2 Ridiculously Effective Ways To Work Your Butt Using A Stair Climber

When it comes to old faithful workout equipment, stair-climbing machines are at the top of the list. They’re totally no-frills, which makes them easy to use (even for beginners), but they can also give you a killer full-body workout.

“A stair climber is a great piece of equipment for anyone looking for an effective low-impact cardiovascular workout with the added benefits of a lower body resistance workout,” Idalis Velazquez, a certified personal trainer/online coach and C9 Champion ambassador, tells SELF. Hopping on this machine, even for just 30 minutes, can help you burn calories, boost your cardiovascular fitness, and firm up your entire lower body. Even your abs get a little love. “Your core also works hard to provide balance and stability every time you step without using the handles,” Velazquez explains.

It’s important, though, to make sure you’re climbing with proper form. “This machine is best for someone looking for a challenge and who is able to climb stairs pain free and upright,” Kate Bishop, a personal trainer with on-demand fitness app Find Your Trainer, tells SELF. “The danger lies in the tendency to lean forward and rest the upper body on the handles,” she says. This can prevent important muscles from engaging (read: your core) and lead to pore posture outside of the gym.

So make sure to stand up tall, and only use the handles for balance if necessary—no need to hold on for dear life, promise.

1. Use different step patterns to target your butt, hips, and thighs.

“This machine provides an effective glute-strengthening workout since it targets all the muscles that make up your butt and hips: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius, and the gluteus minimus,” Velazquez explains. You hit all three of these muscles with a classic upward stepping motion.

Pro tip: Your stepping form can actually determine whether you’re mostly working those glutes or your quads. When you place your foot on the next step, focus on pushing through your heel to stand to activate the muscles along the backs of your legs, explains Velazques notes. “If you push with the balls of your feet, more tension will be placed on the frontal thigh (AKA your quads).”

In the workout below, she suggests a combination of different step variations to really target your butt and leg muscles from all angles—below are all the moves you need to know. During the warm-up and cool-down, walk up each step as if you were walking up a flight of stairs,” Velazquez says. Throughout the other stages of the workout, you can increase (or decrease) the intensity to whatever feels most comfortable for you by changing the speed at which you step.

• Double Steps: Skip a stair each step and alternate legs. “This will help focus on your glutes and hamstrings. Be sure to push up through your heel as you stand.”
• Leg Lifts: Place your palms on the side rails for balance and kick back your right leg and hold at the top for one second. Then step up one step and alternate legs, kicking back and stepping up now with the left. Slow down if you need to keep proper form. “Be sure to keep your leg straight and do not arch your back.” And don’t worry about how high your back leg kicks up.
• Single Steps: Climb each step as if you were walking up a flight of stairs. Try to keep your hands by your side for more of a challenge. “Your quads should begin to burn near the end of the two minutes.”
• Crossover Steps: Moving laterally, cross one leg over the other as you step up to the next stair.

Step-It-Up HIIT
Total time: 30 minutes

• 0:00-3:00: Single steps, level 3
• 3:00-4:00: Double steps, level 6
• 4:00-5:00: Leg lifts, level 4
• 5:00-6:00 Single steps, level 7
• 6:00-8:00: Crossover steps on the right and left (60 seconds each side), level 4
• 8:00-9:00: Single steps, level 9+
• 9:00-10:00: Single steps active recovery, level 3
• Repeat minutes 3:00-10:00 a total of 3 times; then do a 3-minute cool-down at level 3

2. And this interval routine works your lower body and is a killer cardio workout. 

“Intervals on the stair climber will help improve your cardiovascular fitness and health,” Bishop says, while also toning muscles in your core, butt, and legs. She suggests doing long intervals, at three minutes each, to give your heart rate enough time to adjust to each stage before moving onto the next. For this workout you’ll be doing single steps and double steps as described above. Let’s get to it!

Stair-Climbing Speed Intervals
Total time: 43 minutes

• Start with a 5-minute warm-up at level 3
• 5:00-8:00: Do single steps at level 5
• 8:00-11:00: Do single steps at level 8
• 11:00-14:00: Do single steps at level 5
• 14:00-17:00: Do single steps at level 8
• 17:00-20:00: Do double steps at level 5
• 20:00-23:00: Do single steps at level 5
• 23:00-26:00: Do double steps at level 5
• 26:00-29:00: Do single steps at level 3
• 29:00-32:00: Do single steps at level 7
• 32:00-35:00: Do single steps at level 9
• 35:00-38:00 Do single steps at level 5
• End with a 5-minute cool-down, decreasing the level at each minute mark

 

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