Five Easy Stairmaster Workouts for Beginners to Explore Today

There are quite a few differences between Kim Kardashian and me: our bank accounts, for starters, and our opinions on wearing bike shorts as regular clothes. But the biggest difference might be our approach to using the StairMaster.

Kim kicks off her 5 a.m. workouts, often shared on social media, with a beginner StairMaster session. I, on the other hand, avoid the machine like the plague and only hop on it when a trainer makes me. Despite the agony it can cause, the StairMaster does offer a very effective workout, as Kim has discovered.

Beginner StairMaster workouts are fantastic because they target your entire lower body—your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. You use your body weight to push yourself up, making it a great workout for everyone. It also boosts your body temperature, which is one point of exercising. Ever notice how your heart races after climbing just a few flights of stairs? That’s because it gets your heart pumping quickly. Just 30 minutes on it can set you up for a solid sweat session.

Melissa Alcantara, Kim Kardashian’s trainer, has a beginner StairMaster workout to fire up your legs. Start with 10 minutes of intervals, doing 30 seconds at level 20, followed by 30 seconds of rest. As she puts it, the real challenge is not falling off!

Fitness influencer Maggie De Francisco recommends a five-minute warm-up for leg day, which you can also use to build your routine. Start with a minute on your toes, then a minute of kickbacks, followed by a minute of skipping steps. After that, do a minute of “get low” (where you hold the handles and walk in a semi-squat), ending with a minute of jumping up the steps. Make sure to slow down the machine for this last part!

To elevate your beginner StairMaster workouts, grab some weights. Move through each of these exercises for one minute while walking: arm pumps, alternating shoulder presses, bent arm lateral raises, alternating front raises, and alternating upright rows.

To target your glutes even more, use a resistance band. Place it around your thighs and do each of these for a minute: banded steps, squatted step-ups on both sides, and kickbacks. Repeating this two or three times will give you a serious workout.

The StairMaster is like the Lizzo of gym machines—fun, bold, and more versatile than you might think, especially if you’ve just started at your local gym. While it might seem like anyone can just hop on and climb away, there’s more to it than meets the eye. Proper form is crucial to avoid injury and get the full body benefits this machine offers.

To really benefit from the StairMaster, avoid these common mistakes. Many people mistakenly focus just on speed. Faster doesn’t always mean better. Instead, concentrate on your strides per minute, and try skipping a step to extend your stride rather than simply increasing the level.

Just as there’s a correct way to run or cycle, there’s a right method for using the StairMaster. Keep your back upright, shoulders back, and head high with your core engaged. Avoid leaning forward, slumping your shoulders, or putting too much weight on the handrails. Your feet should stay near the center of the step, with slightly bent knees, and your weight should be in your heels, with shoulders over your hips.

Also, folks often make the error of leaning or twisting their bodies on the StairMaster. Leaning involves shifting side to side instead of keeping your hips on an even plane. Rocking and twisting reduce the effectiveness of the workout for your entire body.

You’ll know you’ve hit a plateau with your StairMaster workout when your body adapts to the routine. This happens with any exercise, like running at a steady pace or lifting the same weight repeatedly. Once you feel your progress has stalled, it’s time to switch things up.

The key to effective workouts is finding routines you enjoy, sticking to them, and knowing how to reward yourself afterward. Keeping your goals in mind and having something to look forward to can be the best motivation.