The multi-use equipment strengthens and enhances heart health without any impact.
Do More With is a series highlighting equipment around the Club that can help you reach your fitness goals. In this installment, we highlight the VersaClimber, available on the Club floor.
Unless you’re a regular SoulCycle Live rider or a competitive runner who finds the treadmill meditative, in-Club cardio routines can feel stale after just a few weeks of sessions.
But there’s one piece of equipment that can help break up those humdrum workouts: the VersaClimber. The low-skill, low-impact vertical climbing machine offers a comprehensive, full-body workout. Just like other cardiovascular-training tools, you can alter the resistance you’re working against with the twist of a knob, so each upward climb becomes more challenging. But the VersaClimber improves more than just heart health; it strengthens your body in truly functional movement patterns and trains your core stability — without excessively loading the joints.
And that’s just the start of its benefits.
Why Train with the VersaClimber
I’ll admit, it’s far easier — mentally speaking — to take a long, high-incline walk on the treadmill or pedal on a stationary bike for 15 minutes than it is to finish a VersaClimber workout. The equipment tests you both mentally and physically, regardless of your chosen resistance. But that’s where the magic happens.
Essentially, you self-generate power; you have to initiate and maintain the motion. And in order to move the foot pedals and handles up and down the VersaClimber track, you need to call on nearly all of your posterior chain (the muscles on the backside of your body) and your core — and that makes for an inherently more difficult workout compared to, say, cycling. Riding a stationary bike is a lower-body dominant type of training, and there’s not much force transfer from your lower to your upper body. That means even at a higher resistance or RPM, an indoor bike workout probably won’t be as strenuous as a VersaClimber session. The fact that the VersaClimber is a total-body tool means you’ll get a higher calorie burn per session, too.
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The VersaClimber is also a minimal-impact piece of equipment, so it won’t put excessive stress on your joints — a perk for members recovering from injury. It calls on both your upper and lower body simultaneously, allowing an upright posture, though you can also keep your arms stable and use just your lower body. Plus, the movement pattern mimics real-life actions; when using the contralateral climb setting (moving the opposite leg and arm), you’re training your body in the same natural motion as crawling and walking. The ipsilateral setting (moving the same side leg and arm), meanwhile, matches the movement pattern of climbing up a ladder.
Playing with those settings to enhance your daily life is a brilliant use of the VersaClimber. This functional element, plus the lack of impact, makes the cardio equipment a useful supplement for runners who need a break from pounding the pavement but don't want to fall behind on training.
Unsurprisingly, there’s a cardiovascular training element to the VersaClimber as well. You can use the VersaClimber for moderate-intensity, aerobic-style training — which can strengthen your heart, improve circulation, and lower blood pressure over time — but you’ll need physical and mental resilience; it’s not exactly comfortable to use for 20-plus minutes, but it can be done. In my opinion, the climbing equipment is best for higher-intensity, sprint workouts during which you’re training your power, speed, and anaerobic capacity. That type of session can also help improve V̇O₂ max (the maximum amount of oxygen you’re able to use during intense exercise). The higher your V̇O₂ max, the more energy you can produce, and the better and longer you’ll be able to perform.
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How to Use the VersaClimber
Before you step foot on the VersaClimber, you’ll need to establish some baseline core strength and stability. In order to get the most efficient workout and be able to effectively transfer force from your lower body to your upper body, you’ll need to activate your core; doing so correctly will prevent your pelvis and shoulders from shifting from one side to the other as you climb.
If you can’t stabilize your midsection, you won’t be able to retain kinetic energy in your body, leading to a decline in your performance and an unnecessary increase in the workout’s difficulty. In that case, core conditioning outside of the VersaClimber would be required. Then, when you first begin training on the climbing tool, you’ll want to keep your movement slow and controlled until you perfect your technique. As you push and pedal, remember to fully extend your arms and legs; some people limit their range of motion, which makes the workout less effective.
After adjusting the VersaClimber’s stride length to your preferences, you can use the resistance in two ways. Turn the knob counterclockwise to ease the resistance, which allows you to climb faster and, in turn, take more steps per minute. Or, turn the knob clockwise to increase the resistance; your stepping speed will slow, but you’ll need to work even harder to push and pull. Beginners can use the increased resistance to slow the stepping speed, which creates a comfortable environment for learning the movement pattern.
One of the easiest ways to incorporate the VersaClimber into your training is with interval training. Work at a high intensity, aiming to reach your max heart rate, for 20 to 30 seconds, then give yourself up to two minutes for recovery. You can also add it into a circuit; choose three compound movements (think: squats, lunges, carries, chest presses), do a set of each exercise, then finish off the round with a fast-pace climb. Repeat that circuit three to four times, and you’ll leave the floor feeling full-body fatigue. Depending on your goal, you can add other cardio tools to your circuit, such as the air bike. Alternatively, you can use the equipment for longer periods (e.g., upward of 20 minutes) to train your aerobic capacity and endurance.
Whether your top priority is building cardiovascular health or improving your everyday movement, you’ll see full-body gains from regularly utilizing the VersaClimber — so don’t sleep on it any longer.
Kristina Platkova is a COACH X at Equinox Bishopsgate in London. She has worked in the industry for almost a decade. Her journey into the world of training began with a profound understanding of the transformative power of movement in her own life at a very young age.
Inspired by the strength and discipline required, she decided to channel her energy into guiding others on their very own journeys. Kristina has a genuine interest in empowering others, and she has made it her mission to help people discover their true potential through physical fitness and nutrition. She understands that the path to progress is unique for each person, and through her expertise, she is committed to making the journey for every client enjoyable and rewarding.