11 tapboard exercises that will make you fit all around

Tapboard exercises

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Have you ever heard of tap board exercises? You can incorporate the board into your workout and strengthen your entire body.

A quilting board? What do I need that for? That's what I thought when I first saw this piece of exercise equipment.

But I was proven wrong.

After all, there is a whole range of tapboard exercises. Especially for the legs and buttocks. But you can also build muscles in the upper body.

What is a stepboard?

The stepboard is also called stepboard, it is a mobile staircase on which you can perform exercises. Especially strengthening, increasing fitness and improving coordination speak for the board.

Basically, we distinguish between tap board fitness exercises and step aerobics.

The aerobic exercises remind a little of Zumba. It's best to have a look at Youtube. There are many workouts that you can do. Today we're talking about muscle building. Strengthening exercises with the board.

The training device looks inconspicuous at first glance, but offers a lot of possibilities. Both beginners and advanced users can train with it. You can easily adjust the intensity of the workout via your speed and the frequency of the repetitions.

Today we have put together a mix for beginners and advanced :). So you're sure to find the right thing for you!

What are the benefits of tapboard exercises?

Once you get a taste for it, you're guaranteed to do this workout more often. There's so much to be said for stepping board exercises.

Up to 400 calories

A training session should last about 60 minutes in total. That's why it's important that you manage your strength. Plan 10 minutes for the warm up.

And then it's on to the actual tapboard exercises. In total, you get about 400 calories.

So if you want to lose weight, the quilting board is just what you need. Plan 2-3 workouts per week so that you see a quick effect.

You strengthen the whole body

Even if at first glance you would think that the board is only made for legs and buttocks - there is more. You can train shoulders, pectorals, biceps and triceps.

Your sense of balance will also improve.

The tap board is not expensive

Once you get a quilting board, you won't have to pay for anything else. Unless you grab a new pair of leggings for your workout. That's a real motivation booster, by the way :)

Consumes little space

We all lack the space for large training equipment. The apartment is small and usually already filled to the top anyway. It will be difficult to set up a weight bench or something similar. But you don't need to.

Because the quilting board consumes little space and can be conveniently stored in the living room. The shape is especially practical because it makes it particularly easy to stow away.

Flexible to use

In the living room, outdoors, in the studio for the buttocks, the legs or the arms? With a stepping board you are completely flexible. You can train at any time and place it on any hard surface.

By the way, it is also fun to do exercises on it in pairs.

This applies to all tapboard exercises

To make sure you don't hurt yourself during your workout, you need to follow a few simple ground rules.

Here's what you should watch out for:

  • The starting position is one foot length from the board.
  • For each step, place the entire foot on the board. This way you can't bend your ankle.
  • As you step up, roll from heel to ball of foot.
  • When you dismount, you roll from the ball of your foot to your heel.
  • Swing your legs along with the movements.

The 11 best tapboard exercises

Let's start with aerobics basics and then move on to strengthening exercises. By the way, it's best and most fun with motivating music.

Basic Step

Difficulty: Easy. Goal: Warm up

Stepboard Exercises Basic Step

  • First step onto the stepping board with your right foot. The knee is slightly bent.
  • Shift the body weight to the right foot. Place the left leg on the board.
  • Straighten your body, pull in your belly, stretch through.
  • Descend first with the right foot, then with the left foot.

3 rounds of 10 repetitions to warm up.

Knee Lift

Difficulty: Easy

Stepping Board Exercises Knee Lift

  • Place the left foot on the step.
  • Lift your right leg off the floor. Angle it and lift into the air at a 90° angle in front of your body. The knee should now be about level with the hip.
  • Place the right leg back on the floor.
  • The arms swing along diagonally.
  • And now also put the left leg from the board to the floor.
  • Hop, hop: The whole thing now quickly in alternation!

Do this exercise 3x for 30 seconds.

Lunge on the tapboard

Difficulty: Medium

Tapboard exercises lunge

  • Put the left leg on the tapboard.
  • Take a step backwards with your right leg.
  • Lower your butt so that you form a right angle with your left knee.
  • Return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise 9 more times before switching legs.

3 rounds of 10 repetitions per leg.

Variation: If this is too easy for you, grab two dumbbells. Or perform the exercise jumping.

Backward lunge on the tapboard

Difficulty: Medium

Stepper exercises

  • Put the left leg on the tapboard.
  • Take a step backwards with your right leg.
  • Lower your butt so that you form a right angle with your left knee.
  • Return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise 9 more times before switching legs.

3 rounds of 10 repetitions per leg.

Variation: If this is too easy for you, grab two dumbbells.

Crunches with stepping board

Crunches with legs elevated

Difficulty level: medium

  • Put both legs on the board.
  • Place your hands on the back of your head. Important: The elbows point to the side and not forward!
  • Now lift the head and shoulders from the floor.
  • Lower them again but make sure your abs are under tension.

3 passes with 10 repetitions

Mountain climbers on the tap board

Difficulty level: Difficult

Mountain climber exercise with elevation

  • Get into the plank position.
  • Both legs lie on the exercise mat. The hands on the tapboard.
  • Now alternately pull the right and left knee towards the elbow.

3 repetitions with 10 repetitions per leg. You can go faster with this exercise. But make sure your back is straight!

One arm planks

Difficulty level: Difficult

Stepping board exercises for advanced

  • You start in the plank with your arms stretched out. Put your hands on the board for this.
  • Both legs lie on the training mat.
  • Your body forms a straight line.
  • Now pull the right arm to the left shoulder and put it down again. Then pull the left arm to the right shoulder and put it down again.

Do 3 rounds of 10 repetitions per arm.

Triceps dips on the tapboard

Difficulty level: medium

Triceps dips for beginners

  • Place both hands on the tapboard. The finger tips point to you.
  • Angle the legs and place the feet completely on the mat.
  • Tighten the abdomen and lower the buttocks until you almost touch the mat.
  • Work with the strength from your arms by bending and extending your arms.

One-arm push-ups on the tapboard

Difficulty level: Difficult

Pushups with elevation

  • Place one hand on the quilting board.
  • The other one you place on the floor or mat.
  • Tense your body and start doing push-ups.
  • After 5 push-ups, switch sides.

4 rounds of 5 push-ups.

Variation: Put both arms on the training board and do push-ups.

Single leg squats

Difficulty level: Difficult

Tapboard exercises squat one legged

  • Stand sideways on the quilting board.
  • The left foot is centered on the board.
  • Squat down while stretching the right leg forward.
  • The arms help you to find the balance. You can stretch them out or hold them against your body - whichever is easier for you.

Do 10 repetitions per side and 3 passes.

Squat turn

Difficulty level: medium

Bench jumping squat turn with tapboard

  • Place both hands on the tapboard.
  • Squat to the right of the board.
  • Quickly push yourself off the ground with your feet so that your butt is in the air and land on the left side of the board.
  • The hands remain on the board throughout.

Bounce 10x left and 10x right. And make three passes.

If you want to, you can watch this video on YouTube and directly join in the gymnastics. I find it very successful. The workout is really a lot of fun.

What to look for when buying a quilting board

You don't have a board yet and want to get one? We tell you what you have to pay attention to!

Quality before price

The offer is large, but that does not mean that all boards are equally good or bad. Because you sometimes stand with your entire weight on the board during stepping board exercises, you should not compromise on quality.

Cheap boards are often very wobbly and not slip-resistant. Neither on the tread nor on the legs of the stepping board.

Adjustable height

With a good board you can adjust the height. This is important because it allows you to adjust stepping board exercises to your fitness level.

Some exercises require more height from the board to make them more intense.

Small example: With lunges it makes a huge difference whether you do them at height 1 or 3. The higher the board is set, the more difficult the exercise becomes. If you do push-ups on the lunge, you may have to change the height of the board again.

Since when there are tapboard exercises

The stepping board was invented in 1972 by an American military doctor. The goal was to get cardiovascular patients back on their feet quickly.

For this purpose, he developed stepping board exercises, which fitness trainers incorporated into their workouts a few years later. The boards celebrated their triumph from 1989 onwards, when they were combined with aerobics. Now tap aerobics is a popular gymnastics program in many fitness studios, which is often performed with motivating music.

Little has changed in that regard to this day. Except that more and more motivated amateur athletes are starting to perform tapboard workouts at home.

Tapboard Workout

Our conclusion

Tapboard exercises bring variety to your workout. They look harmless, but have a lot going for them. Sore muscles guaranteed! With the board you can strengthen your entire body. For me, it is a training tool that should not be missing in any athletic household.

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