High Step Training

High-step training is a workout program in which users combine cardiopulmonary exercises with upper and lower body strength training. It is a total body conditioning exercise program designed for people who train regularly, but it is guaranteed to challenge even the most advanced workout enthusiast. Equipment required for this type of training includes a high-step training DVD, a high step, a barbell and hand weights. This workout can be done in the comfort of your own home.

  1. History

    • “The step-up was commonly practiced before the turn of the century,” according to an article on OverspeedTraining.com. A doctor at Harvard University who was in charge of physical training used high stepping as a method of cardio respiratory testing. His tests involved high stepping “at a timed pace, onto a bench or chair approximately 20 inches high for a set period of time.” The goal of the testing was to measure pulse rate to determine healthy levels of exertion for this combination of weightlifting and cardiopulmonary exercise. As a result of weight training's increase in popularity during the 1920s and 1930s, high-step training's popularity grew.

    Equipment

    • A set of both light and heavy weights are needed for this exercise program, as are a fixed-weight barbell and a high step. Cathe Friedrich, a leading expert in the field of high-step training, recommends using 5- and 10-lb. hand weights and a 30-lb. dumbbell.

    Routine

    • High-step training focuses on the simple maneuver of stepping up to a high platform with weights to increase power and strength without the strain on the back of a normal squat with weights. Participants can’t lift as much weight when they step up as in a normal squat, and so the strain is reduced. Also, the exercise is more efficient for building muscle. More advanced athletes can perform a high step routine centering on cycles that consist of a cardiovascular workout as well as lower and upper body strength training. Each cycle starts with a cardio workout and then moves to leg workouts such as leg presses. The third phase in each cycle varies, working a different upper body muscle group, such as triceps, shoulders, biceps, chest and back.

    Availability

    • DVDs and all exercise equipment needed for a high-step workout regime are available at a variety of retail websites. As of 2010, the various high-step training products, including those specifically designed for training athletes, range in cost from $20 to $450.

    Miscellaneous

    • DVDs are available with various difficulty levels of high-step training, ranging from moderate to very challenging. This workout is not generally recommended for beginners. Also, other types of high-step training machines, including an agility trainer and a running maze, offer athletes a more challenging workout than traditional aerobic routines. The most basic of athletes can buy a high step and hand weights and do just the simple maneuver of stepping up to increase power and strength.