66% of adults are overweight with a BMI over 24, as per a WHO study; these adults are at a higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and Cancer; while all these diseases are dangerous, the solution is widely known– Cardio workout, which can help you reduce blood sugar content, lose weight, and get better physically. But, the question is which machine is best for a cardio workout?
Treadmills or Stairmasters—both burn calories, make you sweat, and promise that magical mix of endurance and stamina. But let’s be real, life isn’t some endless gym session where you get to try everything. Time’s tight. Money’s even tighter. So if you’re stuck choosing between these two, we get it.
Which one’s worth it? Which one’s going to push you harder? Which one will keep you coming back instead of collecting dust in the corner? That’s exactly what we will answer. Let us take you through a no-fluff comparison of which machine is better between these two Cardio beasts!
What Is a StairMaster?
It's only fair to start our discussion by specifying the stair master; a stairmaster is a machine designed for weight loss and endurance-building exercises. The movement pattern is similar to walking stairs vertically; it targets your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. As the movement in a Stairmaster is vertical, it requires consistent strength and effort from the trainer to complete the workout, which ultimately enhances the efficacy of the Stairmaster in calories burned.
Now, is it effective as a cardio workout? Well, researchers seem to agree, as experts rate Stairmaster can burn up to 1000 calories in an hour, of course, depending on the body weight and speed. You also need to keep your hands off the handles to get the best results.
What Is a Treadmill?
Our second contestant is the most well-known cardiovascular machine– the treadmill– that offers an exercise integrated well into our everyday life– walking. Surprisingly, treadmills were first launched in 1818 by Sir William Cubit, who launched it as a labor penalty for prisoners who had to walk on it for hours. Nonetheless, in 1913, Claude Lauraine relaunched the machine as a fitness equipment, and it's where it got more popularity and was patented.
Now, back to our discussion, a treadmill is a versatile cardio machine where you can walk, jog, and run with varying intensities based on speed and incline. It pretty much caters to everyone by allowing remarkable flexibility in speed, inclines, and workouts. Because the treadmill is widely popular, it has been studied by various fitness experts to maximize the efficiency of a treadmill workout; hence, various new workouts have emerged that can help you increase the benefits of a treadmill.
HIIT, high-intensity interval training, is a popular choice used by athletes to build their endurance, and it is widely practiced on curved treadmills. It involves running at maximum speed for short intervals, letting your body rest, and repeating the same sequence. This varying intensity of exercise not only builds your endurance but also takes your blood pressure to the fat-burning zone (130-170), which assists in enhancing your metabolism.
Is a Stairmaster better than a Treadmill?
We are right at the crux of this article, and it’s time we talk about the real meat; is a stairmaster better than a treadmill? Let’s find the answer.
Calorie Burn
It is only fair that we start our comparison with calorie burn as it is commonly why both machines are used. So, the comparison here is not as straightforward because both machines allow for varying intensities, meaning it is difficult to estimate the actual calorie burn on either.
Nonetheless, in our imaginative world, where both trainers tend to exercise at the maximum intensity a machine could offer, a Stairmaster will burn more calories than a treadmill. A treadmill, on average, burns about 600-700 calories in an hour of running; in comparison, a stairmaster can burn about 600-1000 calories in an hour at a high-intensity stair climbing. Therefore, we will give the edge to the stairmaster.
Muscle Engagement
Alright, let’s talk muscles—because what’s the point of sweating it out if you don’t know what’s working? Hop on a Stairmaster, and you’re climbing forever. All that up-and-up movement means your lower body takes the hit—glutes, hamstrings, quads. They’re doing the heavy lifting, no question.
A treadmill? Different game. If you’re just walking, it’s not much of a fight. But if you’re running? Now we’re talking. It spreads the work across more muscles—quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and even those hip flexors that don’t get enough credit. It’s a more balanced burn, and yeah, that gives the treadmill an edge.
So, if we’re keeping score, this round goes to the treadmill. But does that mean it’s the better pick? Not so fast.
Cost
Now that we have discussed two fundamental comparison points, here's the time to complete the triangle with 'Cost.' Both treadmills and stair masters come in varying types and qualities, making a difference in cost. Nonetheless, manual flat treadmills start at around $800, with electric ones at around $1300. Curved treadmills are slightly expensive, starting at around $3000.
Stairmasters generally start at around $4000 on Amazon and similar marketplaces; nonetheless, these marketplaces offer cheaper alternatives to target the same muscle, albeit with a lower range of motions, calorie burn, and features. Hence, this point goes to the treadmill.
Impact on Joints
Joints matter—because what good is a workout if it leaves you limping the next day?
A Stairmaster? Surprisingly kind to your knees, hips, and ankles. You’re stepping, not pounding, so there’s no brutal impact as you’d get from hitting the pavement. Healthline backs that up—less stress, fewer chances of waking up sore in all the wrong places.
Treadmills, though? They’ve come a long way. Older ones felt like running on concrete, but newer models? That rubber belt softens the blow by absorbing impact instead of throwing it back at you. It’s easier on your body than running outside, on a concrete surface.
Versatility- Counter Boredom
Let’s talk about versatility—because like most trainers, doing the same thing over and over gets old fast for you!
For Stairmaster, it does one thing and does it well—climbing. No surprise there. You’ll burn calories, sure, but if you’re the type who gets bored easily, there’s not much room to switch things up. It’s stairs today, stairs tomorrow, and, well… stairs forever.
For a treadmill, Whole different story. Walk, jog, sprint, incline—mix it up however you want. Feeling extra? Throw in some HIIT, crank up the speed, or even use it for strength-focused intervals. It’s not just a cardio machine; it’s a full-on playground for your workouts. So, if options matter, the treadmill takes this round. No contest.
So, here is our comparison verdict: the treadmill wins with an edge of 1 point (3 points total) against the StairMaster's 2 points.
Pros and Cons of a Treadmill
Now that we have compared the two machines let's go for a summary of the pros and cons of each machine. Let's go with our winner first!
Pros of the Treadmill
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Excellent for calorie burning: treadmills help you burn calories with a non-complicated exercise, such as running.
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Offers full-body workout: running on a treadmill will engage your complete body, enhancing your lower-body muscles and reducing the fat in your upper body.
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Excellent for strength training: treadmills offer remarkable versatility in the exercises you can complete, meaning you can run at maximum speed and incline for extended intervals to enhance your strength.
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Available at affordable prices: electric treadmills are available with a starting price of $1300, which is feasible for most trainers in contrast to other machines.
Cons of the Treadmill
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Higher Impact on joints than Stairmaster
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The calorie burn rate is less than Stairmaster.
Pros and Cons of a Stairmaster
Let's talk about the pros and cons of Stairmaster– our second contestant.
Pros of the Stairmaster
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Remarkable for calorie burning: With the StairMaster's range of motion and intensity involved, it is one of the best exercises for burning calories in a shorter time.
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Less impact on joints: The StairMaster's comparative advantage is its less stress on the joints, which allows people of all ages to benefit from the machine.
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Uncomplicated workout: climbing on a Stairmaster is almost identical to climbing stairs; hence, there isn't anything new trainers have to fret about, so you can start working out instantly.
Cons of the Stairmaster
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High price compared to Treadmills
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Lack of versatility in workouts might cause boredom for trainers
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Engages only lower body muscles and leaves upper body unattended
Which Machine Is Better for Your Goals?
It's high time we start discussing specific goals because we have addressed each machine's comparison and pros and cons. Let's talk about which machine is best for your goals.
Weight Loss
So, if weight loss is the goal, the treadmill wins. Confused? Didn’t we just say the Stairmaster burns more calories per minute? Yeah, but here’s the thing—how long do you think you can keep climbing before your legs scream for mercy?
That’s the catch. Climbing stairs is brutal, and no matter how motivated you are, you’ll tap out faster than you would on a treadmill. Running? That’s a different beast. You can keep going longer, cover more ground, and ultimately burn more calories over time.
So, sure, the Stairmaster torches calories fast, but the treadmill lets you stay in the game longer. And when it comes to weight loss, that endurance matters.
Muscle Toning
The common goal can be muscle toning: Stairmaster is more targeted at lower body muscles and can help you develop glutes, thighs, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Athletes often choose to rely on the stairmaster for the purpose. On the other hand, the treadmill isn't as efficient for muscle toning as the Stairmaster; the workout's impact is spread somewhat across the body with a slightly high impact on the lower body.
Endurance Training
Now, we know some trainers aren’t there just for weight loss or muscle toning; they want results to improve their strength and endurance against physical challenges. So, if you are aiming for endurance training, you would want to use the machine for longer intervals, increase the heart rate to the fat-burning zones, and challenge your records. Which machine suits you better? It’s fair to say it will be the machine you could use more of in a session; our vote goes for a treadmill, as you can use it for longer and more varied sessions than a stairmaster.
Why Is the Treadmill a More Versatile Choice?
At this point, you might have realized the machines you should opt for; our preference has been a treadmill, simply because it helps you achieve various objectives, whereas a Stairmaster is pretty monotonous.
A treadmill is suited for people who want to walk to warm up their body before a workout; it is equally suited for trainers looking to lose weight with its flexibility of high speeds and inclines. Modern treadmills (even affordable ones) come with pre-installed programs that help you dedicate your workout to a particular objective.
For instance, if you are looking for a HIIT workout, the pre-installed programs will automatically adjust the pace and incline of the machine, while you only have to work out without worrying about the time of each interval. Similarly, if you are working towards building stamina, these programs can control the machine to keep it at high speed for longer intervals.
Most of all, a treadmill covers an exercise as simple as walking and helps you achieve your goal with a limited range of motions. Now, if you are looking for a treadmill with 36 pre-installed programs, 12 incline levels, and much more, here is the treadmill you should check out. FEIER Star 100 is a folding treadmill that allows a maximum speed of 11.2 mph with multiple app integrations to keep track of your progress.
Stairmaster vs. Treadmill is like putting a PS4 against an Xbox in a heads-on ultimate gaming competition. It’s impossible to decide on a clear winner, but you would love to get your hands on either of the machines; the same is true for stairmasters and treadmills.
Honestly, Stairmasters and treadmills are equally good at increasing your calorie burn and helping you lose weight. They target similar muscle groups and assist in lower-body muscle toning. Their results in building endurance for trainers aren't significantly different as well.
Our answer is eventually driven by the treadmill's versatility, which is undoubtedly ahead of a Stairmaster. With a treadmill, you can try a variety of workouts to suit your mood, health, and fitness level. The latest machines allow pre-installed programs, which increase the efficacy of workouts, and app integrations help you keep track of your performance. Hence, the treadmill is our choice in this comparison. If you are looking to buy a treadmill, be sure to check out our collection.
