You've seen the VersaClimber at the gym — but maybe you're not quite sure what to do with it, or how to turn it into a good workout. Well, it's time to ditch the treadmill, according to Rise Nation [1] trainer Devin Wiggins [2] — a VersaClimber master — who told us, "the VersaClimber burns more calories than a treadmill per minute . . . you can go hard for 20-30 minutes and get an amazing full-body workout while burning more calories than many 60-minute classes." But if you're still feeling a little intimidated, he's here to guide you with a custom workout and tons of pointers.
"The VersaClimber is the number one full-body calorie burner, appealing to every different level of athlete," Devin told POPSUGAR. "It's low impact, it's push-pull, and it's a safe, natural movement using the primitive cross-crawl motion. It's often used for rehabilitation, and doesn't have a wear-and-tear on your body like many workouts do." Sounds great, right? Low impact but high intensity. Sign us up!
A few things to remember, however. Devin says, "what one should keep in mind for VersaClimber positioning: Push the hips back, engage the glutes and hamstrings, tighten your core, keep your shoulders down and back, and last but not least, keep a natural spine curvature." Got it? Alright, let's break a few things down — here are your moves:
- Mid-Length: This is equivalent to your "walk" or "jog." Keeping your strides center, roughly in the 5" to 8" range.
- Full-Length: Long strides, as high as you can reach. You should fall within the 8" to even 16"+ range.
- Double-Ups: Two strides mid-length, followed directly by two strides full-length.
- Sprint: Speed! Moving as quick as you can at mid-length. Focus on your feet per minute and keep that number from dropping.
- 4X4: Similar to Double-Ups, you will do four strides mid-length, followed directly by four strides full-length.
- Rip: Long, sharp full-length strides. Make sure to be more explosive on the transition compared to the normal fluidity of full-length.
Before you get started on this 20-minute workout, Devin suggests putting on some "dope ass tunes [5]" and tracking your progress "by referring to the inches reached for each stride, as well as your feet climbed." Ready for your work out? Here it goes!
| Time | Move |
|---|---|
| 0:00-1:00 | Mid-Length |
| 1:00-2:00 | Double-Ups |
| 2:00-3:00 | Mid-Length |
| 3:00-4:00 | Double-Ups |
| 4:00-5:00 | Full Length |
| 5:00-5:30 | Mid-Length |
| 5:30-6:00 | Full Length |
| 6:00-6:30 | Double-Ups |
| 6:30-7:00 | Full Length |
| 7:00-7:30 | Mid-Length |
| 7:30-8:00 | Full Length |
| 8:00-9:00 | Mid-Length |
| 9:00-9:30 | Sprint |
| 9:30-10:00 | Mid-Length |
| 10:00-10:30 | Sprint |
| 10:30-11:00 | Mid-Length |
| 11:00-12:00 | Sprint |
| 12:00-13:00 | Mid-Length |
| 13:00-14:00 | 4X4 |
| 14:00-15:00 | Mid-Length |
| 15:00-16:00 | 4X4 |
| 16:00-16:30 | Mid-Length |
| 16:30-17:00 | Rip |
| 17:00-17:30 |
Mid-Length |
| 17:30-18:00 | Rip |
| 18:00-18:30 | Mid-Length |
| 18:30-19:00 | Rip |
| 19:00-20:00 | Sprint |