Step-up platform: what is, how to choose the + 20 exercises (photos)

Contents

Step-up platform: what is needed?
How to choose the step-platform?
20 exercises on a step-platform
Top 5 videos for weight loss with step platform

Step-up platform — a sports projectile, which is a small bench with adjustable height levels. This platform is designed not only for practicing step aerobics, but also to perform strength and cardio exercises. Most often, this sports equipment is made from a special plastic and has a corrugated surface, which prevents slipping during activities.

Step-up platform is a truly universal fitness equipment. You can deal with her aerobics, perform strength and plyometric exercises, to complicate and to simplify the exercise. In General, the use of this equipment will help you create an effective set of exercises for weight loss and strengthening the muscles of the whole body, especially the legs and buttocks.

Step-up platform: what is needed?

1. Often step-platform home use for practicing step aerobics. Step aerobics is one of the most effective types’s low impact cardio exercise for burning calories and fat. Read more about it: Step aerobics: benefit, harm, exercises and videos.

2. Step-up platform you will need during strength exercises, the performance of which requires the bench. For example, if you will perform dumbbell bench press for chest muscles on the floor, you will not be able to lower the elbows low enough so the exercise will be of insufficient amplitude and efficiency:

Or, for example, to perform the Bulgarian lunge also need a step-up platform:

3. Some exercises are easier to do, focusing on a step-platform, than focusing on gender. For example, push-UPS and planks. Therefore, step-up platform is useful to those who are just learning to do push-UPS from the floor or wants to simplify to itself, any exercise by resting on his hands.

4. The platform can be used to perform jumping exercises in which you need to jump on any hill. Usually for jumping use a special table, but you can jump and step on the platform (as long as it was stable!):

5. Step-up platform is an almost perfect projectile for training the lower body. And with step you will work on decreasing the volumes of the hips, forming a shapely, toned legs.

6. Step-up platform useful to perform various modifications to the classical exercises. This will help you a great to diversify your workouts:

As you can see, finding the application of the step-platform in a home gym everyone can do. This functional equipment will really come in handy when performing as power and cardio. But if everything else you love step aerobics, you can purchase a platform for practicing at home definitely worth it.

The use of step-platforms:

When you have a platform you can do at home, step aerobics is a very efficient type’s low impact workouts for weight loss.
With step-platform, it is convenient to perform strength exercises with dumbbells – it replaces a sports bench.
Step-up platform will help you to complicate any cardio exercise, add a more intensive jumping exercises (set of exercises below).
Exercises with a step platform will give additional load to the muscles of the buttocks and legs, which is especially important for girls.
Step-up platform will simplify many of the exercises with emphasis on hands push-UPS and plank to stand on a small hill much easier.

How to choose the step-platform?

Since the fashion for fitness and a healthy lifestyle, every year is gaining momentum, the choice of sports equipment in shops is truly enormous. How to choose the step-platform for training at home and what to look for when buying? There are several criteria, which are important to remember when buying a stepper. Let’s look at them in more detail.

1. Length and width of the step platform

For the comfortable classes it is recommended to focus on the following parameters of the step platform:

Length: 80 cm (so you can put feet on width of shoulders)
Width: 35-41 cm (the length of your feet + a few inches)

In the low-price segment has a step platform with a length less than. For example, the model StarFit SP102, its dimensions are 72 x 36,5:

When the length of the surface to do will be uncomfortable, you will not feel freedom of movements and even run the risk of falling. Therefore, to acquire platforms with smaller length better not.

The width is chosen based on the size of your foot. For example, foot length in size 38 is 25 cm. Plus add a few inches that have on sneakers and a little backup sights front and rear for a comfortable classroom. Accordingly, a minimum of 35 cm width of a stepper should be.

2. The height and number of levels

Height of step platform is 10-25 cm, it has several levels. Each level adds 5 see Usually there are two-level and three-level step platform. According to the study, each level gives an additional 12% of the load. An example of two-level and three-level step platform (models and StarFit StarFit SP102 SP201):

Beginners to training will be enough height 10 cm – minimum level of a stepper. Advanced can work at the level of 20-25 cm.

3. The strength and quality depreciation

Usually the characteristics of a stepper, you specify the maximum weight that can withstand surface (100-130 kg). Moreover, it is necessary to consider not only its own weight but also the weight of dumbbells and barbells, if you plan to do with them. Check the shell strength: the surface must not bounce and SAG when jumping. High quality durable step platform weigh at least 8 kg.

As a rule, more expensive platforms plastic is better damping characteristics, due to which eliminated the shock stop surface. It affects the health of your joints and spine, so to neglect this parameter is not necessary.

4. Surface

For the security of your classes, pay attention, is there a rubber coating on the surface of the step. For the budget the equipment manufacturers may be limited to a ribbed surface, but it is better to give preference to platforms with rubber coating. The support of a stepper must also be stable and not slide.

5. The design of supports

There are 2 types of step-platforms are portable and are user configurable. Usually portable platforms have a length of 20 cm, and the platform on the legs rise to 25 see, for Example, compare model StarFit SP-201 and Reebok RSP-16150:

In the first case, you can purchase additional support if you need to increase the height of the projectile. However, it is safer to use are user configurable support, as when jumping removable parts can simply be broken. That’s are user configurable platform:

We do not recommend designing a stepper at home. First, manufacturers of sporting goods they are made of special plastic, which dampens the shock load at the time of contact of the foot with the platform surface. It helps to maintain healthy joints and spine. Second, step-up platform must be stable and have a rubberized surface, and it is also difficult to do at home.

Also try not to buy step-platform, second-hand. There is a risk that on the surface are fractures and fissures that you will not notice over the rubberized coating.

Step Reebok

Step Reebok are more expensive, but the quality of them better. If you have the financial ability, it is better to buy step Reebok platform. First, with platforms Reebok comfortable and safe to do. Secondly, the life is long enough.

20 exercises on a step-platform

Offer you 20 ready-made exercises on a step-platform that will help you lose weight, strengthen the muscles that pull the body and get rid of problem areas.

1. Running on a step-platform

2. Squat to the side

3. Squat + diagonal lunge

4. Squats with a bench press dumbbells upward

5. Reverse lunges with dumbbells

6. Lunge with sexagenarian on the platform

7. Pull the dumbbells in the bar

8. Leg lift in plank

9. Push-UPS on the platform

10. Jump on the platform

11. Plyometric lunges on the platform

12. Broad jump in the strap

13. Horizontal Jogging

14. Jump through the step-platform

15. Squats with jumping

16. Lunge jumping with

17. Jump jump

18. Jump with a turn

19. Some burpees with breeding of feet

20. Some burpees with jumping on the platform

Thanks for the gifs youtube channel Shortcircuits with Marsha.

Lesson plan with step-by platform for beginners

Each exercise performed for 30 seconds, then 30 seconds break. Each round is repeated in 2 laps. Between rounds rest 1.5 minutes.

First round:

Running on a step-platform
Reverse lunge with dumbbells (without dumbbells)
Squats with jumping

Second round:

Horizontal Jogging
Squat to the side
Jump jump

Lesson plan with step-platform for advanced

Each exercise is performed for 40 seconds, then 20 seconds rest. Each round is repeated in 2 laps. Between rounds rest 1 minute.

First round:

Squats with a bench press of dumbbells up
Jump through the step-platform
Push-UPS on the platform
Burpee with breeding of feet

Second round:

Pull the dumbbells in the bar
Jump on the platform
Lunge with sexagenarian on the platform
Broad jump in the strap

Exercises on a step-platform: precautions

1. Always exercise on a step platform sneakers. Choose shoes with non-slip surface and with a good fixation of the foot.

2. Do not wear during class with a step platform wide loose pants to avoid falling.

3. Before doing exercises, make sure that step-up platform does not slide on the floor during the exercise.

4. Also, make sure that step-up platform firmly mounted and secured. Avoid zaprygivayem on the platform, if you are not sure about its sustainability.

5. During exercise keep your backs straight, feet flat on the platform set fully, the knee of the supporting leg should not go beyond the line of the sock.

6. If you have problems with the joints of the legs or varicose legs, then eliminate from your training jumps. You can do the above exercises, performing a jump instead of the usual step where possible.

7. Each step platform there are restrictions on the weight involved. Pay attention to it, when you train with extra weight (barbell, dumbbells).

8. If you are starting out, it is recommended to set the height of the projectile at the minimum level (10 cm). However, if you plan to do pushups, planks and other exercises emphasizing hands on a step-platform, then the higher the platform, the easier it will be to perform the exercise.