Fitness Friday: The Ultimate Stairmaster Workout

Want to spice up your cardio? Behold, THE STAIRMASTER. My favorite machine in the whole wide world of staying fit! Some love it. Some hate it. Here’s why I’m on the love side of the spectrum:

1. It absolutely torches calories…aka gets the job done fast.
2. It makes me sweat like crazy. For me, this lets me know I am working.
3. It’s always challenging. Personally, it’s easier for me to plateau in other forms of cardio, like running.
4. It requires concentration. You know, so you don’t fall off. Which for me is more fun, than mindlessly ellipticalling.
5. You can change it up. Skip a step, leg kickbacks, side steps, stair sprints, etc.

So here is a workout I designed to beat the monotony and keep your cardio interesting! Don’t spend another day hating your 30-minute treadmill session. Instead, take on a new challenge and embrace the sweat you’re about to endure. If you complete all 3 cycles, this is an 18-minute workout. If you are just beginning, feel free to start out with just one cycle or step at lower intensities.

Tips and Side Notes:

• When side stepping, I step my bottom foot in front of the other.
• Hold lightly onto rails throughout.
• Stand up tall. Posture is key. You wouldn’t hunch over and lean on handle bars as you go up normal stairs.
• This isn’t supposed to be easy. If it is, up the steps per minute.
• If this workout is already too difficult (which is absolutely fine…let’s be honest, I still get winded), there is no shame in starting out slow! Eliminate the kickbacks and side steps if need be. Challenge yourself, but be safe while doing so.

Get ready to get your sweat on! And get excited!! I don’t know about all of you, but I love feeeeeling my blood getting pumped throughout my body. When I can feel my heartbeat in my fingertips…love that. And when my quads are burning, burning, burning…ON FIRE. It’s awesome. I’m weird, it’s fine, no shame.

I’m always looking for more ways to tweak my workouts and continue pushing myself. What other stairmaster variations have you tried?