Stair climber workouts are kind of like getting out of bed in the morning: They look simple and easy but are actually way harder in practice. This cardio machine is not to be underestimated and can humble you very quickly—but it’s completely worth it to reap the benefits.
The stair climber is a great cardio option because “it’s low impact, but high intensity,” says Anna Victoria, CPT, founder of the Fit Body app, who used the machine throughout her pregnancy. The workouts are easy on the joints, but still feel pretty challenging. “Your heart rate gets so high on the lowest speed,” Victoria adds.
The best part? “It kind of tricks your mind into thinking you’re not really doing cardio,” she says. One minute, you’re just stepping, listening to your favorite true crime podcast, and the next, your heart rate is pumping and you’re dripping sweat.
Meet the Experts: Anna Victoria, CPT, is the founder of the Fit Body app. Jacqueline Kasen, CPT, is a Miami-based coach, master trainer, and senior director of group fitness at Anatomy with the StrongFirst Kettlebell certification.
Ahead, find out why stair climber workouts are so awesome for your health—plus, the five best stair climber workouts to do on a machine or set of stationary stairs for a total body burn and benefits.
The Benefits Of Stair Climber Workouts
- Improve VO2 max: Short stair-climbing sessions five days a week for eight weeks improved VO2 max by 17 percent among young women, according to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Burn calories: Stair climbing can burn twice as many calories as walking, according to Harvard Health. This piece of cardio equipment provides “the best bang for your buck,” says Jacqueline Kasen, CPT, a Miami-based coach, master trainer, and senior director of group fitness at Anatomy with the StrongFirst Kettlebell certification. “You’re going to burn a lot of calories in a pretty short amount of time.”
- Boost heart health: Stair climbing can also boost your cardiovascular health by strengthening your heart and lungs, per Harvard Health, and increasing your heart rate, Kasen says.
- Improve posture: If you’re standing upright on the stair climber and your hands are resting on the side rails, they can help hold you up since you’re practicing walking in an upright position. (Being hunched over and resting your elbows on the side rails of the stair climber will not help your posture, Kasen says.)
- Work the legs: This machine targets multiple lower body muscles, including the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, Kasen says.
- Safe for all fitness levels: It’s beginner-friendly since the act of walking up stairs “is not something that you need major coaching and queuing on,” Kasen says. But since the stair climber is also low-impact and joint-friendly, it’s safe for those who are unable to run or have orthopedic issues, Kasen says.
- Accessible: Stair climbers are at nearly every gym. “If you live in a condo or if you’re going on vacation, it’s pretty much a staple,” Kasen says.
- Easy to modify or intensify: Stair climber workouts can be great for recovery, as you can opt for a 20-minute recovery session at a slow pace. But they’re also amazing for harder workouts, if you put it on a higher pace and skip steps for more of a challenge, Kasen says.
Endurance Stair Climber Workout
This is a high-intensity stair climber workout that will target your core, glutes, quads, thighs, and hamstrings. Repeat as many times as you’d like if you have more energy in the tank. Each workout is measured by rate of perceived exertion (RPE), or your effort level on a scale of 1 to 10, so you’ll determine the speed to set your climber to based on how much you’re exerting yourself.
Skip Up The Stairs
60 sec / 5-6 RPE
How to: Skip up the stairs, landing each foot on the next step.
Lateral Step-Ups
30 sec / 3-4 RPE
How to: Walk sideways up the stairs, moving the bottom foot to meet the top foot.
Long Lateral Step-Ups
30 sec per side / 3-4 RPE
How to: Walk sideways up the stairs, moving the bottom foot past the top foot on the stair above it (so you skip every other stair).
Retro Steps
60 sec / 3-4 RPE
How to: Walk up the stairs backwards.
Mini Band Stair Climber Workout
This is an interval-focused stair climber workout that will target your core, glutes, quads, thighs, and hamstrings. The only piece of equipment you’ll need is a resistance band to loop around your ankles throughout. Repeat as many times as you’d like for some extra sweat.
Box Walks
60 sec / 6-7 RPE
How to: Step wide to the corner of each stair, keeping tension on the resistance bands the entire time.
Three-Quarter Squat Walks
30 sec / 6-7 RPE
How to: Squat down three-quarters of your full range while walking up the stairs. Hold on to the handle bars for extra balance support if need be.
Kickbacks
30 sec per side / 6-7 RPE
How to: Alternate lifting one leg a few inches behind you with every step of the other until you feel tension on the band and a burn in your glutes. Don’t exaggerate the movement and overarch your low back.
Crossovers
30 sec per side / 3-4 RPE
How to: Alternate lifting one leg a few inches to the side and slightly back (like a 45-degree angle) with every step of the other until you feel tension on the band and a burn in your glutes.
Glute-Sculpting Stair Climber Workout
This is a simple, quick, and easy stair climber workout that will target your core, quads, hamstrings, and get your heart rate up, but the kickbacks really zero in on the glutes. Repeat desired amount of times for a low-impact butt burner.
Crossovers
30 sec / 3-4 RPE
How to: Alternate lifting one leg a few inches to the side and slightly back (like a 45-degree angle) with every step of the other until you feel tension on the band and a burn in your glutes.
Walk
30 sec / 2-3 RPE
Side Steps
30 sec each side / 3-4 RPE
How to: Instead of facing the stairs head on, turn just your feet so they’re parallel while your body faces forward, then step up the stairs.
Walk
30 sec / 2-3 RPE
Kickback Holds
30 sec each side / 6-7 RPE
How to: Every time you lift your leg behind your body, pause with it extended for one to two seconds.
Walk
60 sec / 2-3 RPE
HIIT Stair Climber Circuit
This is a HIIT cardio circuit that is designed to increase in difficulty for an efficient, metabolism-revving burn. It’ll target your core, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and get your heart rate up. Repeat as many times as you’d like for some extra sweat.
Jog
30 sec / 4-5 RPE
Walk
30 sec / 2-3 RPE
Run
15 sec / 6-7 RPE
Walk
60 sec / 2-3 RPE
Sprint
15 sec / 9-10 RPE
Squat Stair Climber Workout
This is another glute-focused stair climbing workout that centers around the classic move: the squat. Repeat as many times as you’d like for some extra sweat.
Kickbacks
60 sec / 4-5 RPE
How to: Alternate lifting one leg a few inches behind you with every step of the other until you feel tension on the band and a burn in your glutes. Don’t exaggerate the movement and overarch your low back.
Squat Walks
60 sec / 5-6 RPE
How to: Squat down through your full range while walking up the stairs. Hold on to the handle bars for extra balance support if need be.
Box Walks
60 sec / 4-5 RPE
How to: Step wide to the corner of each stair, keeping tension on the resistance bands the entire time.
Addison Aloian is the Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Women’s Health and a NASM-certified personal trainer (CPT). She writes and edit across the health, weight loss, and fitness verticals. In her free time, you can find her lifting weights at the gym, running on the West Side Highway in New York City, and watching (and critiquing!) the latest movies that have garnered Oscars buzz. In addition to Women’s Health, her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, and more.
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