Stair stepping has been used by both amateur and professional athletes for years. It is a highly efficient method for building aerobic conditioning and leg strength.

When it comes to climbers, there are two basic types of stepping motions to choose from: dependent and independent. On a dependent motion climber, the steps themselves are linked so that when the user pushes down on one step, the other step goes up. Independent motion climbers have steps which are not linked together, and move independently of each other. This eliminates the user’s ability cheat on his or her workout by shifting weight from side to side to keep the pedals moving (which is possible on a dependent motion climber).