On a mission to find a cardio exercise she enjoyed and could sustain – and with her primary aim being fat loss while maintaining muscle – YouTuber Heather Maldonado decided to go all-out on the StairMaster for 30 days. ‘Here’s the plan: 30 minutes on the StairMaster for 30 days, all while staying in a calorie deficit, stretching, making time to recover, and seeing if this actually works to feasibly lose weight,’ she explained in her video documenting the process. Here’s exactly what happened.
The challenge
Alongside 30 minutes on the machine daily, Heather also maintained her strength training routine of lifting three times per week – ‘it isn’t enough to just add cardio to lose weight, you have to also make sure you do strength training to keep your muscles,’ Heather rightfully flagged. Muscle maintenance and growth supports fat loss because muscle tissue is more metabolically active (meaning it requires more energy to maintain) than fat tissue, so your body will burn more calories at rest.
It took some trial and error for Heather to hit the sweet spot on which effort level she set the machine to. ‘I did the whole first day just at level three to keep it nice and easy,’ she said, before alternating between three and five. ‘I tried to go up to level six instead of five, and oh my gosh, was I humbled quickly,’ she added. ‘I quickly went back down to level five, mostly from here on out.’
The results
While Heather’s main aim was fat loss, she clarifies that the challenge wasn’t about starving herself – in fact, adequate fuelling was integral. It was also about the bigger picture – for example, adopting sustainable habits and recovering well (stretching and foam rolling became key). Nonetheless, she was surprised by how her body had changed after 30 days.
YouTube / Heather Maldonado
dynamic and passive stretching helped Heather prepare and recover during the challenge
Heather lost 6 lbs (almost 3kg), but added that ‘results are measured by more than just the number on a weight scale. I could definitely tell there was a lot more body recomposition going on – my muscles were more defined and I lost fat most noticeably in my face, and it also helped me get rid of that stubborn lower-belly fat.’
Body recomposition benefits aside, Heather also said the challenge boosted her motivation and energy levels, and helped her with structure and sustaining a routine. ‘I was shocked at the newfound energy,’ she said, adding that the daily movement also helped with cramping and blood flow while she was on her period.
The verdict
With this challenge, it’s important to note that as well as the daily 30 minutes of StairMaster, Heather was in a calorie deficit (in which she prioritised protein), and that she maintained her usual three strength training sessions a week, focusing on upper-body, lower-body and core. Other than introducing the Stairmaster and a calorie deficit, she didn’t change her normal daily routine.
Her biggest takeaway from adding the StairMaster? ‘The benefit of staying in zone 2 cardio,’ she said. ‘Benefits include improved heart health, reduced heart rate, increased VO2 max, and it can be more efficient for burning fat as a fuel source, which can make it ideal for weight loss and preventing weight gain’ – benefits her progress highlighted.
YouTube / Heather Maldonado
For Heather, the challenge highlighted the benefits of zone 2 training
Zone 2 training refers to staying in a zone 2 heart rate – 65-75% of your max heart rate (which is typically calculated by working out 220 minus your age). There are five commonly accepted heart rate zones, and your body uses different fuel sources in each to power your physical activity. In zone 2, your body primarily uses fat (and oxygen) as an energy source, hence the often-cited fat-burning benefits of training in this HR zone.
Indeed, world-renowned orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Dr Vonda Wright recently discussed the benefits of zone 2 training, ‘which is very metabolically efficient,’ she said. ‘And it burns more fat than middle-intensity exercise,’ she said on Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s Feel Better, Live More podcast.
The takeaway? Don’t dismiss lower-intensity workouts or underestimate the power of a sweaty StairMaster session.
Related Stories
Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.