The dreaded treadmill that plagues your workout could be a thing of the past. Whether you are beginning your weight loss journey or looking for new ways to lose those last few pesky pounds, the stair climber might be the machine for you. By implementing stair climber cardio sessions into your weekly routine will help you tone your legs and core while dropping the fat.
The Rise of the Stair Climber
The stair climber has lived in the shadow of the treadmill for some time now. While targeting key muscle groups such as the quads, glutes, and abdomen, the stair climber also provides a high-intensity sweaty workout without the agony of running. The most effective way to burn fat is by incorporating strength training to build muscle mass and cardio to burn calories fast. The stair climber works to combine both of these fundamentals while boosting your butt and toning your abs.
Benefits of a Stair Climber That You Need to Know
The Secret to Weight Loss
Weight loss is what we are all here for. With the quarantine keeping us locked indoors, it is common to head into this holiday season with a few extra pounds under your belt. Lucky for you, weight loss doesn’t have to be as big of a struggle and even may be a lot simpler than you think.
The big secret formula to weight loss is strength training and cardio. Maintaining a calorie deficit throughout the day is the key to losing weight, hence why cardio is so important. However, this does not mean you have to run. There are plenty of less strenuous high-intensity cardio workouts that can make your trip to the gym more enjoyable, such as the stair climber or walking on the treadmill at a steep incline. These two exercises target similar muscle groups and provide the same general movement blasting fat fast.
Muscle Toning
Implementing strength training into your workout stimulates fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. Additionally, strength training workouts promote fat burning all day long. According to an article from the Journal of Obesity, a low-calorie diet plus strength and weight training proved to be more effective in fat loss when compared to low-calorie diets paired with a walking work out.
Seems too good to be true, burning fat even after your workout. According to the Journal of Physiology, fat fuels the body and is the main energy source. This being said, it only makes sense that in order to build muscle you need to burn fat. Additionally, studies show that strength training boosts your resting metabolism and directs weight loss on fat rather than muscle.
Low Impact
The constant impact your joints and muscles suffer from when running on the treadmill poses great health threats, potentially outweighing the health benefits. Jacque Crockford, a certified trainer from the American Council of Exercise, states that low impact exercise can range from low to high intensity and is just as effective as high impact exercises. Additionally, low-impact exercises reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury, reduces stress and blood pressure, and improved muscular strength.
Heart Health
Experts claim there is no one best cardio workout and as the saying goes, anything is always better than nothing.
All cardio workouts provide the same heart health benefits: reducing blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, and strengthening cardiovascular muscle and tissues, all reducing the risk for life-threatening diseases such as Type II diabetes, a stroke, Alzheimer’s, and some forms of cancer. By engaging in 30min of cardio 2-3 times a week, you can dramatically improve your health and longevity of life.
As I am sure you have already guessed, the stair climber machine caters to these health benefits. Depending on duration, speed, and resistance you have the ability to control the power and intensity of your workout on the stair climber. A few ways to utilize the stair climber as a cardio machine is by adding weights and be designing a HIIT workout thats implements the stair climber.
Tips and Tricks on The Stair Climber
There are various ways to get a good workout on the stair climber. Alternating between techniques and changing up your routine can help target even smaller groups of muscles, avoid mental burnout, and increase your strength and endurance.
- Avoid holding onto the handrails. This will force you to activate your core and further intensify the burn.
- Focus on range of motion. Here is where the stair climber differs from the treadmill even more. It is more important to hit the full range of motion and hit each step in order to get the most out of the workout.
- Change up your position. Adding spice to each exercise is a good strategy for engaging more muscle groups and keeping the workout fun. Try facing toward the side and side-stepping to hit the inner thighs and outer glutes.
- Add a donkey kick to each step for further glute activation.
- Focus on posture!!
Moral of the Story … Do What You Enjoy
The stair climber provides excellent benefits to your overall health. Next time you go to the gym skip the treadmill and try the stair climber. A summary of the long list of health benefits stated above offers the stair climber as a simple effective fat-burning machine that could be your new go-to.
Read Also:
7 Muscle Building Myths That Slow You Down & Stunt Your Progress
5 Simple Workouts You Can Do in Your Hotel Room
10 Health Benefits of Spirulina
Time-Restricted Eating: How It Can Help You Lose Weight (And More)
