Is The Stairmaster Considered (Good) Cardio?


The stairmaster is a brand name for a stair-stepper, or stairclimber. These machines are at your local gym, or available to purchase and have in your home. They provide a workout by simulating the action of climbing an unending flight of stairs. A challenging way to exercise, for sure, but would working out on the stair climber be considered cardio?

If you work out on the stair climber (Or stair stepper/ StairMaster) for a given period of time at a steady pace, you will be able to maintain a heart rate that is within the target zone for either fat-burning or cardiovascular training. In general terms, cardio is often considered to be anything that is not resistance training, and is performed in a steady-state, e.g. jogging, swimming. To get specific, it doesn’t have to be steady state, it just needs to be enough to keep your heart rate between 65 and 75% of Max heart rate for fat burning, and between 75 and 85% of Max heart rate for cardiovascular training. With enough intensity, this can easily be achieved on the stair climber, making this a great choice of exercise for cardio.

Climbing stairs can be very challenging and works your entire lower body, so there’s few better choices for cardio. Let’s discuss a little more…

How good is the StairMaster for cardio?

The stairclimber provides an excellent cardiovascular workout, burning a ton of calories while really making the heart and lungs work hard. You will really feel the burn in the quads and calves, and may even experience some muscle growth in the legs as a result of your stairclimber training.

Going uphill is challenging no matter what, especially so for heavier trainees. As per common sense, if you weigh more, you have to work harder to keep climbing. So the more you weigh, the more calories you will burn per minute, and the more work your leg muscles will have to do.

The thing that makes something “good cardio” is an activity which will allow you to sustain a heart rate of 75-85% of your max heart rate. More about this here…. This is the zone during which you will be training your heart and lungs, or cardiovascular system. 

In common parlance, “cardio” is often used to refer to any type of non-anaerobic exercise, like jogging, walking, or swimming regardless of intensity or heart rate. By either standard, working out on a StairMaster (stairclimber) definitely qualifies.

Is StairMaster good for losing weight?

Of course, exercise is only half of the equation for weight (fat) loss, with diet being the other half. But it is nonetheless a very important factor – and the only way to really accelerate the fat loss that your discipline and good dietary habits will eventually bring about.

This is where the stairclimber really comes in handy. Once you have your diet under control, the best way to accelerate your fat loss is to exercise. Any exercise will help, but the most effective type will be that which involves the most muscle groups, and burns the most calories.

What is a better workout StairMaster or treadmill?

While the treadmill is better for longer sessions, or if you haven’t exercised in a long time, the stairclimber will typically burn less calories per minute but will be more challenging to your leg muscles.

Think about it. What would seem more difficult: running or going up stairs?

Beginners will want to work up to the stairmaster by starting off on a flat treadmill and gradually increasing the incline, then after a few weeks or months graduate to the stairclimber.

With time, the stairclimber will result in stronger, more muscular legs, far more so than will the treadmill.

Both have their advantages, but if you want the most effective workout in, say 20 or 30 mins, the stairclimber is the clear winner. If all you care about is burning maximum calories, then you might want to stick with running on the treadmill, or alternate between the two.

Is 30 minutes on the StairMaster good?

For a 180 lb person, 30 minutes on the stairclimber/stairmaster will burn about 250 calories and will definitely work up a sweat while keeping the heart and lungs strong. 

Depending on your weight and the speed at which you climb the steps, the exact number of calories burned will vary according to your weight. An approximation is that you will burn roughly 3 calories per hour per pound of bodyweight. So a 200 lb person will be expending about 600 calories in an hour. 

How many calories do you burn on the StairMaster?

As I mentioned before, on average, on the stairclimber you’ll burn about 3 calories per hour per pound of bodyweight. So, a 150 lb person will expend around 450 calories in an hour on the stairclimber. This amount can increase as you up the intensity by going faster. 

Interestingly, going slower on the stairclimber is not necessarily easier, just as doing anaerobic exercises, like push-ups, slower is not easier – but harder. This will increase the muscle and strength building effects of this type of exercise and help you get in better shape this way. However, while going slower will increase the muscular stimulation and lead to more strength and muscle gains, it will not increase the caloric burn like speeding your pace up will.

What muscles does the StairMaster work?

The stairclimber will thoroughly work your entire lower body. Your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves will all be taxed and be forced to get stronger. 

Stepping is similar to the upper part of a lunge movement, which is a well known quadriceps and glute builder. Each of your calves lift your whole body on every other step, making this a great lower leg workout. Even the muscle on the front of your shin, the tibialis anterior, is worked with each step. The hamstring flexes to provide the forward motion and propel you to the next step.

All in all, the stairclimber provides a pretty complete lower body exercise, while allowing for a cardio/aerobic style workout.

Related Posts:

Can You (Should You) Do Cardio On Leg Day?

Ultimately, yes you can do cardio on leg day. However you will definitely want to do the weight training first. You see, you won’t perform as well on whichever one you do second, due to fatigue.  If possible, spread them out a few hours, and don’t expect to train too hard on the cardio, your legs probably won’t handle it well. Low impact cardio choices, like swimming or the elliptical trainer, are your best options. Because leg training is so strenuous, it’s really better to do them on separate days. But if your schedule requires it, or if your leg training is not too intense, you can do it and not suffer any reduction in results. It is most important to do the leg training with well rested muscles, so don’t do any intense cardio for at least 24 hrs before if you can help it.

Fasted Cardio: What It Is And How It Can Help You

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