How to Try FitTok’s Viral 25-7-2 Workout

So you’ve crushed the 12-3-30 treadmill workout and mastered the 3-2-8 method (you go girl!), and you’re ready to take on a new fitness routine. Let me introduce you to the 25-7-2 StairMaster workout, the latest number-based fitness craze to grace FitTok. Created by TikToker Camilla Akbas as a “way to get abs in as little as six weeks,” it’s no wonder the aforementioned regimens are stepping aside (pun intended) to make way for the 25-7-2. Keep scrolling to get all the details you need to get to stepping (on the 25-7-2 StairMaster workout), plus the benefits you can expect from the viral trend.

What Is the 25-7-2 StairMaster Workout?

All you need is one piece of gym equipment: a stair climber machine. As for the nitty-gritty of the workout, it breaks down to this:

1. Set the StairMaster to level 7
2. Climb for 25 minutes
3. Repeat twice a week 

Sounds simple enough, right? In theory, maybe. If you’re new to the StairMaster or cardio in general, go at your own pace (there’s nothing wrong with starting at a lower level or going for less time and working your way up). The idea is to maintain a steady, medium-intensity speed that you can sustain throughout the 25 minutes. Hot tip: Warm up before each session, and make sure you have good posture (read: don’t lean on the machine or stick your butt out), engage your core, and drive through your heels, focusing on activating your legs and glutes. Ready to up the ante? Go hands-free to test your core strength.

If you don’t have access to a stair climber machine, recreate the regimen with stairs at a local park or in your apartment building. For example, start with three rounds of five-minute sets of climbing at a constant rate (with a one-minute recovery between each set), then challenge yourself further by increasing your pace, upping the time spent climbing, or skipping steps.

 What are the Benefits?

Following the current wave of medium-intensity exercise, there’s something to be said about the 25-7-2: For starters, most commercial gyms have StairMasters, and they don’t require any instruction, making the workout a solid entry point for beginners or an easy addition for more seasoned fitness buffs. Then, there’s the fact that it’s low-impact cardio, making it easier on your joints while increasing your heart rate (but don’t be fooled, you will undoubtedly feel the burn).

Research shows that Zone 2 training, or moderate exercise (measuring 60-70 percent of your maximum heart rate), is a key factor in living longer, avoiding injury and overtraining, optimizing exercise performance, and improving body composition. A 2021 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise compared moderate-intensity workouts five times a week versus a HIIT program three times a week and found that only the former lowered body fat and blood pressure, improvements in cardiovascular risk factors that did not occur after doing HIIT. Translation: You don’t have to hit it hard with HIIT to get a solid sweat session or build cardiovascular strength. 

Another added bonus of the 25-7-2 workout is it’s a form of functional training, AKA it mimics how your body moves IRL outside the gym (think: walking up a flight of stairs), helping you more easily and effectively perform daily actions, so you’re training for your life rather than gym sessions. 

So, is the 25-7-2 Workout Worth Your While?

The stair climber machine is no joke. If you’ve ever been on it for more than 10 minutes without huffing and puffing and breaking a sweat, I applaud you. The not-so-good news? If you’re looking for a well-rounded workout program, the 25-7-2 alone won’t cut it. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and a minimum of two days of muscle-strengthening activities every week. So incorporate strength training two to three times per week and get your hot girl walk strides in to round out the 25-7-2 routine. 

As for the TikToker’s claim that it can help you get “abs in as little as six weeks”: Just doing the 25-7-2 workout won’t magically give you ab muscles. Definition in your stomach depends on a wide variety of factors like genetics, diet, gut health, hormones, water retention, etc. That said, having a six-pack is not the definition of being fit. What your body can do should be celebrated, regardless of whether it comes with a six-pack or not.