A twice stepped limiting program by presetting on north was designed to improve the efficiency of limiting process of a gyrotheodolite. The principle of traditional stepped limiting was introduced, and the relationship of the swing balance and the zero position of gyrotheodolite was analyzed. Then ,the traditional program of zero position following was redesigned to a balance position following now,so that the gyro could quickly limit the swing of the gyro and allow it to campaign with a small swing near north through stepping twice. The mathematical formulas for two stepping angles and time were derived, the error factors on the limiting effect were analyzed and the different swing ranges and the coefficient ratios of suspensory torsions to gyro torques were simulated. Finally, the program was applied to a pendulous gyroscope. The theory and experiment results show that the limiting is implemented in an un-following gyro precession circle with a limiting precision of 1′. The program proposed reaches the precision index and time demand of north-finding without adding any software, and improves the efficiency of limiting.