Steppers Are Better Than You Think! By Imasooite on Jul 01, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

I had tried a stepper at the gym and immediately was hooked. Never really thought they would provide a good workout, but boy was I wrong! The next day I could hardly even walk or get up from sitting!! I found this one on Ebay for only $40 when they're new in stores for at least $60. The step surface is 11x 25" and comes with 4 adjustable steps that reach a maximum height of 8". The steps and platform are made of high density polyethylene. In regular terms...it's very durable. The entire thing is lightweight and easily stored under a bed or in a closet.

There are numerous workouts you could do on a stepper that would work the glutes, hamstrings and calves. My favourite would be to have the stepper at the maximum height. Stand behind the platform with two free weights in hand. Use whatever weight you're comfortable with. Place your right foot on the step, pushing with your heel to bring all of your weight onto the top of the step. Keeping your left leg back and only using for balance. Slowly step back onto your left leg. Continue with your right leg, doing 3 set of 10-15 reps before switching to the left leg. For more intensity, you can swap out the dumbbells for a resistance band. Just wrap the band around under the step. While stepping up onto the one foot, pull the band up with you. You can customize this workout to suit your needs and capabilities. Take your time and make sure you get your whole foot on the step, making sure you don't slip and pull a muscle.

The only problem I had with this product, was that it only came with 4 steps. For the workout that I wanted, I had to buy other steps at Walmart. Seemed to be the only place that had similar steps. But all in all, it's a great workout tool and I highly recommend it to all that are looking to tone those problem areas.