Cardio equipment at Inception Gym: treadmills to Jacob's Ladder

Our cardio equipment at Inception Gym Christchurch runs far wider than the usual row of treadmills: motorised treadmills, Assault Runners, StairMaster and Power Mill stair climbers, a Ski Erg, Jacob's Ladder, and upright, recumbent, and Assault bikes. Each one trains a different energy system, movement pattern, and muscle group, so you can match the machine to the goal for that session.

I'm Matt Walley, and I co-founded Inception Gym with my wife Elise in 2022. I'm on the floor most days, so this is not a spec sheet copied from a catalogue. It's what I've watched work for our members, machine by machine.

Key takeaways

• We carry cardio machines most Christchurch gyms skip: Assault Runners, a Ski Erg, and Jacob's Ladder alongside the standard treadmills and bikes.
• Match the tool to the goal: incline treadmill walking and bikes for a steady aerobic base, Assault gear and Jacob's Ladder for short, brutal intervals.
• Variety is not decoration. It spreads mechanical stress, keeps sessions engaging, and builds broader fitness than one machine used on repeat.
• Cardio raises your recovery and fuelling demands, so nutrition matters as much as the session itself.

Why we stock more cardio than most Christchurch gyms

Most gym cardio floors look the same: rows of treadmills, a few bikes, maybe a cross-trainer. Functional, but limited. When we designed our floor at Tower Junction in Addington, I wanted cardio equipment that trained the whole athlete, not just forward running.

That selection includes machines you won't find in most Christchurch gyms, tools that challenge your cardiovascular system in genuinely different ways. Here is why the variety earns its floor space.

Different movement patterns. The treadmill trains forward locomotion. Jacob's Ladder trains a climbing pattern. The Ski Erg trains upper body pulling. The StairMaster trains step-up patterns. Each uses different muscles, joints, and coordination. Lean on one machine and your fitness ends up built partly around a specific movement skill rather than broad capacity.

Injury prevention. Repeating the same movement thousands of times builds overuse injury risk. Rotating machines spreads mechanical stress across different joints and tissues. If you want more on that, our guide on injury prevention and recovery goes deeper.

Variety drives adherence. Sessions with different stimuli are more engaging, and engagement is what produces the consistency that actually changes bodies.

Metabolic variety. Different machines challenge the aerobic system, the anaerobic system, and the lactate threshold differently. Rotating produces more complete cardiovascular development.

The most honest thing I can tell you about cardio equipment is that the best machine is the one you'll actually come back to. That's the entire reason I refuse to run a floor of identical treadmills.

Treadmills

Treadmills remain the most straightforward cardio tool. You walk, jog, or run at a controlled pace and incline. The appeal is familiarity, programmability, and the wide range of intensities they support.

Steady-state work. A 30 to 60 minute walk at 4 to 6 km/h on an incline of 10 to 15 percent, the incline walk method, produces real cardiovascular and caloric work without the joint impact of running. I point a lot of members here who want fat loss benefits without the recovery cost of high-impact work.

Intervals. Alternating sprint speed and recovery walk or jog is time-efficient conditioning. A 20-minute session of 30-second sprints with 90-second recovery gives a serious training stimulus in a short time.

Programming. Incline walking is sustainable and easy on the joints, so it works as daily active recovery or as a dedicated session. Running intervals are better capped at 2 to 3 sessions per week to manage impact load.

Assault Runners (non-motorised treadmills)

The Assault Runner looks like a treadmill but works differently. No motor. The belt moves because you drive it with your feet.

Why this matters. On a motorised treadmill, you keep pace with a belt that's already moving. On an Assault Runner, you generate all the belt movement yourself. You control the pace at every instant, and the demand on your legs, glutes, and cardiovascular system is significantly higher than an equivalent speed on a motorised treadmill.

How it trains you. The effort to drive the belt at speed is substantially greater than motorised running. Non-motorised treadmills increase oxygen consumption, heart rate, and calorie expenditure compared with motorised running at the same speed. They also produce greater posterior chain activation, the glutes and hamstrings, because you actively push back to drive the belt.

Best for. Short sprint intervals. The Assault Runner excels at very high-intensity efforts of 10 to 30 seconds. Set a target speed, drive hard, recover. It slows the moment you ease up, which makes it ideal for true max-effort sprint work.

Programming. 10 to 20 seconds all-out, 40 to 50 seconds recovery, 8 to 15 rounds. A demanding session. Two per week is plenty for most members. This is also a favourite of the Christchurch Hyrox crowd who train with us.

StairMaster and Power Mill

StairMaster

The StairMaster simulates continuous stair climbing using a rotating step mechanism. It's one of the most effective tools for combining cardiovascular conditioning with lower body work.

What it trains. Glutes, quads, and calves under continuous light load, plus the aerobic system. Because the steps are continuous, there's no recovery within the movement; every step needs active glute and quad engagement.

Why it works for physique goals. Unlike treadmill running, stair climbing is low-impact but high-demand. You can hold a pace that keeps your heart rate in a fat-oxidising zone, around 65 to 75 percent of max heart rate, for 20 to 45 minutes while also working glutes and quads.

Programming. 20 to 45 minute sessions at a moderate, sustainable pace. Start where you can still hold a conversation, the talk test, and build from there.

Power Mill

The Power Mill is a self-powered stair climber with actual rotating steps rather than a paddle mechanism. The mechanical demand is higher and the movement is closer to real stair climbing.

Best for. Members who want the most authentic stair-climbing experience and higher cardiovascular demand than a standard StairMaster.

Ski Erg

The Ski Erg is one of the most under-used cardio machines in most gyms and one of the most effective. It trains the upper body cardiovascular system through a double-arm pull movement, and I'll be honest, it was one of the first pieces I insisted we buy.

What it trains. The pull-down engages lats, triceps, core, and hip flexors in a coordinated pattern. The cardiovascular demand is significant because pulling with both arms at once involves large muscle groups that other cardio machines rarely touch.

Why it's valuable. Most cardio machines primarily or exclusively train the lower body. The Ski Erg gives you real upper body cardiovascular conditioning that's essentially unavailable elsewhere. For mixed athletes, fighters, or anyone chasing complete fitness, upper body aerobic capacity matters.

Steady-state. 20 to 30 minute moderate-pace sessions develop upper body aerobic capacity and work the lats and core as a bonus.

Intervals. 10-stroke all-out efforts followed by 50 to 90 seconds of recovery, 8 to 12 rounds. The upper body fatigue is unique and challenges even well-conditioned athletes.

Programming. Excellent on rest days from lower body training, when you want cardiovascular work without more leg fatigue.

Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder is a self-powered climbing machine that replicates climbing a ladder. It sits at about 40 degrees and moves only as fast as you climb.

What it trains. The climbing pattern engages arms, lats, core, quads, and calves at once. A true full-body cardiovascular machine, and the alternating arm-leg coordination pattern is unique among gym cardio equipment.

Why it stands out. No buttons, no screens, no pace settings. Entirely self-paced. Climb faster and it responds faster. Slow down and it slows. That immediate feedback loop makes it one of the most honest pieces of cardio equipment on our floor; nowhere to hide.

The metabolic demand is high. Multiple large muscle groups working at once in an alternating pattern means the oxygen cost of even moderate-effort Jacob's Ladder is significant. I've watched strong, fit members humbled by it inside three minutes, and I say that with affection.

Steady-state. A sustainable pace for 15 to 20 minutes. The novelty of the movement keeps it mentally engaging.

Intervals. Max effort for 20 to 30 seconds, active rest for 60 to 90 seconds. Because of the full-body demand, recovery between intervals usually needs more time than sprint intervals on a treadmill.

Programming. If you've never used it, start with a short session to learn the pattern. It takes a minute to find the rhythm. Once you have it, the session feels far more natural.

Bikes

Upright bike

Seated cycling in a position that mimics road cycling geometry. Low-impact and accessible for most fitness levels and ages.

Best for. Steady-state cardio, active recovery, and members with lower leg or hip issues that prevent running.

Programming. 30 to 45 minute sessions at a moderate pace. The upright position engages the core more than the recumbent and gives a more natural cycling posture for most people.

Recumbent bike

The recumbent bike puts the rider in a reclined, supported position with the legs extended forward. It dramatically reduces stress on the lower back and hips.

Best for. Members with back issues, hip problems, or those returning from lower body injuries. Also useful for longer, lower-intensity sessions where seat comfort matters.

Assault bike (air bike)

The Assault Bike combines simultaneous arm and leg cycling through a push-pull arm mechanism. Resistance comes from a large fan, so there's no ceiling on how hard you can work.

What it trains. Upper and lower body together. At max effort, it's arguably the most metabolically demanding piece of cardio equipment we own.

Intervals. The 20-10 protocol, 20 seconds max effort and 10 seconds rest, originated on the Assault Bike and remains one of the most demanding formats around. Start with 8 to 10 rounds. Twenty rounds is elite fitness territory.

Steady-state. At low effort, the Assault Bike is gentle enough to run for extended periods as active recovery.

Should you do steady-state cardio or intervals?

Both have a role, and I don't let members treat it as an either/or.

Steady-state (low intensity). Sustained effort at 60 to 70 percent max heart rate for 20 to 60 minutes. Builds aerobic base, improves fat oxidation at rest and during exercise, is easy to recover from, and can be done daily. This is the zone-2 work that increasingly gets talked about as a longevity lever; our zone 2 cardio and VO2 max guide unpacks why it matters for the long game.

Intervals (high intensity). Alternating near-maximum effort with recovery, typically 15 to 25 minutes. Produces greater cardiovascular adaptation per unit of time. Needs more recovery between sessions.

Which is better? Steady-state work suits daily active recovery, fat loss alongside appropriate nutrition, and building aerobic capacity without wrecking strength recovery. Intervals are more time-efficient and are best kept to 2 to 3 times per week. Our cardio equipment supports both across every machine type. The skill is matching the machine to the goal for that session, and if you're combining cardio with lifting, our hybrid training guide shows how to fit both into one week without one blunting the other.

Cardio and nutrition

Cardiovascular training, particularly at higher intensities, increases energy expenditure and places extra demands on nutrition and recovery. Members running significant cardio volume do better with adequate carbohydrate around training and consistent protein for muscle maintenance.

One thing I watch for on our floor: people who add hard cardio, cut food, and then wonder why they're flat and injury-prone. Cardio is a stress like any other, and it has to be fuelled. Our free member body composition scans make this visible, so you can see whether you're losing fat or losing hard-won muscle. You can book a free body scan any time.

The on-site Supplement Solutions store carries the Inception Labs range at member pricing, and for structured guidance, Inception Nutrition runs PhD-led coaching that reads your body composition data into a personalised plan.

Try our cardio floor for free

The breadth of our cardio equipment is best understood in person. A free trial lets you work through the machines, try Jacob's Ladder, test the Assault Runner, and find the combination that fits how you train.

When you're ready to train consistently, our membership options cover both approaches to commitment: the open-term plan stays flexible at $33.90 a week with 28-day cancellation notice, or a 24-month plan locks in our lowest weekly rate of $18.90. No joining fee on any plan, and if you're on Fitness Passport, we charge no tag fees and no sign-up fees, which is unique in Christchurch's network. Come and find your machine.