Elliptical Vs Stepper (Which Is Better For You?)

Without further ado, here is how stair steppers and elliptical machines stack up in key categories of fitness. Consider which matters the most to you to ensure you make a well-informed decision.

Calories Burned

Burning calories is probably the main goal you might have when you're using either exercise machine. While both burn calories at a higher pace than other machines, there is a clear winner in this category.

Stair steppers engage your lower body at the expense of your upper body. The resistance is entirely based on how hard you go, so the exact amount of calories burnt will vary depending on the user.

However, you can be sure that ellipticals burn more calories than stair steppers. Ellipticals engage all the same muscles as steppers, but the handles also work the arms and shoulders. With more of your body engaged in the activity, you're inevitably burning more calories.

Also, the heavier you are, the more calories you burn on either machine. Stair steppers are more complicated for overweight people to master, while ellipticals are easier. In this way, a heavier person can potentially burn far more calories using an elliptical over a stepper.

Winner - Ellipticals engage more muscles, leading you to burn more calories. 

Weight Loss

Weight loss comes down to more than just burning more calories than you eat. When you maintain a healthy diet, a regular sleep schedule, and drink enough water, you're sure to see results.

For ellipticals and stair steppers, the amount of weight you can lose will depend on the calories you burn and which muscle groups you engage. While ellipticals burn more calories in general and engage the upper body in the workout, stair steppers target lower body muscles to a greater extent.

If you want to lose weight specifically from your butt, calves, or thighs, then the stair stepper might be the better option. Still, if you want to lose weight from your whole body, then an elliptical could be the right choice for you.

However, Jacob's Ladder stair steppers, which engage your upper body along with your lower body, intensify the overall workout and muscle groups engaged. These types of machines are better for weight loss than either type of machine.

Winner - Ellipticals have a greater potential for general weight loss, while stair steppers are better for targeting fat on your lower body. However, Jacob's Ladder machines can intensify the workout, making them better than typical steppers or ellipticals.

Cardio Training

There's no doubt that both ellipticals and stair steppers are fantastic machines for cardiovascular training. They're both well known for getting your heart rate pumping by the end of the workout, and for good reason.

Ellipticals give you a low-impact workout that will gradually increase your heart rate throughout the course of the workout. Despite this, many users cannot reach their ideal heart rate because they aren't putting enough effort into the exercise.

Stair steppers, on the other hand, force your heart rate up much faster. You get a higher-impact workout than ellipticals, upping the exertion level to make it so that your heart needs to keep up with the pace.

However, it's important to keep in mind that stair steppers don't have heart rate monitors incorporated into the design, while many ellipticals do. If you want to keep track, you'll have to download an app on your phone or have a Fitbit or smartwatch track it for you.

Winner - Stair steppers give you a better cardio workout if you're willing to put in the effort. Jacob's Ladder steppers provide the best cardio workout.

Strength And Endurance

If your exercising goals aren't just to burn fat and calories or increase your cardiovascular performance but to increase your strength and endurance, you should be using a stair stepper.

While ellipticals do help improve your muscle strength, the low-impact workout means you won't increase your endurance in any significant way. You exert far less energy on an elliptical, so you don't have to stretch the limits of your body to keep up.

Stair steppers require far more effort to get a good workout in. When you consistently use a stair stepper, you'll notice that reaching milestones becomes easier the more you do it. This is the effect a stair stepper can have on your endurance.

Also, by focusing more intensely on the lower body, a stair stepper can build muscle faster than an elliptical. Although ellipticals do help you tone your muscles through the full-body workout, they don't have as intense of an effect on building your overall strength.

Jacob's Ladder machines take this up a notch, engaging your core, back, shoulders, and arms throughout the workout. If you stick with a Jacob's Ladder consistently, you'll see a massive boost to your overall strength and endurance.

Winner - Stair steppers are better for increasing your lower body strength and endurance.