Can Horizon Treadmills Help You Lose Weight?
Exercise combined with dietary changes are a great way of losing weight quickly and effectively. Using a treadmill is an excellent way of getting that exercise conveniently in your own home. Here I’ll focus on Horizon treadmills, their effectiveness and 5 ways of using them to help you lose weight.
How Horizon treadmills help you lose weight
Horizon treadmills have specific workout programs that are designed to help you achieve weight loss. They have Bluetooth so you can connect apps to the treadmill. Many of these have weight loss routines to help burn fat and lose weight in all areas of your body. There are walking and running classes to give you extra motivation to achieve your weight loss goals.
Horizon treadmill range
There are 6 Horizon treadmills. They are divided into the Go Series and the Studio Series. You might not recognize the series names but if you know anything about Horizon treadmills, you’ll recognize the models.
Go Series
These are 3 entry level treadmills and comprise of the following:
| Horizon T101 | Horizon T202 | Horizon T303 | |
| Price | $699 | $799 | $1,099 |
| Drive Motor | 2.5 CHP | 2.75 CHP | 3.0 CHP |
| Top Speed | 10 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph |
| Incline | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Deck Size | 20″ x 55″ | 20″ x 60″ | 20″ x 60″ |
| Screen Size | Three LED Windows | Three LED Windows Backlit LCD | Three LED Windows Backlit LCD |
| Max User Weight | 300 lbs | 325 lbs | 325 lbs |
| Labor Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year |
| Treadmill Weight | 180 lbs | 184 lbs | 187 lbs |
The T101 is Horizon’s best selling treadmill. Due to it’s size and other essential stats, I always recommend it for those who want to lose weight by walking and maybe doing some light jogging. All 3 have a 1 year labor warranty. When you consider the price of the T101 ($699), this compares very well to the competition. I usually see 90 or 180 days for a treadmill at that price.
Horizon have partnered with DailyBurn.com where you can access free classes that specialize in weight loss and other workouts. You can use these with all the Go Series treadmills, thanks to their Bluetooth functionality. If you have a lot of weight to lose, you might be concerned about using a treadmill and it’s affects on your joints. Horizon treadmills all have special cushioning systems in the deck, so your workouts are far kinder.
Combine this with their large maximum user capacities which start at 300 lbs, and you can see why people who want to do something about their weight, consider a Horizon treadmill. The Go Series all come with a specific “Weight Loss” workout program. You choose this by pressing it on the console. It comes in 10 increasing difficult levels. The speed and incline changes every 30 seconds.
It’s designed to keep you in the fat burning zone. Level 1 is perfect for beginners whereas level 10 is a far bigger challenge. As you lose weight, look to increase these levels to maintain your progress. Calories burned are shown on the display as you exercise. While it’s difficult for any treadmill to be truly accurate about the amount of calories burned. It’s a good guide to how hard you’re working out.
Further information about the Horizon Go Series of treadmills can be found here.
Studio Series
These are Horizon’s most recent and advanced treadmills. They comprise of the following models:
| Horizon 7.0 AT | Horizon 7.4 AT | Horizon 7.8 AT | |
| Price | $999 | $1,599 | $1,999 |
| Drive Motor | 3.0 CHP Rapid Sync | 3.5 CHP Rapid Sync | 4.0 CHP Rapid Sync |
| Top Speed | 12 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph |
| Incline | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Deck Size | 20″ x 60″ | 22″ x 60″ XL Deck | 22″ x 60″ XL Deck |
| Screen Size | 7″ LCD | 8.25″ LCD | 9.3″ LED |
| Chest Strap | No | Yes | Yes |
| Max User Weight | 325 lbs | 350 lbs | 375 lbs |
| Labor Warranty | 1 year | 2 years | 2 years |
| Treadmill Weight | 253 lbs | 318 lbs | 330 lbs |
These are ideal for weight loss. If you’re running to lose weight, or you may consider running in the future when you’ve lost a certain amount of weight. Then one of these is for you. They start at $999 and with the higher price than the Go Series, you get a better specification. These are actually the ones I recommend when I get emails asking what treadmill to buy. I don’t say that about any other treadmills.
The incline is significantly better. I know a lot of people use an incline to lose weight as it burns more calories. You can do that here. As you can see the maximum user weight is higher. You’ll find most reputable treadmills on the market have 300 lbs and upwards.
What I’d like to point out is the weight of these treadmills. It will take 2 people to transport the packaging to the room of your choice or you could pay a little more and it get assembled for you. I like big and heavy treadmills. It shows they’re sturdy and durable. They’ve used steel instead of plastic and with that, comes weight.
The 7.4 AT and the 7.8 AT have a unique workout program built in called “Sprint 8”. Horizon claim this can cut body fat by up to 27%. It’s a high intensity interval training program and these have become very popular in recent years. They’re a great way to make your workouts more effective and give you quicker results.
They also have the regular “Weight Loss” program you can find on the Go Series. So you have multiple ways of losing weight. Where the Studio Series come into it’s own is the streaming classes. They use third party apps like the Peloton app and connect to the treadmill.
These apps have thousands of on demand classes. Many specialize in weight loss, although any workout you choose will help you burn calories. I usually recommend the Horizon 7.0 AT but if you can afford more, then one of the others will serve you well, and you get more by going for a better model. Specific details of the 7.0 AT and the other Studio Series can be found here.
5 Tips on using Horizon treadmills to lose weight
I’ve listed below 5 ways you can use the specific features a Horizon treadmill provides to help you lose weight.
1. Try the different apps
The apps are really what sets Horizon treadmills apart from others. Even brands that make their own apps like NordicTrack and their iFit can’t compete with Horizon. The reason is you’re not tied down to one app. There are many apps you can choose from and it’s this feature you should take advantage of. With some of them being free, you have no excuse not to give them a try.
It’s the Horizon Studio Series that are designed to be paired with these fitness apps you see so widely advertised these days. My advice is to try them all, many paid ones have a free trial. See which one you prefer. Decide which one seems to get you exercising the most. They will all give you motivation and results.
The longer you can stick to an exercise routine, the longer and more successful your weight loss goals will be. You don’t need an expensive Peloton treadmill to benefit from a fat burn Peloton class. You can still have the class using the Peloton app on a much cheaper Horizon treadmill.
The labor warranty for the Peloton treadmill is 1 year but the Horizon 7.4 AT and 7.8 AT is 2 years and they’re cheaper. The market leader, NordicTrack, are all only 1 year. The Zwift app is free with the Studio Series. It’s very popular and has you exercising with thousands of other people all around the world at once.
For more information and a list of all the apps available click here.
2. Power walk on hills
I see this a lot in gyms I used to go to. Walking up a steep incline is a great way to burn more calories. Horizon treadmills are suited to this as they have a high incline. They range from 10% to 15%. They’re motorized so you just press a button to choose the level you want.
There’s a lot of variations of workouts you can do on a treadmill. All of them will help you lose weight if you do it regularly. Choose an incline which makes your heart beat faster and makes you breath a little harder. This way you know you’re getting a good workout and this is what you need to help burn fat.
It’s also great for targeting the legs and hip area as they do all the work. You won’t need to use the maximum incline unless you really want to. Try mixing it up sometimes. Try increasing the incline every few minutes for 15 minutes the decreasing it gradually for the remaining 15 minutes.
I have some incline routines on another page that you may find useful, here:
3. Use other workout programs
While you may want to use the “Fat Burn” or “Weight Loss” program most often and they are good. Make sure you try the others too. Every workout you do will burn calories so don’t tie yourself down to just one. This way you’re body is constantly being worked from all angles. So you’ll lose fat everywhere.
You may prefer using the apps. I do say that once you’ve tried a streaming class, you never go back. They are that fun. There’s a hill climb program where the incline changes every 30 seconds following a 4 minute warm up. This comes in 10 levels too like the “Weight Loss” ones.
Horizon have a “First 5k” program built in to their treadmills. You can choose it on the console with one button. This is the same as the couch to 5k routines that are so popular. They have you doing a combination of walking and running over 9 weeks.
The benefit is you don’t have to make up the routine or download it. It’s there for you already. As well as the workout programs there are thousands of routines available online. The following are workouts I’ve made with weight loss in mind:
- Treadmill walk plan for overweight beginners
- 3 Treadmill hill running workouts for weight loss
- Treadmill running plan for weight loss
4. Find your fat burning zone
The fat burning zone is the heart rate you’re at when you’re exercising at maximum effectiveness for burning fat. To do this you need to exercise at a percentage of your maximum heart rate. A heart rate chest strap will measure your heart rate. The Horizon 7.4 AT and the 7.8 AT both come with one.
The T303, 7.0 AT don’t but do have the ability to read one. They can be purchased quite cheaply from Amazon. The fat burning zone is between 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. You can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.
So a 40 year old would have a maximum heart rate of 180. So their heart rate would need to be between 126 and 144 when they exercise to burn fat most effectively. Horizon treadmills above show your heart rate on the console, so you can adjust the speed or the incline to ensure it stays at the desired rate.
Don’t worry if you find it quite hard to maintain exercising at this level. It may take some practice. Also, all exercise burns calories anyway so you don’t need to be so strict on your heart rate, but the number is there if you want to use it.
It goes without saying if you haven’t exercised for a while, you may want to consult with a doctor before doing any kind of vigorous exercise.
5. Try longer distances
Whether you’re walking or running, a very good way of burning more calories is simply to go further or exercise for longer. I advise you this one day a week and have a day or two rest afterwards so your body can recover. I lost 30 pounds recently and I noticed when I started doing a longer run, my weight started dropping even faster. It can work with walking too.
It’s something you may want to try especially if you have some stubborn areas of your body which aren’t getting slimmer. On a Friday or a Sunday go for 5 minutes longer every week. So go for 35 minutes one week then 40 minutes the next. Walking or running that little bit further on one day makes the other days feel easier.
We’re not trying to cover a marathon distance or anything but the extra calorie burn can be really beneficial. If you want to get slim quickly for an upcoming vacation, this is one way of doing it. You can set the time on the Horizon treadmill to count down from any number you choose. If you use apps, there are classes that cover all kinds of times and distances.
Get Free Shipping on Horizon treadmills
Charging a lot for shipping is often a way for a company to advertise a lower price for their products. You think you’re getting a good deal only for a large shipping cost to be applied at the checkout. With a treadmill being such a large and bulky item, it would give the company an even better excuse to charge a large shipping fee. It must cost a significant amount to ship them.
Fortunately Horizon offer free shipping on all their treadmills. Even the cheapest one, the T101. Take advantage of this offer by clicking here.
Final thoughts
A Horizon treadmill is ideal for helping you lose weight faster than dieting alone. Plus it makes you healthy and happier at the same time. Horizon are good because they make exercise more enjoyable. Having an instructor fighting your corner as you go really makes a difference. You don’t get that on other treadmills.
It’s exercising regularly that will help you lose the weight. You may not be able to workout for a very long time at first. But keep at it and you’ll soon see results. You may find yourself with a spring in your step and a new found confidence. That’s what weight loss and exercise can do. A treadmill maybe all you need to make it happen.
Thinking of buying a treadmill? Here’s my favorite, I always recommend it when asked.
