Can the StairMaster Help Me Build My Glutes?

If you've seen people sweating on the StairMaster, you know how great a cardio workout it can be. But did you know it's also good for building your glutes?

We break down the science of glute growth to help you incorporate the StairMaster into an efficient booty-building workout routine.

Key Takeaways

• Climbing stairs is a great exercise for your lower body and core, especially your glutes.
• It's fantastic for improving muscle endurance and tone.
• The StairMaster is also great for cardio fitness and core strength.
• If your goal is growing your glutes, consider incorporating the StairMaster into a holistic workout routine with other glute exercises, like hip thrusts and squats.
• A professionally designed lower-body workout program is a great way to build your glutes.

See More: How Many Days a Week Should I Work Out?

How to Build Glutes

Carriejune, founder of Minibeast, says:

"The StairMaster is a great way to build glute strength, endurance, and tone. For maximum size gains, try pairing it with other exercises."

Stair climbing might not seem like much. After all, you probably do it almost every day.

Chances are, though, you're not doing it for thirty minutes. Or even ten.

Climbing stairs can actually be an intense workout. Take a look at someone in the middle of a StairMaster workout, and you'll see that instantly.

Try one yourself, and you'll experience it, too.

It's little wonder that stair climbing machines have become so popular. They're quite versatile, being great for both fat loss and muscle tone.

But are they good at building glute muscles?

That depends. Not on the machine, necessarily, but how you use it, and what other exercises you combine it with.

With the right approach, the StairMaster can be an amazing way to build stronger, bigger glutes.

The Science of Glute Growth

First, we need to cover exactly what leads to muscle growth.

Every good workout routine involves exercise and recovery. Both aspects are crucial for progress.

When you put your muscles under strain, like during resistance training, they get damaged. We don't mean injured. Instead, we mean lots of tiny tears.

During recovery, your body repairs that damage. It forms new muscle tissue, a process called muscle synthesis. Ideally, the muscle ends up ever so slightly stronger (and larger) than it was before you exercised.

Over time, you need to continue increasing the difficulty to ensure your muscles are working hard enough. This principle is called progressive overload.

One of the most common ways to increase the resistance level is adding more weight. Other methods to add resistance include increasing the total volume by doing more reps of an exercise, or doing a certain exercise for longer.

Your Glute Muscles

These general principles of muscle growth apply to all muscles. But it's worth knowing what exactly you're dealing with when it comes to your glutes.

Notice that we used glutes, plural. Your glute muscles are actually muscle groups. There are three of them.

The gluteus maximus is the largest one. It's supported by the gluteus minimus and gluteus medius.

Together, your glute muscles power practically every movement that involves the lower body. Sitting, standing, walking, running... and climbing stairs.

Your glute muscles are also what give the booty that iconic rounded, lifted shape.

Now, stair climbers don't only engage your glutes. They also involve other parts of your legs, including your hamstrings, calves, and quads. But it's your glute muscles that are at the center of stair stepper exercises.

Bonus: Do Fat Burners Truly Work?

Maximize Glute Activation

Two people could do the exact same StairMaster workout and have completely different results. The difference lies in muscle activation.

There's a concept called the mind-muscle connection. The idea is that by focusing on a specific muscle group while engaging it, you can support and even enhance that muscle group's activation and performance.

Glute engagement is one simple way to maximize your StairMaster workout. Another is proper form.

Good form protects you from injury. It also makes your workouts more efficient.

When you exercise with poor form, you can engage all kinds of muscles that you might not want to engage. For example, poor form on the StairMaster might shift the focus onto your quads.

On the other hand, maintaining proper form can help ensure it's your glutes that are getting the brunt of the workout.

StairMaster for Glute Gains

On the StairMaster, proper form involves pressing through your heel instead of your toes. The deeper your step, the more your glutes will burn.

The same goes with the handrail. It's vital for safety, so if you're starting out or feel like you need it for balance, make sure to hold on. But for maximum glute activation, try keeping a light grip.

If you really want to take your stair climbing workout to the next level, try skipping steps.

Another way to increase the difficulty is by adding resistance bands. By placing a band around your thighs or ankles, you force your glutes (and other muscles) to work much harder to keep your knees facing over your toes.

Alternatively, you can add additional movements with the bands, like kickbacks, in between steps.

Start with low-resistance bands, then move up to higher-resistance bands as you progress. (You can even buy ones specifically made for glute work).

Those are the fundamentals of each movement. Doing that for 20 to 30 minutes often results in a great glute workout.

Think about it. Every single step is a rep. Over a 20- or 30-minute session on the StairMaster, you'll have completed hundreds, if not thousands, of reps.

That's a lot of muscle activation.

Many people try to do a StairMaster workout two or three times a week. For example, there's a viral workout routine called the 25-7-2 workout. It calls for 25 minutes at level 7, done twice per week.

Calorie Burn and Heart Health

The StairMaster isn't just great for building glutes. It also burns calories like crazy. In fact, you could consider the StairMaster a cardio machine.

If you try it, you'll see. The constant climbing gets your heart rate seriously pumping.

How many calories you'll burn depends on many things, including your size, body weight, fitness level, and workout intensity. According to the American Council on Exercise, a 150-pound person will burn about 544 calories after climbing stairs for an hour.

That's more than twice as many calories as a 150-pound person would burn while walking for an hour at a moderate pace.

Other Potential Benefits

The StairMaster is also great for stability and core strength. While you climb, your core muscles need to work to keep your body in the right position.

Additionally, the StairMaster is a relatively low-impact exercise. Compared with, say, running, climbing stairs is easier on the joints.

Combining With Other Exercises

The StairMaster is a great workout. It's fantastic for targeting your glutes.

However, the kind of workout it provides is really tailored for muscle endurance and muscle tone.

Those are both great things to work on, no matter your fitness goals. But if you want to seriously grow your glutes, you might want to pair the StairMaster with other strength training exercises, like Romanian deadlifts, squats, lunges, and hip thrusts.

Workout Program for Building Bigger Glutes

If you're unsure how to combine all that into the perfect workout program, don't worry. You can just have an expert do it all for you.

Minibeast's "Big" Booty & Legs Workout Program guides you through the very same workouts Carriejune used for years to build a big booty, sculpted quads, and muscular calves.

You'll get 8 weeks of workouts, tailored meal plans, recipes, supplement recommendations, Carriejune's personal tips, and much more.

Want to build your glutes at home? There's a specific home workout version of the program available, too.

Conclusion

The StairMaster is a fantastic machine for building glute endurance and tone. It's also great for cardio and core strength. For glute size gains, consider pairing stair climbers with other glute exercises.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Should I Use the StairMaster for Glutes?

If your aim is strength and size, try to keep the difficulty high and overall time lower. Start with a few minutes at a low resistance to warm up, then aim for 15-20 minutes at moderate to high resistance. Make sure to keep proper form throughout.

Is 20 Minutes on the StairMaster Enough?

Absolutely, as long as you're using the right intensity. In fact, 20 minutes is often the exact time recommended for a StairMaster workout for interval training.

What Is the StairMaster 45:7:6 Rule?

The 45:7:6 rule is actually a viral workout program. It calls for six StairMaster workouts per week, each one 45 minutes long at level 7.

Keep Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Dumbbell Weight

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