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Step Bench Exercises

Within the last few years, step-bench training's popularity has climbed rapidly. An estimated 10 million people have tried step training.

Could 10 million steppers be wrong? On the contrary - vigorous step bench exercises provide the cardiovascular benefits of running but stresses the joints little more than walking. Performed to invigorating music with creative choreography, this low-impact workout is also lots of fun.

The first step to stepping

Before beginning a step-training class, be sure your step - the platform - is secure and at the proper height for your fitness level. If you are new to step training, or just beginning a fitness program, start with a platform height of four to six inches. (Regardless of fitness level, the platform height should not require bending your knees more than 90 degrees.)

Keep the area around your step bench exercises platform dry and remove objects that could interfere with your workout.

Align your body

Proper body alignment during step training helps prevent injuries. While stepping:

Relax your neck and keep it straight.

Always keep your knees soft, don't lock the knee joints.

Maintain good posture with shoulders back, chest lifted and pelvis tucked under.

Lean from the ankles, not the waist, as you step onto the platform. Do not bend from the hips.

Don't arch your back.

Proper techniques for step bench exercises

Correct stepping technique also prevents injuries and improves your workout:

Always place your entire foot on the platform; no part of the foot should hang over the edge.

Step close to the platform, allowing the heels to contact the floor. Note: Only the ball of the foot, not the heel, should touch the floor during lunges or other rapidly repeated movements (''repeaters'').

Step quietly. Pounding can unduly stress the ankles and knees.

Keep an eye on the platform at all times.

Don't use hand weights. They greatly increase the risk of injury and provide no benefit.
Stepping out

If you initially find step bench exercises difficult to follow, focus on learning the foot patterns and leave out the arm movements. You can add arm movements later.

Remember that raising your arms above shoulder level makes your heart work harder and can leave you breathless. So, if you have a hard time keeping up, lower your arms and catch your breath.

To avoid injuries caused by too much stepping, alternate step-training classes with a variety of aerobic workouts like bicycling, walking, or other recreational activities.

Step-training workouts may seem difficult at first, but beware - they're habit-forming! Just remember to maintain proper body alignment and stepping technique to keep you stepping injury-free for years to come.

The following guidelines have been established by Reebok to ensure safe and effective use of the step/bench as an aerobic prop. The American Council on Exercise® endorses these guidelines.

Platform height for step bench exercises

Platform height is dependent on the exerciser's level of aerobic fitness, current skill with step training, and degree of knee flexion when the knee is fully loaded while stepping up. Deconditioned individuals should begin on four inches while highly skilled and experienced steppers can use 10 inches. The most common height is eight inches.

Regardless of fitness level or skill, participants should not exercise on a platform height that causes the knee joint to flex deeper than 90 degrees when the knee is fully loaded (when all the body weight is on the leg of the first upward step). Individuals with chronic knee problems should seek their physician's approval to perform step training.

Posture for step bench exercises

The head should be up, shoulders down and back, chest up, abdominals lightly contracted and buttocks gently tucked under the hips. Do not hyperextend the knees or back at any time. When stepping up, lean from the ankles and not the waist to avoid excessive stress on the lumbar spine.

Stepping up

Contact the step bench exercises platform with the entire sole of the foot. To avoid Achilles tendon injury, do not allow the heel to land over the edge of the platform. Step softly and quietly to avoid unnecessary high impacts. Watch the platform periodically to ensure proper foot placement.

Stepping down

Step close to the platform (no more than one shoe length away) and allow the heels to contact the floor to help absorb shock. Stepping too far back while pressing the heel into the floor could result in Achilles tendon injury. If a step platform requires stepping a significant distance from the platform such as a lunge step or a repeater, do not push the heel into the floor. Keep the weight on the forefoot.

Leading foot

Change the leading foot (the foot that begins the step pattern) after no more than one minute. The leading leg experiences greater musculoskeletal stress than the non-leading leg.

Propulsion steps

Do not perform propulsion steps (in which both feet are off the floor or platform at the same time) for more than one minute at a time. Propulsion steps result in higher vertical impact forces and are considered an advanced technique.

All propulsion steps should be performed up onto the platform and not down from the platform. It is therefore appropriate to run or jump up onto the platform, but not down.

Repeaters for step bench exercises

To avoid stress to the support leg, do not perform more than five consecutive repeaters (in which the non-weightbearing leg repeats the movement such as a kneelift) on the same leg.

Use of Arms in step bench exercises

Master the footwork before adding the arm movements. Avoid using the arms at or above shoulder level for an extended period of time because this places significant stress on the shoulder girdle. Be sure to frequently vary low-, mid- and high-range arm movements.

Music for step bench exercises

Music tempos above 122 beats per minute (bpm) are not recommended. Researchers have found that participants are well within their target training zones when using 122 bpm. Technique and safety are seriously compromised when music speeds are too fast.

Weights in step bench exercises

The use of weights during the aerobic portion of step training produces little if any increases in energy expenditure or muscle hypertrophy. However, the risk of injuring the shoulder joint is significantly increased when weights are rapidly moved through a large range of motion, especially if the arms are fully extended.

Until further biomechanical testing is conducted on the use of hand weights while stepping, it is recommended that weights be reserved for the strength segment of a step training class.

A good step bench exercises video - a ratcheted step bench exercise machine