Moves To Try During Your StairMaster Workout

If the thought of spending your time at the gym on a StairMaster makes you yawn from boredom, we get it. It appears to be a relatively one-dimensional machine that forces us into a robotic trance while we half-heartedly put one foot above the other. Yes, the StairMaster doesn't have the reputation of being the funnest machine at the gym, but we're here to let you know that it doesn't have to be a snoozefest. Stifle that yawn and try out these moves to liven up your workout and burn some extra calories in the process.

Before you try these new moves, remember that your posture is key. You're trying to work your backside, not send your back into a spasm. "When you're hunched over, you're putting strain on your back and turning down your glutes," says Adam Friedman, a celebrity trainer in Venice, California, to Shape. 

The first variation you can try on a StairMaster is the double side step. The HIIT CARDIO Gym StairMaster Workout Plan on YouTube shows that you swivel your body's position fully to the side and cross the lower leg up onto the next step. Then use the leg that was just stationary — whose hip is higher up the steps — and bring it up past the first step and onto the second step. Repeat that action eight times on each side.

Once you've finished this side-step workout, you can try turning around and walking up backward. "It's a great move if you're looking to break up the workout for monotony's sake or if you want to tone your quads," says Friedman to Shape.

The next move to attempt is wide and narrow squat jumps. This routine works best if you turn the StairMaster's speed down to one of the lowest levels. Society 19 recommends placing your feet in a wide stance on the same step. Hold onto the railings and squat down before you jump to the next step, landing into a squat with your feet together. Then jump up again, this time landing in the original wide stance. Continue switching up your stance from wide to narrow before you press pause to wipe off your sweat with your towel.

The StairMaster can shed its boring reputation if you incorporate these moves into your routine. Variation makes the time fly and the muscles burn. Just remember to keep your speed at a low level for as long as you need before you feel comfortable with your new StairMaster moves. After all, stronger glutes is the end-goal, not an injury.