Stepmill: Most Underrated Machine in Your Gym.

Let me say right now, this is not the place to start on your first day in the gym. But if you want shapely legs and a leaner body, it’s the machine you should work towards.

You know the piece I am talking about – the infinity staircase, the forever stepper, the piece of equipment that spits you out the back if you aren’t looking where you are going.

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Frank knew that if the elevator at work ever broke down... he would be ready.

The Stepmill is an excellent piece of equipment that challenges both the leg muscles and cardiovascular system. If you aren’t a regular exerciser (at least once a week) then this machine is not for you… just yet.

I recently posted an article that talked about the top three pieces of equipment: the treadmill, the bicycle and the elliptical machine. What I didn’t realize is that although those are the most commonly talked about, that doesnt necessarily make them the best (think Britney Spears).

I received a post shortly after asking me about the rowing machine and my opinion of that. I of course realized my error immediately. I had pandered to the masses!

I had Ignored the legions of less-popular equipment users that for some reason would stumble across this blog and indignantly protest my narrow perspective of exercise equipment. Shame on me!

Why do I love this machine? Here are just a few reasons:

• Replicates the real world
• Works the all the major muscles of the legs
• Because few enough people use them that you can usually find one that isn’t taken
• Great Cardiovascular exercise
• The variety of foot positions keeps you from ‘hamster wheel syndrome’
• One of the few machines I recommend to average gym goers as well as high level athletes

Climbing the Vatican Stairs - bring a water bottle... and extra calf muscles

I can use this machine in a variety of ways. If I am constantly changing the way my body steps then I can be sure to work all angles of my glutes/quads/hamstrings/calves while still burning fat and reaping the cardiovascular benefits.

Some step patterns are more demanding than others, but here are just a few positions that I have my clients make use of when they feel up to the challenge.

For a full lower body challenge, try climbing the ‘virtual staircase’ any of in the following patterns:

• Regular position
• With feet wide
• With feet narrow
• At a 45 degree angle to one side
• Regular position stepping slowly then quickly stepping up (think about waiting ’til the last second to step up with the other foot)
• Angling the feet so they are pointed 45 degrees out
• Angling the feet so they are pointed 45 degrees in
• 2 steps at a time

For an extra booster, try any of the above variables with the following tweak:

• Just one finger from each hand lightly touching the rails (great stability challenge)
• One/Both hands behind the back (awesome leg and stability emphasis)

Warm up before your Cardio

Of course the most important thing in all of the above is that you are warmed up – I know, I know – you gotta warm up before you do cardio? You’re kidding, right? This machine is a challenge on your lower body joints – not something to lead off with.

Be sure you feel your knees and ankles are fully warmed up – try five minutes on one of the more popular exercise equipment pieces in your gym before stepping up to the high yield workout that is the Stepmill cardio session.

If you wanted to do the above as part of your regular workout, here is a recommended program to follow:

For this workout at a 7/10 intensity the whole time – be sure to get a couple of stepmill workouts under your belt before you start going for the steeplechase championship.

Looking at these stairs, I would wager that these Buddhist monks probably have some killer glutes and calves hidden under their robes

Beginning full lower body stepmill workout:

1. 5 minutes on treadmill at easy pace to warm up
2. 1 minute regular
3. 1 minute wide
4. 1 minute 45 angle left
5. 1 minute 45 angle right
6. 1 minute regular with only left hand on rail
7. 1 minute wide with only left hand on rail
8. 1 minute 45 angle left with only left hand on rail
9. 1 minute 45 angle right with only left hand on rail
10. 1 minute regular with only right hand on rail
11. 1 minute wide with only right hand on rail
12. 1 minute 45 angle left with only right hand on rail
13. 1 minute 45 angle right with only right hand on rail
14. 1 minute regular
15. 1 minute wide
16. 1 minute 45 angle left
17. 1 minute 45 angle right
18. Feel free to repeat the above 16 minute cycle as many times as you would like depending on the time you have to workout or when you start to feel the burn in muscles in your legs you didn’t know you had.
19. 5 minutes treadmill to cool down and finish
20. Stretch major muscle groups of the legs

All of us are looking to improve our results in less time in the gym. If you want better results for your lower body, the best thing you can do is change up the stimulus for the lower body. By increasing the angle at the hips, knees and ankles. (such as with the angle formed when using the stepmill).

Not sure what to say about this one other than - Whhhaaaaaat?

The total amount of work required by the legs is greater in the step – if the leg bends 15 degrees (as you would walking on a treadmill) then the muscles used and the amount of work is significantly less than if there is a 60-90 degree bend in the knee and hip. Don’t believe me? Try walking the stairs vs walking the path.

More hip and knee angle in your workout is always going to mean more muscles worked (which makes for better looking legs).

Next time in the gym, dodge your regular cardio routine and have a play on the stepmill. Sure, it’s a bit dusty and doesn’t have a fancy program tool or incline adjustment. But just try it out.

After a few weeks of conquering the Stepmill you will find a newfound ability to conquer hills and staircases of varying altitude. More importantly, you will now have the power to saunter past the next escalator you see, giving a consolatory sneer to the poor saps that just dont have what it takes to take the real stairs. Those wusses.

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

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The Rowing Machine – Where Posture meets Cardio

The humble rowing machine – the cinderella of the fitness center.

While the fancy treadmills and the high-fashion elliptical machines entertain the guests, showing off their incline adjustments and their new digital displays the rowing machine sits off to the side, all alone. Exiled to the corner as if it were a bad child in a classroom.

In a recent UK survey, 44% of women found men that row as ‘sexy’ . Fellas – do you need more motivation than that?

(I personally use and recommend the Concept2 line of indoor rowers. They are near indestructible!)

The occasional gym-goer will wander over to play briefly, but only for a bit of a warm-up before they are on their way again. Generally speaking, the rowing machine gets left alone in the corner to gather dust.

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Shame on us for not giving this excellent machine the respect it is due.

The rowing machine is one of my favorite machines in the gym. It helps to develop cardio, strength, flexibility and all the muscles you need for great posture.

A common problem I hear from runners and cyclists is that that have great cardio, nice legs but a flabby upper body.

Problem solved.

Still need convincing that Rowing is a great sport for the total body?

Enough said. Moving on.

2 reasons why you want to integrate your local rowing machine into your workouts and cardio days:

1. Better fat burner

Rowing with proper technique works both the upper as well as the lower body. More muscles worked means more calories burned in the same period of time, which means more fat burned for your cardio dollar!

2. Better for posture

Imagine the view when you see someone walking on the treadmill – especially if they are reading their US Weekly or the new People mag. People tend to have poor posture on the treadmill, bike and elliptical machine.

If you are hanging on to the rails as if you are ready for the machine to spontaneously switch into rodeo mode – then chances are you are leaning forward and your posture is suffering.

Take the the normal treadmill/elliptical/bike user:

Are they a picture perfect model of posture or are they a hunched over hunchback of hunchville? (So I’m channeling Dr Seuss?! What’s it to you?!)

Would you, could you, in a rowing machine?

The downside of the rowing machine is that it is not magazine friendly (which might be an upside, depending on your perspective).

This means that instead of catching up on the latest hairstyles and dog handbag fashion, you will actually have to do some real work (but that’s why god created the ipod – so you can listen to your music/Harry Potter on tape/best of John Denver as you happily row away).

Rowing works the legs as well as all the muscles of the back

It is fantastic for strenthening the biceps, shoulders, upper and lower back as well as all the major muscles of the legs.

The major drawback is that you probably don’t know how to do it

But thats about to change: You can learn about rowing technique here.

Or if you would rather have the visual, here is a 3 minute vid:

There are different ways to row, but just pick one and go for it. Your body (and your posture) will be grateful for it.

Once you have the technique down, for my vote its the best fat-burning machine in the gym that also works the upper body in such a way that your posture will never feel better.

Do you row? Put in your two cents about what rowing does to your body to help others understand just how good this machine is.

Jamie Atlas

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

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Treadmill, Bicycle or Elliptical machine? pt 1 the Treadmill

If you choose the wrong machine for your fitness goal, you may end up with less results than you planned for.

This is part 1 of a three part series.

I will start with the treadmill, since that is one of the most popular pieces (although I have been known to trash treadmills, they certainly have their place in the gym and deserve a fair comparison). Click here and here to read my attack on the misunderstood and often misquoted treadmill.

People often get confused as to which is the better option for their workout – treadmill, elliptical or bicycle. The decision can be difficult to make without the right information.

Mimes. Easily confused, but not as creepy as clowns.

Here is the answer I like to give when asked for preferences (and no, I am not open to offers from equipment companies to bribe me – although I do really like the StarTrac total body trainers – the variety on those things is awesome!!)

The answer I like to give whenever asked “what is the best equipment/exercise band/workout video/lycra spandex catsuit” is always the same:

“it depends”.

It depend on what you are after, it depends on what your history of exercise is, and it depends on what injuries you might have and sometimes it just depends on how you feel on the day.

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Before I get into the major differences, here is something to consider. If we can work more muscles then we will burn more calories.

However, we need to make sure that our joints do not get overloaded at the same time. A key phrase to remember when deciding what to use, is the phrase ‘repetitive patterns’.

Repetitive patterns can be a major cause of joint pain, muscle imbalances and unfashionable sweaters from your Granny at Christmas.

Repetitive patterns of movement can wear your joints out faster- repetitive patterns in sweaters are just destructive to your sense of fashion… Seriously – is that guy wearing…. a leather kilt?!

When I select a machine, I am always careful to make the workout on it just a little different than last time (which is why you need a workout program) – whether it be foot position, incline, speed, stride length or just mixing up the programs. I want to make sure I am giving my body a different input – and I do this for the folllowing reasons:

By mixing up the variables on any given machine, you can improve your results in the following ways:

Increased overall cardiovascular ability – if we continue to do the same program our level of cardio can become stagnant, even decrease.

Decreased chance of injury – by training in different ways, I give key muscles a chance to rest while other neighboring muscles have a chance to work – this allows my body to recover partially while working a variety of muscles in different ways.

Reduced boredom – lets face it, we all want to enjoy our workouts more. The only way to keep things fresh… is to keep things fresh! Mixing up the programs at least keeps us guessing – and if we can make sure we feel the burn at the end of it all, then we are on track to improve our results but also on track to make sure we are motivated to turn up for the next workout!

The major differences between the ‘big three’:

Treadmill:

When you take a step on a treadmill, every step is just a little bit different. You can reduce the range of your steps or increase them if you are jogging/running. It also means that different muscles are being worked and a variety of muscles means better results when compared to a locked position (such as you would find with an elliptical or a bicycle). however, it means that if you are tight in the hips, you might be walking with a reduced range as opposed to an elliptical making you take longer strides which would lengthen out your hips (and so the paradox unfolds). So if you have tight hips I might recommend spending more time on the Elliptical – or to tackle the problem at the source, try doing some hip flexor stretches (this gal does a great job or explaining what your hip flexors are and how to stretch them).

I like:

I like that you are able to self-select your own stride and I also like that it means you are working your body in a slightly different way with each step.

I like that you can do a large variety of things on the treadmill like walking and running (which may not seem like a bunch, but the action of walking, jogging and running are all thoroughly different movement patterns with different muscles and loads

I don’t like:

I don’t like that people crouch over the treadmill as if they are about to make out with the start button.

I don’t like that people hang on to the rails as if they are about to get pulled under the moving belt.

Major advantage: Your body uses more lower body but also rotates as you walk/run which means more muscles worked and more calories burned for your time spent watching Ellen/Oprah/That guy from the money channel who just yells and smashes things all the time.

Major disadvantage: Higher impact than bike or elliptical means joints get more of a pounding compared to a bike or elliptical which means you must be more careful with your program variety as you progress.

Overall:

The treadmill is an excellent piece of equipment – although misunderstood by many.

Do not confuse the action of walking/running on a treadmill with the action of walking/running on real ground (again, Click here and here if you are interested to know why). It may look the same to our untrained eyes, but your body knows the difference – just like my wife knows a fake gucci.

I couldnt tell you the difference even if you showed me the ‘made in china’ label (made in China means they are fake, right?), but with one glance – she knows.

I’m not sure what is worse – buying a fake gucci or making ‘mans best friend’ wear a high fashion backpack. I bet all the other dogs beat him up as soon as he gets to doggy daycare.

Your body knows the difference between being on ground and the treadmill. It doesnt mean it isnt good for your body and it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it every now and then. But it does mean that if you are doing it so you can go on a hike or go running in a triathlon that you should consider

Elliptical: to be continued

Bike: to be continued

What do you think? Am I missing a piece of equipment that you totally love?

Send me your equipment name and why you love it and I will write a review on it for all to see.

Jamie Atlas

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

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Your workout may be making you fat – the #1 weight loss mistake people make.

“I was doing great and last week the weight loss just stopped! And today I gained a pound! What did I do wrong?”

It hits the best of us. After 3-4 months of steady exercising, your weight loss plateaus – maybe even reverses!

You get some good results at first, but now you just seem to be hovering around that point between “have you lost some weight?” and “is that a new outfit?” – meanwhile, the scale seems to be running its own evil propaganda campaign.

The Fat-loss Plateau of the Ya-Ya sisterhood

So what do you do to break a plateau? What if your weight has started to creep back up again despite your best efforts? Do more cardio? Change up your program? Get a personal trainer? Which one you choose (and how you stick with it) can make all the difference.

#1 Mistake people make in the quest for weight loss:

Repetitive cardiovascular activity

If you are doing cardio to lose fat, you may have been making a crucial mistake:

As your body improves in cardiovascular ability (and its ability to do certain movement patterns such as the repetitive motion of an elliptical trainer), it becomes more efficient at doing certain activities.

If you always use the same movement pattern, the body becomes more efficient at that movement pattern. Think about the first time you played a new sport/activity. You were exhausted the first time, but much less exhausted the third or fourth – physical changes played a part, but your body was already becoming more efficient at moving in those patterns.

The elliptical machine. Can you imagine the energy we could generate if we hooked these up to the main grid? You could power a whole gym with these oversized hamster wheels.

When doing an activity that you are familiar and competent at, you burn less calories within the same amount of time.

Looking at the picture above, can YOU think of a more repetitive and predictable movement for both your upper and lower body than doing the same pattern with your feet and arms every…single… time…

Confused? Try this example on for size:

Meet “Cardio Charlie”. Charlie one day decides to burn the fat away purely by doing the same cardio machine day in and day out. More miles tracked means more poundage burned, right?

Charlie keeps everything else the same (same calorie intake, same daily habits, same sleep patterns) but adds cardio to the routine. For the first week, Charlie does 40 minutes 3x a week and burns 2 pounds. Overjoyed by the results, the next week Charlie does an 60 minutes 3x a week and loses 2 pounds again and starts to think “What are all those people complaining about… this weight loss thing is a piece of cake!” (mmmm, cake)

What kind of mpg is your body getting? The less fuel you burn in your workout, the more you have left on your thighs…

From Hummer to Hybrid

It only takes a few weeks of dedicated cardio sessions before something starts to go wrong with the plan…

Your body (which started off burning fuel like a rusty diesel truck) after a couple of weeks is suddenly burning fuel much more economically.

You have, (by virtue of your bodies amazing physiological and cardiovascular adaptations), created a fuel efficient machine capable of doing the same amount of work with even less fuel consumption.

But building a fuel efficient machine is probably not what you came here to do, is it?

If you wanted a fuel BURNING machine, then your strategy of doing even more and more cardio to burn the pounds just backfired on you.

Process this equation:

New guy on treadmill = “X” calories in 40 minutes

Experienced treadmill user working at same pace as the newbie = Less than “X” in 40 minutes due to muscle and cardiovascular efficiency.

The end result? New guy gets the calorie burn – experienced guy gets the chronic and repetitive stress of the joints doing the same movement repetitively for the last 100 workouts.

The more cardio you do on the same equipment at the same intensity, the more fuel-efficient your body becomes at that exact workout.

ONCE ADAPTED, YOUR BODY COULD MOVE FROM CALORIE DEFICIT TO CALORIE SURPLUS

THIS CAN RESULT IN INCREASED FAT STORES – EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO AVOID IN THE FIRST PLACE!

But faithful reader, this story does have a happy ending…

What if our good friend Charlie were to mix up the cardio AND intensity AND equipment selection?

What if Charlie were to do some long slow distance cardio mixed with some higher intensity mixed with some interval cardio sessions.

Would that unpredictable nature keep the system from ‘settling in’?

Would it also make a difference if the program involved different machines? How different would the muscle pattern be if you switched from a treadmill to a rowing machine? From a bike to a stairway?

So if Cardio Charlie started switching up the cardio – added some weightlifting circuits, got a few sessions in with a trainer just to make sure everything was being done right, then most likely the plateau would be broken and Charlie would see the scale start to drop once again…

UNLESS….

Unless of course Charlie made the second most crucial mistake – the mistake of working out the wrong muscles in the wrong way to achieve fat loss.

Stay tuned for the workout mistake #2 that people make that actually REVERSES their fat loss in the gym.

Have you seen this mistake #1 happen in front of your very eyes? Had a friend experience this exact phenomenon? Tell us about it!

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

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