Step Height

hensue

New Member
Hi

Does anyone here use a 4" step height and not the 6", i asked because i was wondering if the calorie burn would be a big difference between the two...as i checked the Workout Manager for the calorie burn for certain dvds, but now im thinking they were based on the step height used by Cathe and Team. So i was just wondering if anyone used to use a 6" and then switched to 4" and noticed a big difference in there calories burned??.....i hope i wasn't to confusing. I know a Heart rate monitor would be handy right now, but based on where i am i just cant get one;)
 
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I have to imagine you'd lose calorie burn if you decreased to 4".

I know that if I do the same workout on an 8" step vs a 6" step, I burn around an extra 100 calories.
 
I have to do 8 inches

or else I do not get results. I just did the low impact circuit timesaver which was about 49 minutes. I have to wear a heart rate monitor or I get most stressed out.
 
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I had to go to a 4 inch height because of a knee & hip/low back problem
I would agree you would lose some of your calorie burn though!
 
Due to my knees, over the years I've gone from 8 to 6 to 4. Calorie burn is less, but my knees don't hurt and I'm able to workout again the next day. Sometimes I put 1 lb weights on my wrist to increase the intensity a bit.
 
I used to run 60 miles a week

I had an MRI on my right knee ten years ago which showed an impending tear of the meniscus. I wear a very heavy duty McDavid knee brace, and my knee never became any worse. I hesitate to run outside, but it is too hot to exercise here in the summer, and one of my friends said he would pay for a gym membership for me. I can start running on the treadmill then. When my boyfriend Dirk was alive, he gave me a membership to La Fitness which is really a good gym. Now I need a gym I can walk to.
 
I definitely use the 4" sometimes! If I am having an off day or had to take a week off for whatever reason, of when I am learning a new step workout, I use the 4"

I'm sure you burn less cals...but it is better to use a 4" step than use a 6 or 8 inch and either have the workout be so difficult that you quit early and/or don't enjoy it to the point that you don't continue...or it's too high and you trip or something (I have done this).
 
Yes i do enjoy the 4" step more than using the 6"..the pivots are much more fun;).....i have now invested a Polar HRM and is patiently awaiting its arrival:).
 
Due to my knees, over the years I've gone from 8 to 6 to 4. Calorie burn is less, but my knees don't hurt and I'm able to workout again the next day. Sometimes I put 1 lb weights on my wrist to increase the intensity a bit.


I'm looking for 1 lb wrist weights now to do this very thing and for the same reason! I'm hoping that the weights will up the cal burn.
 
I bought 1 lb wrist weights at target. I use them for all the boxing (hard strikes, mma, etc) and I wear a heart rate monitor and they do up the calorie burn and heart rate. I'm thinking of going to 2 lb now. On a plus , the barre section in xtrain I wrapped them around my ankles before going straight to 2.5. And ive used them with my dumbells for arms to add a pound when the next weight up is too much. So you can get a lot of use out of them.
 
McDavid knee braces

work wonders, and I think you can wear two of them. I only wear one on my right knee, and it has not been injured further. I can jump on an 8 inch step, do high impact aerobics, and jump during kickboxing. You can buy them on Ebay for a reasonable price, and you can even get one with hinges if your knees are very bad. They completely protect you from further irritation on your knees.
 
feg

I bought inexpensive 2 pound weighted gloves from amazon.com, so the total is four pounds for kickboxing, and the extra weight has worked wonders.
 
You do burn less calories because its a little easier, but its super fun and if you can do plyo style moves you can up your hr that way.

I wonder if you wear weights (wrist style) if you should add those to your bodyweight for an additional calorie burn on your hr just like wearing a weighted vest. ??
 

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