If we take a look at all the cardio machines that have gained popularity in the last couple of years, none of them got exponential growth like stepmills. Stepmills came into the picture long back, but its reputation got decreased because of elliptical and treadmills. But, in recent years, we can again see the demand for these stepmills because of their certain advantages. Today, in this article. We would try to cover everything you should know about it.
What are its uses? What is the difference between stairmill and stepmill? What are the top 10 available on the market?
It has started getting a good social media presence, and people have understood its benefits as well. There was a survey done on their popularity based on google trends data that showed that it had increased by around 64% for the last five years. ECOFIT Company data showed that it is the second most popular cardio machine. A push that these machines are getting because of social media popularity.
Mostly, the popularity of these machines is there among female gender as its promise to provide a perfect booty. There are a lot of heavy challenges going on that gives an ideal shape to your back. Below are some of the benefits of using stepmills.
Benefits of Stepmill
Stepmill Glute-Sculpting: This is the main routine that people follow and try to achieve the good curvy shape. In this workout, you will do cardio as well. Glute Sculpting exercise, you can only do if you have stairmill or stepmill at your place.
Mini Escalator: It looks like a mini escalator and gives you the perfect climbing experience. You know how much calories you burn when you climb. So, if you love climbing, then this is the ideal machine for you. Enjoy Climbing and lose fat at the same time in the right place.
Below are some of the workouts that you can try to burn more calories and get the perfect shape.
Single Step Exercise: This is simple climbing. If you are a beginner keep your hands on the rails. Once you get the hang of it, you can climb without holding the tracks. Don’t increase the intensity abruptly; It should be a gradual increase. You can start feeling the burn out after 5mins.
Double Step Exercise: If you want more intense experience than just climbing then you can skip each step with other legs. Apart from working on your glutes, it also strengthens your hamstring. It’s recommended to push the stair through your heels, not by your toes.
Kick Back Exercise: In this exercise, you have to keep your posture tall and balance yourself, keep your palms on the rails. Then, you can kick back your right leg while holding the top for a second then step up while kicking back from your another leg. It would be better if you don’t arch back and keep your body posture straight. If you are feeling the strain on your back, then you are not doing it right. You should contact the contraction at your hips.
Diagonal Kick Back Exercise: It’s not recommended for beginners. Once you become comfortable with the top three exercise, then only you can come to this one. Here, instead of kicking straight, you have to kick your leg diagonally. This workout strengthens your hip and abductor muscles. Don’t slouch forward and try to keep your leg straight and tight at the top of this movement.
Don’t do these things(Important): At the beginning, it’s fine to use the rails, but once you get used to it, there is no point in taking their support. Because doing so, reduces the pressure on the legs and defeats the reason of climbing.
Side rails should only be used for balancing yourself. When you don’t depend on the side rails, it increases the core strength and stability. Your legs should drive you in climbing not your hands; hands are only for balance.
As I have already mentioned that you should be cautious as well as the starting if you are not doing it right, you might fall off, and that might cause damage. So, firstly get used to it then only start doing the difficult exercise.
While working, you will be dripping sweat, and that might make stairs slippery. So, wear the right shoes and clean the stairs, anytime you feel like slipping.
Stair climber vs. Stepmill
A lot of people are asking this question what the difference between stair climber and stepmill is. If you have any other question, don’t forget to ask in the comments below. We’ll try to respond as soon as possible.
Both are built to mimic the climbing experience to give you proper cardiovascular workout and toning your leg muscles as well. They might look like the similar machine, but there is some difference as well. When it comes to price, Stepmill is very costly as it has very complex construction. Stair Climber has two pedals where we keep our both the legs, and we have to pedal forward whereas in stepmill comes with a continuous staircase like a mini escalator. Stepmill is bulkier than stair mills and has motors to run the stairs. You can also change the resistance and levels at your comfort.
StairMaster 7000 PT Stepmill
This is one of the best stepmill and worth every single penny. It is very sturdy and lasts for years. This high quality is the machine is designed to provide a good cardio experience and lower body workout as well. Stairmaster has the patent for this revolving staircase mechanism, so you won’t find any other brand making the same kinds of machines. Below are some of the important aspects that you should know about. You can check the latest price from here.
- You can adjust the levels from 24 to 162 steps per minute. When it comes to resistance, you have more than 15 resistance levels and six pre-installed programs.
- It has a backlit LCD Display, a holder for water, and an accessory tray. It also has a reading rack, so you can read while working on your glutes. That’s awesome.
- It comes with an amazing 15 years warranty. You should keep in mind the space required before buying this. This requires around 10 feet ceilings, and dimensions are 29*78*50 inches.
StairMaster 7000 PT Stepmill(FAQs)
Question: I am just wondering, what would be the total height if the stand on the third step? I had a 9foot ceiling and confused whether it will work at my place or not?
Answer: Company says that you should have at least a 10-foot height ceiling. If someone is more than 6feet tall and then it could be a problem for him on your roof.
Question: Can I have any warranty option where everything can be covered including wear and tear as well?
Answer: Here, you will get a refurbished product where new parts will replace all the broken parts. If you want the full warranty then for that also we have some options as well.
Question: Can I use it for commercial purposes?
Answer: This machine is built for commercial use only. It’s a bit costly for personal use. If you can afford it, then it’s fine. You can call on the official number, and email in case any help is needed. Their support is pretty good.
Question: What is the difference between a new or refurbished step mill?
Answer: New would be directly from the company production chain. While you will see some touch-ups in refurbished ones.
Precor AMT 835 Commercial Series Adaptive Motion Trainer
This is not just a stairmill. Instead, it’s an adaptive motion trainer. It is a bit costly but still being loved by the people who can afford it. This is available in two colors; silver and black. This machine provides you with a kind of striding experience. It gives a good low impact workout. This machine comes with open stride technology that allows you stride height from 6.8 inches to 10 inches. Below are some of the important aspects that you should know about. You can check the latest price from here.
- It has 20 resistance levels. It has heart rate sensors on the handlebars itself, or you can use a chest strap as an alternate
- It has a dual-action mechanism that provides upper and lower body workout. It looked very classy and got a very solid build quality.
- It weighs around 422 lbs, and dimensions are 80*35*73 inches. It can bear maximum user weight up to 514 lbs.
- It comes with a full-fledged ten years warranty that includes everything mechanical parts and electronics. Frame and welds have a lifetime warranty, and on labor, you only get one year warranty.
FAQs
Question: What is the size of the machine? Does it come pre-assembled?
Answer: It is 30 inches wide at its widest point. It doesn’t come pre-assembled. You have to assemble it by reading the manual. It’s simple to install, for reference you can watch the installation video on their official site.
Question: How many people are needed to move it from one place to another place?
Answer: You need around four strong people if you want to move it from one place to another place. Installing is not that hard but moving it around is hard.
Question: How was the delivery of the product? Was it well packaged?
Answer: Delivery was excellent. You get the box with stabilizing material to reduce the chance of any damage.
Question: How is the battery life?
Answer: It has a rechargeable battery, you might have to replace them once a year. That completely depends on the usage only.
StairMaster SC5 Stairclimber
This is also one of the great products of the Stairmaster company. This is built for a high-intensity workout done in a short duration. It comes with a touchscreen console integrated with a TV tuner. The dimension of the machine is 68*43*27 inches. It weighs around 155 lbs and can bear the weight up to 300 lbs. You also get the cordless battery charger with the machine. When it comes to console, you get three options to choose from. TSE-1, TS-1, and D-1. Below are some of the important aspects that you should know. You can know more about the latest price over here.
- The company claims that it provides biomechanically correct movement that protects your knees and joints from extra stress.
- When it comes to workouts that you can perform over here, it provides you dozens of options like Calorie goal, fat burner, heart rate interval, and much more.
- It has a frame warranty for 15years and a parts warranty of 3 years. The step range, you get over here is from 1 inch to 14 inches.
StairMaster SC5 Stairclimber(FAQs)
Question: Does it have a water holder and accessory tray?
Answer: Yes, It has both.
Question: How long it takes for the item to get delivered?
Answer: It takes around one week for delivery.
Question: What is the step rate available for the machine?
Answer: You will get around 26 to 174 steps per minute option.
Question: How’s the service of the company in case of any repairing?
Answer: It’s excellent.
StairMaster SM5 StepMill with 2 Window LCD Console
This is available as a certified refurbished item on Amazon. If you are looking for some affordable deal, then you can go for this used Stairmaster stepmill. This product is certified and tested. Before delivering the package, they do all kind of testing that includes functionality testing, cleaning, and repackaging. You would also get all the accessories with the product with three months warranty. Below are some of the important aspects that you should know about. Check out the latest price over here.
- It has a CPAT fire fit test with multi-stage and ten workouts as well.
- It has easy to read window LCD with polar heart rate monitoring.
StairMaster SM5 StepMill with 2 Window(FAQs)
Question: What is the dimension of the product?
Answer: 58 x 31 x 48 inches
Question: What is the weight of the product?
Answer: It weighs around 485 pounds.
Question: How can I trust a refurbished product?
Answer: It comes with 90 days warranty. If it doesn’t suit your expectation, you can return the product, but you have to bear the courier charges.
Question: What should be the choice of an individual? Should we buy a new one or an old one?
Answer: If you want a good discount then you can go with the refurbished product as it saves a lot of money.
Jacobs Ladder 2 Aerobic and Anaerobic Cardio Conditioning Treadmill Climber
If you are serious about conditioning your body, then this treadmill climber could be an option for you. It is a patented treadmill and very good for low impact workout. It does perfect cardio for your lower and upper body. The machine is self-paced. It’s completely nonmotorized and kind of endless treadmill. This machine is used for some high-end training. Football teams, the navy, the army, and some divisions of universities also use this Jacob’s ladder. Below are some of the important aspects that you should know about the machine. Check out the latest price over here.
- The product is very large and it takes around 3-4 weeks for delivery. For any queries, you can dial (800)355-2956 and get support from the company.
- The exercise you would be doing here would be bit intense, and it increases yours hear rate quicker than others.
- As I have already mentioned that it is self-paced. So, you can set the speed of your potential.
Though you have to work out here with ladders, but you only deal with the natural climbing position. - There are a lot of other machines that cause damage to your joints, but here company claims, you will have a very low impact on your knee and ankle.
- The frame is built of welded tubular steel and dimensions are 76*31.5*65.5 inches. It comes with four years of warranty and one year of labor.
Jacobs Ladder 2(FAQS)
Question: How’s the build quality of the Jacob ladder 2?
Answer: It has a solid build quality and lasts for years without any wear and tear.
Question: What is the difference between this new version of Jacob’s ladder?
Answer: You will see some improvements in the build quality and other aspects as well.
Question: Does this jacobs ladder 2 come assembled?
Answer: It comes assembled.
Precor EFX 546i Commercial Series Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer
This is not exactly a stepmill; this is an elliptical trainer mainly used for commercial purposes. It has fixed arms on the sides and very easy to use. Here, Stride lengths vary from 21 inches to 25 inches whereas ramp inclination varies from 15 degrees to 40 degrees. When it comes to resistance, it has more than 20 options. It also has ten preset programs. Below are some of the important features of the machine that you should know. Check out the latest price over here.
- You can choose from 3 cross-training, One fitness test, and One hand held the heartbeat test.
- It has perfect compatibility with wireless monitors. It can bear up to 350 pounds user weight. The
- frame of the machine gets around seven years of warranty and one year with labor.
Precor EFX 546i Commercial Series Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer(FAQs)
Question: If I want to skip interval training, so can I work with ten elevations and 12 resistance?
Answer: If you are a beginner then starting with 12 resistance would be a bit challenging. So, choose the resistance with which you are comfortable.
Question: Does it come assembled at the time of delivery?
Answer: It comes assembled.
Question: Can I get the personal viewing screen attached to it?
Answer: For any customization, you can drop an email to the official Precor email.
Question: Can the warranty for this machine be extended?
Answer: You can buy a separate warranty from Amazon itself.
Precor AMT100i Experience Series Adaptive Motion Trainer (2009 Model)
This Precor adaptive motion trainer is one of the best cardio and muscle toning machine for commercial purposes. This award-winning trainer provides different types of workouts. You can change the stride length from long to short at your disposal. It gives you the challenge to create a new workout every time. It comes with a smart rate that includes four programs, and you can change resistance up to 20 different levels. Below are some of the features of this machine. Check out the latest price over here.
- You can choose out of four programs that include Manual, Interval, Fat Burner, and Heart Rate.
In Readings, you get an ample amount of data to study from. It includes average heart rate, speed, calories burnt, segment time, and much more. - You can see the live data of the active muscle groups. If you want higher calories to burn, then you have to go with longer strides. Here, arm and legs are coordinated optimally to give a full-body workout.
- Machine Weight is 445 lbs, and it can bear up to 350 lbs. It’s completely self-powered, and you don’t need any extra power.
- The dimension of the machine is 69*74*28 inches. So, think about the space where you were going to put it before buying it.
Precor AMT100i Experience Series Adaptive Motion Trainer(FAQs)
Question: What is the width of the machine? Does it come preassembled?
Answer: It is around 30 inches wide at its widest point. It comes pre-assembled.
Question: How many people does it take to move it around?
Answer: It’s heavy, and it takes around four strong people to move it around.
Question: How’s the delivery of the box? Does it come well packaged?
Answer: It comes well packaged with stabilizing the material. You won’t face any issue with the delivery. In case, you do, you can ask for the return.
Question: Should I buy this refurbished product?
Answer: It is certified refurbished. They provide a warranty as well. You shouldn’t face any problem with the product. If you are skeptical about it, then you can choose some different products.
Life Fitness E1 Go Cross-Trainer, Titanium
This product is launched by Life Fitness, and good for low impact work out. It uses whisper stride technology that ensures maintenance-free ball bearings. While using another machine, you will hear a lot of noise, but this is completely noise-free. Here, you will follow the elliptical path driven by biomechanics research that mimics human movement. If you have around 13 pre-installed work out programs that help you to be in perfect shape. Below are some of the important aspects that you should know. Here, is the Latest Price of the machine.
You have two options when it comes to choosing a console. Either you can go with Go Console, or you can go with Track Connect Console.
There is a lot of add-ons that people also love to buy that include Life fitness Mat and Foam Roller.
When it comes to warranty, you have three options. You can go for a standard warrant, or you can extend the warranty and get three years of premium protection. Five-year premium extended protection is also available.
Life Fitness E1 Go Cross-Trainer, Titanium(FAQs)
Question: Does it have Bluetooth features?
Answer: No, you won’t have Bluetooth options here.
Question: Can we adjust the stride?
Answer: No, you can’t adjust the stride.
Question: Can the inclination be changed?
Answer: No, you can’t change the inclination over here. It is already built perfectly, and you have to use it with an already built posture.
Question: What does it feel to use it?
Answer: You can watch the video over here. https://www.youtube.com/watchtime_continue=5&v=xD3_DBbQ41E
Best Fitness E1 Elliptical Trainer by Body-Solid
This product is by Body-Solid Company. It is compact and portable offers a plethora of workouts. It has a low center of gravity that keeps the machine steady. Build quality is decent, and the frame is made up of powder-coated steel. Its dimensions are 48*30*66 inches. Below are some of the important aspects of the machine. Here is the latest price.
- It has dual moving arms that help in lower as well as upper body workout.
- You can easily monitor your workout intensity. People face a lot of fatigue while doing this kind of exercise. But, here you will get less fatigue because of close pedal spacing.
- The frame has 15years of warranty, the motor has ten years, and it can bear up to 275 pounds of weight.
Best Fitness E1 Elliptical Trainer by Body-Solid(FAQs)
Question: Does it have magnetic resistance?
Answer: Yeah, Resistance is driven by Magnetic force.
Question: Does it come pre-assembled? Or we have to assemble it by ourselves?
Answer: Yes, you have to assemble it by yourself. If you need any help, you can contact a local fitness store.
Question: Do these pedals go in the reverse direction as well?
Answer: Yes, you can go in the reverse direction as well.
Question: what is the warranty on the machine?
Answer: You will get one year warranty. As soon as, the product gets delivered, you have to fill the warranty form and send it within 5-7 days.
Best lucky Vertical Climber Exercise Folding Climbing Machine
This comes at the 10th number in our top 10 list. Don’t expect too much from this machine. This is not the stepmill instead this is called a vertical climber. It is built with an alloy steel frame and also has an anti-rust paint coating. It can bear a weight of 350 lbs. The machine is only available in the US and not available for international shipping. Below are some important aspects of the machine. You can buy it at a discounted price over here.
- It has six tension position. The height of climbing arms can be adjusted from smallest to largest.
- It’s very compact and easy to store. LCD Screen provides an ample amount of data that includes speed, distance, and calories burnt.
- It’s ergonomically designed for all types of bodies. It works best with your core and lower body.
