Treadclimber Exercises

The Treadclimber is a cardio machine by Bowflex. It has two independent pedals with treads and is a combination of a stair climber, elliptical and treadmill. You can use the treads or the pedal motion to do one of three exercises on the Treadclimber: a walking exercise, a stepping exercise, or a low-impact, elliptical exercise.

The Treadclimber

The Treadclimber has two, over-sized pedals, called treadles. Each pedal has a tread that moves forward like a treadmill belt. The pedals also move up and down. Use these features individually or combine them to do the different exercises. The Treadclimber has a maximum user capacity of 300 lbs. and the treadles are 18 inches above the floor at their highest point. Each Treadclimber model varies slightly in size, but on average, the Treadclimber is 46 inches long, 30 inches wide and 55 inches tall.

Walking Exercise

To do the Treadclimber walking exercise, you must lock the treadles into place so they don't move up and down. This requires you to turn off the machine, unplug the power cord and manually lock the treadles with a lever. You cannot run on the Treadclimber as the treadles have a top speed of 3.8 mph, 4.0 mph or 4.5 mph, depending on the Treadclimber model. Although the pedals move up and down independently, the treadles run on the same axle so both treads move at the same speed at all times.

Stepping Exercise

To do the stepping exercise, turn off the treads and unlock the treadles so they move up and down. The Treadclimber has hydraulic cylinders that adjust the stepping distance. Each cylinder has a dial with 12 settings. Setting one provides the minimum amount of treadle movement and setting 12 provides the maximum movement. You cannot change the setting during a workout; you must get off the machine, change the setting and then resume your workout.

Elliptical Exercise

Combine the treadmill exercise and the stepping exercise to do the elliptical exercise, which simulates the motion of an elliptical machine. The treads move forward and the pedals move up and down. During the elliptical exercise, you can adjust the intensity of your workout using both the speed and stepping settings. Increase the speed and/or increase the stepping distance to increase the intensity of your workout. Change the speed any time during the workout, but you will have to get off the machine to change the stepping distance.