Step up your stair-climber game with these trainer tips (as if it wasn’t already hard enough)?
If you’ve felt intimidated by stepping up your fitness program in the past, fear no more.
(BTW, heres why you might want to consider therowing machinenext.)
Photo: M_a_y_a/Getty Images
“That’s not helping your body work harderit’s cheating,” says Friedman.
If you’re feeling off-balance, lightly grasping the sides will help you get steady.
But don’t rely on them to hold you up.
That reduces the load of your body on the stairs and reduces the effectiveness of your StairMaster workout.
Ultimately, you want to build your abilities to not hold on at all.
“The more muscles you get involved, the more calories you burn.”
Start slowly and focus on methodically climbing up while keeping your balance, he says.
This move will hit your abductors, stabilizers, and gluteus medius.
Add Weights
Feeling confident, steady, and comfortable?
Grab a pair of dumbbells before you head over to start your StairMaster workout.
As you step up, add a biceps curl, overhead press, or side raises.
Multitasking like this works even more muscle groups and elevates your heart rate, says Friedman.
(Ready to up the ante even more?
Try these9 hardest and best exercisesfrom trainers.)
Practice Intervals
It’s no secret that we’re fans of interval training.
(ICYW, heres howintervals differ from circuits.)
it’s possible for you to translate the benefits of intervals to the stairs too.
For the ideal StairMaster workout, shoot for 20 to 30 minutes on the machine.
Start with a 10-minute warm-up to activate your heart and your muscles.
Then, launch into 10 to 15 minutes of intervals.
As your body becomes more conditioned, that recovery time will shrink.
“It’s all about getting your heart rate lower and your recovery time shorter,” he says.
