Girlawhirl knows that it dates her, but she's seen, and participated in, all kinds of step aerobics classes. From classic basic stepping to complicated choreography and even a few classes that incorporated hand held weights, stepping has always been a favorite workout routine. And now with the introduction of slanted risers, she's found a whole bunch of new moves designed for the step...
Designed by STI, which manufactures the basic step that she and so many of her Super Pals have stashed under a bed or in a closet, a set of two slanted risers work like transformers, turning a flat step into a slightly angled one that she can still perform a more typical – albeit one sided – routine on. But more significantly when combined with the rest of her risers, she can use her step like an incline bench, creating a stable platform for all kinds of strength moves.
The risers come with a video that has three 30 minute workouts on it. There's a basic strength workout that works the whole body, and can be made harder or easier depending on how she positions her body on the bench. All she needs is a pair of dumbbells and her step/bench. Next up is a high energy cardio workout that incorporates both regular stepping as a warm up and moves on to stepping using the slanted risers to create an incline step. Girlawhirl's favorite is the interval workout, another strength routine that's a bit more complex and incorporates moves that work multiple body parts together. For that one she still uses the dumbbells and if she has one, she can use a medicine ball. If she doesn't have a medicine ball, a single dumbbell can be substituted.
Girlawhirl loves the options her new step gives her so much that she asked her trainer, Tiffany Davidson to review them. The verdict: Tiffany's favorite slanted riser workout is also the interval segment! The interval segment is a dynamic full body workout which can be adjusted depending upon ability. The slanted risers are a fun and proprioceptive (translation: the unconscious perception of movement and spatial orientation) challenging addition to any fitness routine!
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Girlawhirl found her set of slanted risers online at CollageVideo.com. They're sold separately from the step platform. The platform, along with regular risers should be purchased separately if necessary.
Tiffany Davidson is a personal trainer based in Weston, CT and the owner of Femme Fatale Fitness. Tiffany advises consulting a physician or health care professional before performing any of the exercises described on these pages or beginning any exercise program. The information herein is not intended to be diagnostic or prescriptive.
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