BIP.

Exercise library · Cardio

Stair climber

Cardio on a machine.

How to do it

  1. Starting position

    Stand upright with your whole feet on the steps and rest your hands lightly on the rails for balance.

  2. The movement

    Step alternately with your right and left foot, letting each step descend before lifting your foot again.

Most common mistake

Don't hang on the rails, keep your body upright and use your hands only lightly for balance.

Muscle group
Cardio
Equipment
Machine
Where
Gym
Logged as
Time and distance

What it trains

The stair climber trains your fitness by making you lift your whole body weight one step at a time. Your glutes and quads do most of the work as you push yourself up, with help from your calves and hamstrings. There is no landing as in running, so the impact is small, yet the load on your legs is high and your heart rate climbs quickly even at a slow pace. A slow tempo with full steps loads your glutes and thighs most, while a faster one shifts the work to your heart and lungs.

Common mistakes

  • Underestimating the machine. It looks calm but takes a lot out of you. Start with 5 to 10 minutes and build from there, rather than setting a long session the first time.
  • A speed so high that your steps get short. You only manage to get your toes onto the next step and slowly sink towards the bottom of the machine. Lower the speed so you take full steps and stay at the same height.
  • A hard session the day before legs. The stair climber tires your glutes and thighs more than many expect. Save it for the end of your leg session, or on a day when your legs have no heavy lifting the next day.

Variations and alternatives

  • Stair running is the same idea on real stairs, outdoors or in a stairwell.
  • The step-up with dumbbells builds leg strength, for when strength rather than fitness is the goal.
  • The treadmill on a steep incline gives similar climbing at walking pace.

How to plan your sessions

A steady 10 to 30 minutes with your breathing under control is a good base. For intervals, raise the speed for 30 to 60 seconds, then climb easily for as long, five to eight times. A few minutes at an even pace also work as a finisher after strength training. Count the stair climber as a cardio session when you plan your week along the lines of the guide on how often to train.

Add time first and speed second. Progressive overload on the stair climber is exactly that: a little more than last time. The number of floors or steps on the screen is a good figure to compare between sessions, as long as you use the same machine.

Also called

  • stairmaster

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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