10 Stepper Exercises For Weight Loss, Muscle, And More

You may realize that stepper workouts can offer you impressive benefits but what are some stepper exercises you can do at home or in the gym?

A stepper is a piece of fitness equipment that is an elongated platform that is slightly elevated. It is mainly used for a type of workout called step aerobics but you can also do other exercises with the stepper. One of the benefits of the stepper is that you can use it in different places like at home, in the gym, and outside.

Many people think of cardio as hours of running and resistance training as lifting heavy barbells. However, you can also get in both types of exercise with a simple stepper and your body weight.

Before trying out these exercises, make sure the stepper you have in mind can deal with the amount of pressure you will put on it. Also make sure the stepper stands on a stable and non-slippery surface.

That being said here are 10 stepper exercises you can do at home for everyone from beginners to people with a lot of workout experience. Implementing these in your workout plan can help you with goals like weight loss, health, building muscle, and more.

Table of Contents

1. Stepper step-ups

This first move is the most basic of stepper exercises. Even if you are a complete beginner this exercise should be within your capabilities. To do a step-up take the following steps:

Stand upright in front of the stepper with your feet at shoulder-width.
Raise one foot and put it on the surface of the stepper. Make sure your sole is entirely on the stepper.
Raise your body by exerting pressure with the leg of the foot that is on the stepper. Keep your posture upright throughout the exercise.
Put your second foot next to the other one.
Step down with the first foot.
Step down with the second foot.
Do a repetition with the other foot first.

Step-ups are mainly for engaging your leg muscles and cardiovascular endurance.

2. Stepper incline and decline pushups

Pushups are one of the most popular exercises out there. You can do them in different ways to make them more or less challenging and to make them target different muscles. A stepper makes it easier to do these variations. To do an incline pushup take the following steps:

Put your hands about shoulder-width apart on the stepper. Your arms start stretched.
Move your feet back until your body is in a straight line and your arms are at a 90-degree angle to your body.
Slowly fold your arms at your elbows until your face is close to the stepper. Your upper arms should be at an angle of about 45 degrees to your sides. Another way to put it is if someone is looking down at you from above your arms should make an arrow, not a T.
Stretch your arms again until you are back in the position from the second step.

Incline pushups are easier to do than regular pushups since less of your body weight rests on your arms. Due to the different angle, incline pushups are also more focused on your lower chest muscles than regular pushups.

On the other hand, you can also use a stepper to do decline pushups. For these, your feet rest on the stepper and your hands on the ground. Doing pushups this way makes them more challenging and more focused on your upper shoulder muscles.

3. Stepper toe taps

To do toe taps take the following steps:

Stand upright in front of the stepper with your feet at shoulder-width.
Lift one leg off the ground and let the front of this foot rest on the stepper.
Jump and move the other leg to the position in step 2.
As soon as your foot touches the stepper and keep switching between your legs for a certain amount of time or repetitions. Land on the front of your feet so you distribute the shock of landing among your ankles and knees instead of only your knees.

Toe taps are mainly for your cardiovascular health but you will also engage your calf muscles.

4. Stepper propulsions

To do stepper propulsions take the following steps:

Start standing on the stepper. Instead of facing towards the horizontal stepper, turn 90 degrees so that your feet are more easily able to touch the ground.
Lift one leg off the ground and touch the ground next to the stepper with this foot. Keep your weight on the leg on the stepper throughout the exercise.
As soon as your foot touches the ground, move it back toward the stepper.
Right before this foot touches the position in step 1 make a little jump. Start moving the other foot toward the ground while shifting your weight on the other leg which has landed by now.

Propulsions are similar to toe taps not only because of their similar movement but also because they engage your cardiovascular endurance and calf muscles.

5. Stepper glute-bridge

For stepper glute bridges you want a soft surface. To do a stepper glute bridge take the following steps:

Lie down on the floor on your back, put your heels on the stepper, and bend your knees to a 90-degree angle. Your heels should be the only contact point with the surface of the stepper. Your arms can rest on the ground at your sides for extra balance.
Slowly raise your hips off the ground until your body is in more or less a straight line from your knees to your head.
Lower your hips back into starting position in a controlled motion.

Stepper glute bridges help you work out your glutes (your butt) and core muscles.

6. Step butt kick

The step butt kick is similar to the basic step-up but you add a movement in the middle. To do a step butt kick take the following steps:

Stand upright in front of the stepper with your feet at shoulder-width.
Raise one foot and put it on the surface of the stepper. Make sure your sole is entirely on the stepper.
Raise your body by exerting pressure with the leg of the foot that is on the stepper. Keep your posture upright throughout the exercise.
Tap your butt with the heel of your second foot.
Put the second foot back on the ground.
Step down with the first foot.
Do a repetition with the other foot first.

This additional move engages your hamstrings a small amount on top of the regular muscles and aerobic benefits of the regular step-up.

7. Stepper calf raises

For calf raises you typically want to use a specialized platform. These are sturdier than steppers and in turn more suited for the weighted version of the exercise.

If you do use a stepper, make sure it is stable enough and your shoe soles non-slippery enough for the exercise to avoid any injuries. To do a calf raise with the help of a stepper take the following steps:

Stand on the edge of the stepper. The ball of your feet (the front part of your feet) should be on the edge of the stepper, your heels should hover in the air.
Lower your body as far as possible while keeping your feet in the same position.
Raise your body as far as possible again keeping your feet in the same position.

As the name implies this stepper exercise is for training your calf muscles. To make it more challenging you can add resistance by wearing a good weighted vest or carrying other external weights

8. Step high knees

Step high knees are another modified version of the basic step-up. To do a step high knee take the following steps:

Stand upright in front of the stepper with your feet at shoulder-width.
Raise one foot and put it on the surface of the stepper. Make sure your sole is entirely on the stepper.
Raise your body by exerting pressure with the leg of the foot that is on the stepper. Keep your posture upright throughout the exercise.
Raise the knee of your second leg towards your chest.
Put the second foot back on the ground.
Step down with the first foot.
Do a repetition with the other foot first.

Besides the regular benefits of step-ups, you engage your hip flexors with the step high knees.

9. Stepper dips

Although most people use equipment like dip bars for this exercise you can also do it with the help of a stepper. If you have the option to choose, you want a high stepper for this exercise. To do a stepper dip take the following steps:

Stand in front of the stepper with your back towards it.
Put your hands on the edge of the stepper shoulder-width apart. Shift your weight so that your arms mostly carry it. Keep your arms stretched.
Slowly bend your elbows until they are at a 90-degree angle. When lowering your body keep it just in front of the stepper. Make sure your arms do as much of the work as possible.
Raise your body back into the position of step two in a controlled motion.

Stepper dips can help strengthen your tricep muscles. If stepper dips are not challenging enough you can look into doing actual dips or similar alternatives.

10. Stepper jumps

Stepper jumps are generally done to improve jump height. Make extra sure that your stepper is in a stable position for this exercise. To do a stepper jump take the following steps:

Stand upright in front of the stepper with your feet at shoulder-width with your face towards the stepper.
Bend into about a quarter squat while you swing your arms back.
Swing your arms to the front again and at the same time jump forward on top of the stepper. When landing you want to have your knees more or less at the quarter squat again. If you are squatted lower, this may be a sign the stepper is too high for your current jump level.

Make sure you pay attention to using the right technique to avoid any injuries. For stepper jumps it is also smart to start with a low height and build up from there. Being too optimistic about your capabilities can be especially punishing when doing stepper jumps.