Exercises on a step platform are a fun and dynamic workout that allows you to transform your body and develop endurance in a short time. A relatively new area of aerobics quickly gained popularity among clients of sports clubs and soon became available for home exercises. Regular training has a comprehensive effect on the body, developing muscle strength, flexibility and making the body slimmer.
Exercises on the step platform will help you form a beautiful figure and tone your muscles.
In addition, step exercises have a very important advantage - they can be done at home. Practically no sports equipment is required for classes. All you need is a step platform, which you can make yourself if you wish. You can find instructions on this on the website.
Performing exercises on the steppe has the following disadvantages:
Exercises with a step platform can be performed with additional weights.
In most fitness clubs, classes on the step platform are divided by difficulty level from 1 to 4. They differ not only in the pace of training, but also in the complexity of ligaments, turns, and the need for simultaneous coordination of the upper and lower extremities. Moreover, at later levels there are fewer repetitions to learn a new element.
Workouts also vary depending on the equipment used. Classes for beginners are conducted on step platforms with a height of 15-20 cm, while professionals train at a height of 35 cm. Double step uses two platforms, which significantly increases the number of possible movements and makes the lesson more interesting.
Training with weights is very popular. But the opinion of fitness instructors about them is ambiguous. On the one hand, weights make the exercise stronger and allow you to work more muscles. But this sharply increases the load on the knees and increases the risk of possible injuries. Only one thing can be said with confidence: independent exercise with weights is categorically not recommended for beginners.
In what cases are step exercises contraindicated?
A fairly common side effect of exercising on a step platform is pain in the knee area. It is caused by incorrect exercise technique. During training, it is important to ensure that the knee does not roll inward and that the legs are not too straight. In order to feel the correct and comfortable amplitude for you, slow down the pace and perform each exercise thoughtfully.
Many girls avoid step exercises, mistakenly believing that they will make their legs and calves pumped up. Such fears are absolutely unfounded! Building muscle requires intense strength training and significant changes in diet. If the fear of step training persists, you don’t have to stop at just this type of load. Just include this type of aerobics in your schedule for variety. Dance elements and upbeat music are sure to lift your spirits!
In order for the exercises to bring only benefits, you must follow certain rules:
The greater the height of the platform, the greater the load you get when performing exercises on the steppe.
For those who can’t wait to start classes as soon as possible, we offer a description of 4 universal exercises on the step platform. These simple movements can be combined with each other. For classes you will need a step platform 15-20 cm high and rhythmic music. All beginners in step aerobics are recommended to start with 20-minute classes, gradually increasing their duration to 45-60 minutes. Do not repeat monotonous movements for more than 2 minutes.
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If you still don't have enough motivation, consider that exercises with a step platform burn more calories than traditional types of aerobics. Practice shows that just a few sessions are enough to get into the rhythm and begin to enjoy the exercise. Soon, additional incentives for training will not be needed - the best motivation will be the result seen in the mirror.
Exercises on a special step platform are the most effective in matters of figure correction. Classes on this equipment can be carried out both at home and in the gym. The board takes up little space, does not require special care, and you can make it yourself. A home-made step platform completely replaces a purchased one.
The step board is a unique and very simple exercise machine that makes it possible to organize a full-fledged fitness training without leaving home if going to the gym is unavailable for some reason.
In specialized sports stores you can buy boards of various types and modifications, but their cost cannot be called cheap. Therefore, many who want to practice step at home are wondering what to replace the step platform with. The article talks about this, as well as what kind of equipment it is and what characteristics it should have.
In order to make a complete and, most importantly, safe structure for humans, you need to know what it is and what qualities it has.
This simulator is designed for the comprehensive development of the muscles of the buttocks, legs and cardiovascular system. Exercises on this equipment represent an imitation of walking up steps with the inclusion of dance elements. The board can also be used as a sports bench.
Sports equipment and equipment intended for active activities must initially be durable and stable. The same applies to the platform. This simulator resembles a step or an ordinary box with a rectangular shape. Industrial platforms are made of high-quality plastic with a rubberized surface and are sold at any sporting goods store.
For safe practice when making a board yourself, it is important to comply with a number of requirements.
Step aerobics is similar to sports dancing, with the only difference being that in step the movements are performed around a platform, with ascent and descent from it, which imposes certain requirements on the classes.
A correctly calculated step design will make it possible to avoid sprains and injuries and allow you to enjoy your workout.
A do-it-yourself step platform must meet the following requirements.
These requirements are met by the correct selection of the material from which the platform will be made, as well as by the choice of its design and weight.
A do-it-yourself step platform still has a number of differences from industrial products that you need to know. She does not have the following qualities.
The size requirements for the manufacture of this simulator are as follows:
To meet all the requirements for this simulator, a step platform can be made with your own hands from wooden boards of appropriate sizes. You will also need small nails and PVA glue.
It would also be nice to have a rubberized canvas or drape fabric to cover the working surface and rubber lining for an improvised bottom or legs.
If a solid board of appropriate height is taken for production, then you only need to process all sides and glue the coating to the top of the board and rubber strips to the bottom.
In order to accurately measure dimensions, you will need a ruler, and to measure evenness, you will need a level. The platform must be made without distortions and not wobble.
In order to make your own step platform, you need to take the following steps.
The platform is ready. On Internet resources you can find many interesting exercises for practicing on this simulator. If made independently and correctly, it will bring a lot of benefits and pleasure to the body.
About home exercises on a step platform for weight loss.
Watching your figure and staying in shape has now become a fashionable trend. However, no diets or fasting days alone can give the desired result. To stay fit, you need to exercise regularly. One of the most convenient, interesting and productive types of fitness is step.
The first thing you need is the step platform itself. You can buy it at any sports store. For classes you simply need fun, rhythmic music, then moving will be easier and more interesting. You will also need comfortable clothing - sweatpants or elastic shorts and a T-shirt.
Step aerobics classes can be combined with dancing, including oriental, or can be used independently. One of the most effective exercises for burning calories is “stepping” up and down with your left and right legs alternately. This exercise can be supplemented with a leg bend. So, first place your right leg on the platform, bend your left leg at the knee and place it on the floor, and then return your right leg to its original position. Do the same with your left foot. To make the exercise more difficult, you can pick up dumbbells.
The step platform can be made higher: the higher the platform, the greater the load.
The exercise on each leg should be done for no more than one minute. It is better not to drink a lot of liquid during exercise. You should also place your foot completely on the step platform: this will give you more effect from your exercises and reduce the risk of injury. Don't forget about balance, don't lean forward or backward, keep your back straight.
There are also some contraindications. People with high blood pressure or diseases of the cardiovascular system, including varicose veins, should not practice step, because there is a very heavy load on the legs.
The main advantage is that the exercises can be done at home on your own. You can use any bench or stand as a step platform, the main thing is that it is stable, not slippery and does not tilt. The undoubted advantage of step exercises is their effectiveness.
An hour of traditional exercise burns up to 800 calories (depending on the pace). Step aerobics has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and keeps muscles toned.
After a month of regular training, the first results will appear. And after 3-4 months the body will be much more toned. It is believed that step also helps relieve stress and helps prevent depression.
Step aerobics is a great way to lose weight, improve your figure, and give your curves a toned look. In addition, it is also a way to relieve stress, listen to your favorite music, and improve your well-being. However, after the first step lessons, pain in the leg muscles is possible, because the main load falls on them. Subsequently, the exercises will be performed easier and easier, then it will be possible to increase the pace and time of training.
Aerobic exercise is essential for overall body development and weight loss. Step aerobics, invented in the 1980s, is still used in fitness clubs today in group classes that can be aerobic or focused on muscle development.
A step aerobics class is a set of choreographic movements accompanied by music and designed to train the muscles of the lower and upper body, as well as the cardiovascular system.
Regular exercise will provide several benefits:
Basic steps are the basis of step aerobics, giving scope for creating workout combinations. Before you sign up for a group class for the first time, it will be helpful to familiarize yourself with the steps. For beginners, separate first-level step aerobics classes have been created, where the sequences are as simple as possible for memorization and execution.
Basic step or basic step - step with your right foot onto the step, then with your left, lower to the floor with your right and then with your left foot.
V-step – step with your right foot to the edge of the platform, then with your left foot to the other edge, alternately descending in the same order. Over - step sideways onto the board from either foot, lift with the other foot and turn your back, lower your legs in a similar order to the floor.
Straddle is a step onto the platform sideways with both feet, alternately descending so that the board remains between the legs, stepping back and descending in the same sequence. Turn or step with a turn - begins with a straight step with the right foot on the board, while lifting the left foot, the body turns to the right, and the descent begins with the right foot and with a short part of the step.
Step-tap is an additional step with the second foot touching the edge of the board: we step with our right foot, with our left we just touch the surface and lower ourselves to the floor. There is a change in the leading leg during stepping.
Knee lift is a step that starts with the right or left leg raised to the corner of the board, the other leg must be raised and bent at the knee. The step is modified depending on the movement of the second leg. This could be a swing (or kick), or an overwhelm.
Based on these and many other steps, a training complex is compiled, and the combination is learned with the instructor’s tips. This may be followed by a set of strength exercises or an emphasis on strengthening the abs.
People who have done aerobics literally fall in love with the variety of choreography, which resembles dancing or flying with jumps and turns. By adding classic aerobics steps such as mambo, pivot or chasse, instructors create signature combinations that are fun to perform and lose weight at the same time.
However, there is a variation of functional training with a step platform that combines strength training with intense cardio for quick results. Functional step is not suitable for beginners due to its intensity and variability.
For beginners, the strength training complex has a linear format - exercises
are performed one after another without combinations. The intensity increases by 12% for every 5cm increase in board height, and also depends on the musical rhythm. Steps to music of 120 beats per minute are equivalent to running at a speed of 12 kilometers per hour, which, in combination with the power part, gives a huge effect for losing weight. For beginners, the training rhythm can start at 80-100 beats per minute.
Stand sideways to the board, place one foot on the step parallel to the hip line. Feet are shoulder-width apart, body weight is on the heels. Squat down, moving your pelvis back and keeping your back straight, trying to evenly distribute your body weight between your feet. Rise up and swing your leg to the side, standing on a hill, loading the gluteus minimus muscle. Do 8-10 times on each leg.
Stand facing the board, place your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a step with your right foot onto the step, lift the heel of your supporting leg off the floor and squat down so that your knees and shins create a 90-degree angle.
The weight of the body is on the heel of the foot standing on an elevation. After the lunge, straighten your legs and raise your left knee to your chest, tensing your abdominal muscles. Repeat 8-10 times, change sides.
Stand with your forearms on the platform so that your elbows are under your shoulder joints, stretch your legs and rest your toes on the floor. Straighten your back, avoiding excessive arching in the lower back, tighten your stomach. Straighten one arm, then the other, moving into a push-up position, lower down onto your forearms. Repeat 10 times, trying to keep your body straight and tense.
Sit on the platform, rest your palms on the edge. Step your feet forward so that your pelvis hangs over. Bend your elbows, lowering yourself to the floor, and rise up, straightening your arms.
At the same time, lifting your left hand from the support, raise your right bent leg and stretch your palm towards your toe (or shin). Repeat 10 times, alternating legs.
For beginners working on a step platform, combined exercises may seem complicated, so it is important to master squats, push-ups and body lifts (twisting) without equipment or complications. To lose weight with a step platform, exercises must be quite intense, performed without interruption, and even better, alternate between cardio and strength training.
Exercises for the buttocks on the step platform need to be given special attention, since they most often worry girls and are divided into two groups: cardio and strength. Cardio burns fat in problem areas, and strength training makes your buttocks round.
Be sure to include jumping, as they speed up metabolism, expending a lot of energy, and thoroughly load the muscles.
Jumping and jumping from a platform in a half-squat has several options:
Jumping is needed to tighten the buttocks and burn fat at the same time.
Extra pounds have settled on your sides, hips, waist, but you can’t get rid of them? Thousands of women select diets, but do not include physical activity in their weight loss program to burn excess weight. Combine weight loss with a good mood - try a set of workouts including dancing, jumping and proper breathing. Such a complex is step aerobics for weight loss at home, which has a beneficial healing effect on the body. Exercises on a step platform will appeal to both adults and children, because home aerobics is very energetic and musical.
Not one-time, but regular exercises will help you find a thin waist and eliminate excess fat deposits from the sides. For people with poor physical fitness, there is aerobics for beginners, and for different goals, you can choose water aerobics, step interval, recreational, step aerobics. Dance aerobics for weight loss is very versatile; even pregnant women can do it, if there are no contraindications. The benefits of each set of classes are justified, because they are all designed for people of different sizes and ages.
What are the benefits of step aerobics for weight loss at home?
A sports set of step aerobics for weight loss at home consists of the following components:
In other words, the step or elevation is selected taking into account the level of training and height. A beginner will find a platform up to 30 cm comfortable, but a more prepared person will need a step higher. The price of sports equipment is affordable, you can choose one to suit every taste and budget. There are platforms whose height is adjustable. A beginner should not buy high equipment, even if he wants to quickly lose excess weight from his hips and waist. This rather threatens rapid fatigue and short exercise.
The width of the step platform is 40-50 cm, and the length is 1-1.5 m. The surface should not be slippery, and should be well fixed to the floor from below. Safety during exercise must be observed so as not to harm yourself, so choose step pads with a rubberized or slightly embossed surface, from which the shoes will not slip. You can even replace a step platform at home with a small stool, but only a comfortable one.
Exercises on the steppe can be carried out with an additional load in the form of dumbbells from 1.5 to 2 kg. This way, a person will be able to maintain his aerobic pace and make the activity more difficult.
Shoes should be comfortable, properly support the foot during aerobics, and not squeeze. Thanks to shock absorption, the load on the joints is reduced, reducing the risk of spraining the foot.
A tracksuit should “breathe”, fit exactly in size, and not restrict your step and movements of your arms and legs.
Aerobics is a sport in which the basic rules are taken into account. It is imperative to follow the correct training for weight loss in order to achieve maximum results. Basic Rules:
