus T618 looks solid too. In terms of what you should be looking as far as characteristics go, it’s wroth the money. Only con is it doesn’t have iFIT. If that isn’t an issue then it’s worth the investment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) in regards to treadmills:

Are ProForm treadmills good?

From persoal experience my Proform 9000 is fantastic. I did my research before buying it and since I was going to put a lot of use on it not too mention my family members were as well and purchased the one with the best features. The two most important features I searched for were 2.5 inch rollers or bigger and a 2.6 CHP (continuous horse power) motor or greater. When I purchased my ProForm 9000 it came equipped with a one year subscritpion to iFit. For overweight or obese beginners it is an extremely useful program to have that will make your workouts different and enjoyable.

What is the best brand of treadmill?

I own a ProForm 9000 and I am very satisfied. Another brand that I have seen that seems to be very similar in quality is Norditrack.

How many minutes of exercise should an obese person do?

As a professional and certified personal trainer I recommend my client’s get at least a hour of exercise a day. Preferably I tell them to buy a heart rate monitor that gives them their calories burn and aim to burn atleast 400-600 calories per workout. For some this may be done in 45 minutes for some it may take an hour. I suggest you aim for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of about an hour. If you are obese and you have the right nutrition program you are going to lose weight even without exercise. With exercise however you will feel better, get stronger, and get accelerated results.

How should an obese person start exercising?

I believe that everyone, obese or not, should do cardio based exercises and weight training. In my YouTube workout videos on the Gymming at Home with Fitness Adaptation’s Channel, I constantly emphasize that I don’t care how you perform the exercises as long as you keep moving. If I’m using 35lb dumbbells for an exercise and you can only use 5lb dumbbells with a simpler version of the exercise, that is okay! You more then likely will burn more calories during the work out because those 5lb dumbbells will get your heart rate up higher then mine. What I care is that you use caution, keep it simple, substitute for easier exercises, take long rest periods, and do everything in your power to finish the session. It doesn’t matter that you take more breaks. One thing I can promise you is that by showing up and giving your best effort you will get results. Every week that you show up you will get stronger and you will lose more weight. As you lose more weight and get stronger you’ll do harder and more difficult versions of the exercises. Eventually you will reach your ideal goal.

How can a beginner lose weight on a treadmill?

This is simple. One, find your ideal body shape using the Perfect Body Shape Formula. Two, use a fitness tracker and see how many calories you burn on average with exercise and without exercise. Create your nutrition program based on either one, your ideal body shape BMR or your non-exercise day calories burned as shown by your fitness tracker. A quick tip, multiply your goal weight by 11 if you’re a female and by 12 if you’re a male. Add the result to the amount of calories your fitness tracker says you burn on your non exercise day and divide by 2. Create your nutrition program based on that number.

How long should I run on the treadmill to lose belly fat?

Losing belly fat will come from losing body fat. You cannot spot reduce body fat. In other words, you can’t say I want to lose body fat on my thighs only. Your body will lose body fat where it burns body fat. When you are on a caloric deficit your body will burn body fat through your entire body. The idea is to get lean as a whole not in one targeted area. Forget about focusing on belly fat. Focus on getting your nutrition on point to lose body fat in general. Once you know how many calories you need to eat in order to reach your ideal goal, get on the treadmill for as long as it takes to create the caloric deficit required for you to lose your desired weight in a defined reaslistic and reasonable period of time. My advice is that as a beginner do about 30 minutes. Every week add an extra 5-10 minutes until you can do about 60 minutes a day. If your nutrition is correct you will lose weight fast and not only will you lose fat in your belly but in your legs, arms, chest, and the rest of your body.

Should I lift weights if I am overweight?

Weight lifting should absolutely be part of your weight loss journey. If you only focus on losing weight and not strengthening the muscles you may develop imbalances in your body. You will also lose a lot of lean mass which will slow down your metabolism. Muscle is harder to build and maintain then losing weight. If you only focus on cardio and avoid weight lifting, you may reach your ideal goal weight but you’ll end up saggy weak and most likely skinny fat. Skinny fat is a term used to describe someone who is slim but also has high body fat. Skinny fat people are at what BMI consider healthy but have no muscularity, are usually not happy with their appearance, and have high body fat which is not healthy. In conclusion, add both cardio and weight lifting to your program. Weight lift 2-3 times per week at least and do cardio the remaining days if you’re a beginner.

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Need a coach? Check out free and paid online fitness coaching packages. If you thinking of competing, see my contest prep articles that includes information about how to go about a bodybuilding contest prep program, amount of cardio, programming, and more.

Do you want to become a personal trainer? Check out my how to become a personal trainer where I give you advice, tips, and resources to get you started.

Build your body step by step with the Perfect Body Shape Formula. First figure out, how much should I weigh for my height? and use these other sub steps included in the process:

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Step 2, find your body fat by using this how to calculate body fat percentage article (this will be used to calculate current body fat mass and current lean mass).

Learn to control your calories, hunger, and making nutrition a lifestyle by learning about 96 hour weight loss results, low carb diets such as ketogenic, what is keto for beginners, and mix that up with carbs using the Fat Cycling Method, Fat Cycling Diet? Keto ish Weight loss system.

Once your nutrition is programmed, then learn to workout. How should you be working out to get your ideal body type? How heavy? How many reps? How much rest? If you want to workout from home check out Gymming at Home – Essential Equipment to get my recommendations for tools, equipment, and workout schedule for my YouTube workouts.

Make sure you compliment your nutrition plan with a full supplementation guide:

Order your overall health, performance, fat burners, and protein powder from here: dotFit Customized Supplementation Program

One of the most important tools to help you on your journey are tools that will help you track your daily goals, best fitness tracker with heart rate monitor, whether it’s the Fitbit Charge 4, Whoop Strap 3.0, or calorie intake app. After your workout, make sure you clean up. Want to make it easy? Check out the Microfiber Duster Mop Slippers Review.

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