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Exercise guide

Stairmaster

How to do the Stairmaster with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

MachineIntermediate
Primary muscles

Quads

Secondary

Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings

Equipment

Machine

Step by step

How to do the Stairmaster

  1. 1

    To begin, step onto the stairmaster and select the desired option from the menu. You can choose a manual setting, or you can select a program to run. Typically, you can enter your age and weight to estimate the amount of calories burned during exercise.

  2. 2

    Pump your legs up and down in an established rhythm, driving the pedals down but not all the way to the floor. It is recommended that you maintain your grip on the handles so that you don't fall. The handles can be used to monitor your heart rate to help you stay at an appropriate intensity.

  3. 3

    Stairmasters offer convenience, cardiovascular benefits, and usually have less impact than running outside. They are typically much harder than other cardio equipment. A 150 lb person will typically burn over 300 calories in 30 minutes, compared to about 175 calories walking.

In Ascend

Log it, see it on your body.

Every Stairmaster set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap — so your quads volume is visible at a glance — and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

Related

More quads exercises

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