It’s Time to Climb: Vertical Climbers Can Maximize Your Home Cardio

Our bodies were made to move. We were made to run, walk, stretch and climb. The act of climbing engages your entire body and mind. You reach overhead, guiding your hands to the next hold, and move your feet to the next spots, pushing off with your legs. All the while, you hold your body steady with your core. You repeat these actions until you reach the top of the climbing wall or crag. 

As opposed to other aerobic exercises, climbing is both a cardio and strength training exercise. You engage your muscles while bearing your body weight and climb at your own pace. Whether you love outdoor rock climbing or you frequent an indoor climbing gym, you can bring the benefits of climbing into your home with a vertical climber. 

What Does A Vertical Climber Do?

You don’t have to travel far to get a climbing workout. A vertical climber is an indoor climbing machine that mimics the movement of mountain climbing. With a vertical climber, you’ll feel like you’re climbing cliffs in your spare room, garage or home gym space. 

How to Use A Vertical Climber

Vertical climbers have bars overhead that connect to foot pedals. These bars and pedals work together to produce a climbing motion. You’ll place your feet on the pedals and secure the straps, starting with the pedal that’s closest to the ground. Your hands should rest on the bars overhead. Most vertical climbers include stationary handles as well for better balance and movement on and off of the machine.

What Muscles Do Climbing Machines Work?

Climbing engages your lower body and your upper body. Your glutes, hamstrings, quads, arms, back, chest and core are all working while climbing. Depending on your grip, you can work different upper body muscles. If you use an overhand grip (like a pull-up), you’ll target more of your upper back. If you use an underhand grip (like a chin-up), you’ll target your biceps more. 

Proper Form for Climbing

When you climb, you always want to have a bend in your knee. Your legs should never be completely straight or locked. Always start your workouts with a stride and speed you are comfortable with. You can work your way up to faster speeds or longer strides, depending on your goals.  

• Short strides. Take shorter strides if you cannot bring your knee to a 90-degree angle. Shorter strides are great for warmups or for hitting your fastest speed. Remember to keep a slight bend in your leg.
• 90-degree strides. Your basic stride on a vertical climber is a 90-degree stride. You want your legs to bend at 90-degrees as you go. 
• Long strides. For slower speeds, you can reach longer distances by bringing your knee higher than 90-degrees. 

Form is important on a vertical climber as it is on any piece of exercise equipment. The right form helps prevent injury and ensure you receive the full benefit of your workout. As you use a vertical climber, your back should be straight with your shoulders down. Your hips should be pushing back and your core should be still. Your head and body shouldn’t bounce up and down or from side to side. 

Vertical Climbers with Resistance

Do you need resistance in a vertical climber? Yes! The best vertical climbers are those with resistance. Vertical climbers with resistance settings allow you to tailor your workout even more. Lower resistance is better suited for cardio and weight loss goals, while higher resistance is better for strength training and toning. 

Mimicking Rock Climbing: Vertical Climber Benefits

Vertical climbing workouts have similar benefits to running or cycling. Still, a vertical climber takes the prize over other equipment types for its high-calorie burning rates and shorter workout times. 

Total-Body Workout

Engage your major muscle groups at one time. Vertical climbing machines are challenging and can wear you out fast since they work so many muscles. As with any challenge, you’ll be rewarded in the long-run. Your reward for bringing climbing in your fitness regime will be stronger muscles, a stronger heart and stronger lungs. 

Greater VO2 Max

What’s VO2 max, and why is it important? Your VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body absorbs and uses during exercise. When you move, your body uses oxygen to create ATP, which helps release CO2. Athletes use VO2 max to measure their aerobic fitness levels. Vertical climbers have been shown to increase VO2 max more than rowers or treadmills. Though you don’t need to know your VO2 max to see results, studies show that a higher VO2 max can improve your quality of life as you age. A win for your cardiovascular health! 

Time-Efficient Workouts

Are you tired of long workouts? Want a quick exercise that will give you results? Forget hours on the treadmill. Vertical climbing machines are efficient. They target all your major muscle groups, and you control the machine with your movements. Using a vertical climber doesn’t require you to put in hours each day. You can complete an effective workout in 20 to 45 minutes. 

Burn More Calories

Are vertical climbers good for weight loss? Perhaps one of the best benefits of vertical climbing is that it burns a lot of calories. Vertical climber workouts can help you lose weight faster without dragging each session on for hours. In one 30-minute workout, you could burn an estimated 300 to 800 calories. 

Easy On Your Joints 

Is climbing bad for your knees and joints? Climbing is much easier on your joints than running. Using a climbing machine is a low-impact way to shred pounds and remain kind to your knees. If you have joint issues, talk to your doctor before using a vertical climber or starting any type of exercise. 

Improve Cardio with A Vertical Climber 

There are many ways to utilize a vertical climber. Use it alone or mix it into interval work. Climb to the rhythm of music, or go between intervals of steady, continuous climbing and fast-paced climbing. You have control over how fast and intense you’d like your vertical climber workout to be. Beginners should shoot for short bursts of exercise as they accustom themselves to the movement of the machine.  

Take on the feeling of real-world climbing right from your home. Vertical climbing is challenging, but that’s what makes it fun. 

Ready to bring a climber into your space? 

The Stamina Cardio Climber is a 2-in-1 vertical climbing machine. It’s both a climber and a stepper. Use the vertical, adjustable handlebars for climbing or the wide, horizontal handlebars for a traditional stepper workout. With Stamina, you can climb without compromise.