The step mill is, in my opinion, the best piece of cardio equipment in the gym (or my garage, since I'm lucky like that). It is a great lower body and cardiovascular workout all in one. Although, please note, the step mill does not replace your lower body weight training. If you work the step mill properly, you can really maximize your time on it.
One thing I see on the step mills almost every time I'm in the gym is people doing it incorrectly: hanging on the hand rails, grasping the monitor and pulling on it, stepping only with their toes. The other thing I see is ladies who think doing some sort of leg kick back is going to help with glute development. It does not. And usually they are flinging their leg back which does absolutely nothing and because they often have to hang on the machine to keep balance, we have a lot of issues that are making the entire workout ineffective.
So how should you maximize your time on the stepmill?
- Do NOT hang on the handrails
- Stand up straight and do not bend over the machine
- Put as much of your foot on the step as possible
- Press through your heel to activate the glute muscles and really squeeze as you step through
- Don't go so fast that you can't focus on the muscles
- Do not "slap" the step with your feet. Your feet shouldn't make a ton of noise when they hit the step.
I took this video this morning during my stepmill time to demonstrate what proper stepping is. Obviously this is only from my "looking down" perspective so you can't see my posture but do take note of my foot position and that I'm placing as much of my foot on the step as possible. And there is no "pounding" of the feet. I almost always feel soreness in my glutes from my stepmill workouts.
Give these tips a try and see if you notice the difference in the way your body feels. And soon you will see the changes in the way your body looks too. Be consistent and be patient.
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