Monday, December 21, 2009

Hi!

Wow what a great start to this growing and dynamic Association! I am so proud to have you as a member and wanted to take this time to wish you and your family and joyous and festive Christmas!

Christmas is such an exciting time! Filled with friends and family, shopping, decorating, eating, partying and having fun! Enjoy the last Christmas of the decade, make it a good one!

From my family to yours all the best this holiday season! Please be safe and do not drink and drive!

I look forward to helping you climb stairs faster, lose weight faster and get fit faster!

Once again Merry Christmas!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association!

Friday, December 18, 2009

30 Minute Consults Now Available!

Hi there!


Wow! an exciting feature that we just added is 30 minutes of FREE fitness coaching using skype! (starting December 23rd!) Get great advice on fitness and how to start your body transformation in 2010!

The Association is growing fast and with we are looking forward to 2010 as we continue to grow and build momentum!

We look forward to helping you reach you fitness goals in 2010!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association

Sunday, December 13, 2009

2009 is Drawing to A Close...Are You Ready for 2010?

Wow! Time sure flies! 2009 is almost over an we are almost ready to start a new decade!!!

2010, what a poetic number! Think back to this time in 1999 10 years ago. Looking back have you gained the health and vitality that you wanted? Have you in the last ten years gotten fitter, gained more strength, and lost the body fat that you needed?

If not I urge you to set yourself up for victory this decade. Its time to draw a figuritve line in the sand and seperate yourself from your past mistakes and so called failures.

Its time to create a fitness plan that will get you to were you want to be!

10 years from now you can look back in 2020 hindsight (Quite literally) and see how you have shaped your physcial state!

Lets set a plan in motion for 2010 to be your best year yet! Let the Canada StairClimbing Association help you in creating the body and the physical vitality that you have always wanted.

My Association is here 100 percent to support you in your physcial pursuits no matter what they might be for you.

We offer great personalized programs that will help you understand how to train for weight loss and sports specific training. These programs will help you become lean, and fit as well as help you climb stairs quicker! For more information please email at

Trevor@stairclimbcanada.com

I look forward to helping you achieve your physcial dreams in 2010!

May you have a very Merry Christmas! I look forward to coaching you in 2010!

Your Fitness Mentor,
Trevor
Founder

News From the Canada StairClimbing Association!

Hey there!
Well lots of excellent stuff hapening at the Canada StairClimbing Association. We are currently upgrading our online personal training program, and this will be up and running in a few days.

This upgrade will have many great features that will aloow you the client to see videos of exercises, get detailed training prgrams, have access to your own customizable web page and much much more. I am really excited to bring this to the members because this will allow for my association to assist youeven more in achieveing all you can be for 2010!

On another note I have started my high intensity training for the Empire State Building Run-up. Today I climbed stairs in my apartment building. A total of 17 floors x 10 times up and down. I got my heart rate to over 170 BPM. Not too shabby.

I hope all is going well for your training. If you need any help at all with weight loss, strength training or endurance training, email me. We will easily be able to assit you in your goals!

Trevor
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

I Love Stairs!

Hey everyone!

Just a quick update as I have not been posting on here for a week or so. I am closing in on switching my training over to more speed work and more intense stair climbs. This will happen sometime after December 15th.

The website will undergo a major change in 2010 so watch out for that. I want to switch platforms because I have started to outgrow this web building package. I might go to wordpress, which has an excellent web building package.

Also please make sure to interact with other members and myself. I want to build a great community for people to express their interests of fitness and health.

I might be building a NING website, so you will be able to interact with each other and do more things.

Please bookmark and stay tune to this website for all the updates.

Any comments or suggestions let me know!

Stairclimbmaster@yahoo.com

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Long Time No Talk!

Hey everyone!

I have been super busy with work and have not had time to update the website that much.

I have added a marathon stairclimbing section. So if anyon wants to promote a stair climbing marathon event or just wants to participate in one check out that section.

I will keep updated the site over the weekend, so please keep checking back!

Training is going well for me. I just am in Patience Training mode and easing back on the major intense workouts. I will be switching gears come the middle to end of December for preperation on my first international race, the Empire State Building Run-up! woohoo! Cant Wait!

Talk to you guys soon!

Trevor

Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association

Friday, November 13, 2009

Hey Everyone|!



Well patience Training has begun for the next 2 months or so. I read this great training formula from Mark Allen a marathing runner. During his off-season he would begin patience training, where in his training he would never let his heart rate go above 150 beats per minute.



So I decided to do a little bit of patience training myself.

Im dropping heavy stairclimbing for about a month and a bit and will focus on longer duration cardio and not let my heartbeat go over 150. This is too give my body and break and get ready for heavier training and more intense speed training.

Strength Training will be just core and functional training with a few sets of heavy weights, but nothing heavier then 85 percent of max strength for that particular exercise.

I plan to do this un til end of December and then re-evaluate my training goals and get ready for the next phase of training leading up to my first stairclimbing event.

Check out my website! I have added great new features to the members area as well as the rest of the site!

Hope everyone had a great week!

Talk soon!

Trevor
Canada StairClimbing Association

Monday, November 9, 2009

Results For 1st Annual Marathon Stair Climb for Chip Time Results

Good Morning!

Well its two days after the big stair climb marathon and I feel great! It was a great feeling to finish something like this, and I hope to do it again next year with more participants.

The climb was equal to 10,000 feet, and you needed to climb up a set of 300 steps. Here is a photo of what they look like:



was fun climbing outside in November. It was a sunny day and it was quite mild outside. (14 degrees celcius) -Around 35-40 degrees farenheit.

The climb felt great! I made great time and felt pretty decent until around the 30th time going up. If you check the results page and go under the results for this race youll notice that my times got slower as I got more into the climb. But take a look at the 30-34th time up and I am right around the 5 minute mark per lap. My legs felt like lead at this point and it seemed i was hitting the wall as i felt my blood sugar levels crashing. I remember around the 30th lap I asked for some G2 gatorade. After In gesting it I felt slightly better.

After finishing the 34th lap I was done, my legs were burning and the lactic acid burn was incredible. It was a good feeling thou, finishing the climb 2 hours and 18 minutes.

Next years goal I would like to go under 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Ill keep you updated on my training, but for now I am taking a month off of hard stairclimbing and just focusing on increasing core and functional strength.

Take care all!

Trevor
Canada StairClimbing Association

Friday, November 6, 2009

Another great article!!!!

The Great Stair Climbing Workout
Climbing Stairs Can Take You to New Heights of Fitness

Wayne Westcott, PhD
South Shore YMCA

Special from Bottom Line's Daily Health News
June 16, 2009

E very year since 1978, a group of intrepid runners gathers at the foot of the Empire State Building to compete in an event sponsored by the New York Road Runners. But this is no ordinary run -- these competitors will run up 1,576 steps, from the bottom level to the Observatory deck on the 86th floor. Most finish in under 20 minutes, while the record thus far is just under 10 minutes.

Crazy? Hardly. Stair climbing is an increasingly popular way to squeeze a great aerobic workout into a short period of time. According to fitness expert Wayne Westcott, PhD, author of Get Stronger, Feel Younger, climbing stairs is among the most vigorous cardio workouts you can find. "You’re lifting your center of mass vertically," he explained. Since your body weight is not supported -- as it is with, say, swimming or rowing -- you expend greater effort and burn more calories. Athletes have a long tradition of training by dashing up sports stadium bleacher stairs... and who could forget the triumphant scene in Rocky? You can get a great workout using the stairwells in hotels, office buildings, apartments or even your home, and many people find it is an inexpensive, convenient alternative to the gym.

Stair climbing increases cardiovascular fitness as well as muscular endurance and strength. It works most of the leg muscles, especially the quadriceps (front of thighs) and buttocks, and requires a tremendous outlay of energy. Some "tower runners" (as those who compete in events like the Empire State Building Run-Up race are called) use their arms on the stair rail to help pull themselves up, which gives the upper body a bit of a workout as well. Additionally, stair climbing delivers a good core muscle workout -- this, in turn, improves posture.

TIPS FOR STAIR CLIMBERS

Intrigued? Here are a few tips to help step up your workout:

1. Wear running shoes or those designed for cross-training.

2. Take a few minutes to warm up first by walking around on level ground before you start your ascent... and cool down the same way afterward, followed by stretches (described below).

3. Stretch the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves after your workout, not before.

4. As you climb, lean slightly forward from your hips while keeping your back straight.

5. Place your entire foot on each step. Allowing your heels to hang over the edges may injure your Achilles tendon. Look forward, keeping your head up. Don’t let it droop, which can cause neck strain, though it is fine to glance down when necessary to get your bearings.

6. Don’t lock your knees as you climb up.

7. Vary your pace for maximum fitness benefit. Start by walking... walk faster... then slow down and speed up again, and again.

8. Stay safe. Just as you wouldn’t jog in a dark alley alone, don’t use stairs in a remote stairwell where calls for help wouldn’t be heard.

9. Drink plenty of water before and after. Stair climbing is intense, so you should plan to rehydrate just as you would during a jog or a race on level ground.

PREPARE FOR DESCENT

Though it’s aerobically easier, Dr. Westcott warns that coming down has its own dangers. "Walking down stairs or running downhill puts incredible stress on the joint structure -- in particular the tendons, fascia and ligaments," he says. You can minimize this stress by descending slowly, perhaps even stopping for a moment on landings. Resist the temptation to bound down two or three stairs at a time and instead come down purposefully. Or, you could take the elevator down -- but first, walk around up top to let your heart rate return to normal.

NEXT STEPS...

There are plenty of ways you can change-up stair climbing workouts. You may feel a bit breathless when starting out. If so, walk around the landing (or down the hall of whatever floor you are on) and then return to the stairwell and climb some more. You can create an interval training program by alternating spurts of high intensity (climbing up fast) with periods of "active rest" (walking on flat ground). Vary your workouts by climbing higher, faster and/or longer between rest stops.

Another benefit: You don’t need to work out for long periods of time to take your fitness to a higher level. In fact, Dr. Westcott told me that climbing 10 flights of stairs at three different times over the course of a day is actually preferable to going up 30 flights all at once. The reason? "Some of the most important physiological adaptations, such as improvement in aerobic capacity, take place during the recovery period," he explains. "With three separate bouts of exercise, you get the benefit of three recovery periods." Also, you may find it easier to push yourself to do 10 flights at a time, rather than having to take on all 30.

A stair-climbing machine can deliver many of the same benefits, of course. Dr. Westcott noted, however, that the classic StairMaster machines aren’t as intense, since you’re not working against gravity -- they don’t require you to lift your feet off the steps but rather shift your weight from one leg to the other. He said that a better choice for gym rats is the type of machine that features an actual revolving staircase -- though I can tell you from experience, these are significantly harder.

If you’re interested in competing, you can get a listing of worldwide "tower running" events at www.towerrunning.com/english/races.htm, which sorts the races by number of stairs. For example, in Chicago you can "Hustle Up the Hancock" (1,632 stairs) or really high achievers could consider the pinnacle of the sport -- the "Sächsischer Mt. Everest Treppenmarathon" in Germany, climbing a nearly unimaginable (to me) 39,700 stairs. Also, Canada StairClimbing Association(www.stairclimbcanada.com) has a list of stair climbing fundraising events.

Great article! Take alook at our events section for more info!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
Canada Stairclimbing Association
GREAT ARTICLE!!!!! Thanks Jamie! woohoo!

No, Thanks. I'll Take The Stairs
More people are skipping the elevator -- and are racing their way to the top

When a massive blackout hit New York in 2003, then 35-year-old Jamie Leone had no choice but to take the stairs to her 28th-floor apartment. The next day, the elevators came back to life, but Leone opted to keep on climbing -- and still does, even though "my neighbors think I'm nuts," she says.

All that climbing is paying off. In the recent Empire State Building Run-up, an annual stair-climbing race at the Manhattan landmark, Leone dashed up 86 floors (1,576 steps) in 20 minutes, 40 seconds -- about 10 minutes behind the winner, but a solid first-time performance. Stair climbing, she says, has taught her how to reach new heights in other areas of life, including her job at a private-equity firm in New York. "It's a physical challenge. You have to learn to focus and push through mentally," she says.

In today's sedentary cubicle culture, stair climbing could save you from more than just those awkward elevator conversations -- it could save your life. The American Council on Exercise recommends 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Walking up steps, says Todd Galati, ACE research scientist, can burn as many calories in a 30-minute period as jogging at a 12-minute mile pace or cycling at 12 to 14 mph. That translates to 286 calories for a 150-lb. climber and 382 for a 200-pounder. Plus, the faster you go, the more calories you burn.

Of course it's not a holistic exercise solution. "You should include strength training and flexibility training," Galati says, "and start out slow to avoid soreness." Those with a history of knee problems should consult a doctor first, he adds. Once you're in shape, you'll be ready to race.

The wintry months spanning November to April constitute the stair climbers' racing season. More than 80 major "towerthons" take place around the globe each year, according to the Web site TowerRunning.com. And with new races popping up everywhere from Boston to Taipei, the number of people who bypass the elevator is rapidly taking flight.

SECURITY CONCERNS
Just ask Pedro Ribeiro, a Portuguese-born mechanical engineer who lives in Macau, south China, near Hong Kong. Ribeiro, 33, uses his vacation time to compete in stair-climbing races. He recently finished 9th out of about 1,000 at the Taipei 101, a new 91-story race at the world's tallest building in Taipei, Taiwan, and 7th out of 150 elite runners at the Empire State Building. Tower running, he says, gives him more determination in his life, not to mention prize money. He took home $300 from the Taipei 101. The top prize? Nearly $6,000.

Perhaps the greatest challenge for climbers these days is not the steps themselves -- but gaining access to them. Heightened security concerns in some high-rises make stairwells off-limits even for people who work or live in these buildings. A week before the Empire State Building event, runner Michael Rosenthal, who works on the 58th floor, was barred from training in the stairwell by building security, citing liability reasons.

Resigned to working out in his 26-story apartment building, the 42-year-old entrepreneur has big plans for the sport. He founded the International Federation of Stair Racers and is launching a Web site, stairracing.com, that he hopes will link the thousands of stair climbers and those who sponsor the races to make buildings more accessible for training and competition. "If my organization could do anything for the sport, it would be to move it out of the category of a novelty," he says. It's a step in the right direction. Only 1,575 more to go.

For more information visit our website!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association

Thursday, November 5, 2009

OUCH MY ACHING BACK!

Well I havent updated my blog in a little bit...because I hurt my back climbing stairs! I have had recurring back issues since 2005. It all is because of my ex-bodybuilding routines. I used to squat really heave 400-505 lbs. One time in 2005 I was squatting 400 lbs and heard my back pop. I couldnt stand up straight. From then on in I hve had back troubles. Occassionaly my back is strained, and i think it has to do with tight hip flexors and the psoas muscles.

I went to an osteopath and have been icing and putting the good old RUB A535 on it, and its 80 percent better.

I am still going to do the fun marathon event, but after that i think Im going to give hard stairclimbing a break for about a month, I might go stairclimbing once a week, but other then that I need to cool the jets

The website has had major changes over the last few days, and I will continue to tweak everything and make things more interesting.

Check out the featured exercise section which will feature a new exercise that you can do to improve your stairclimbing abilities.

Hope all is well!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association

Monday, November 2, 2009

Hi all!

Yesterday I finished at two hour marathong workout at the chedoke staircase in Hamilton, Ontario. I climbed the stairs a total of 30 times up and down. It was a great workout.

This is for preperartion for this coming Saturday as there is a fun workout at the stairs. This is a fun race to see who can climb 3000 meters vertical the quickest.

This should be a great test of endurace and mental fortitude. Ill let you know the outcome.

My lungs have recovered from the CN Tower climb, and now I would like to focus on next years competitions.

I would like to try my hand at the Empre State Building since we are so close to New York. I think its only a 5 hour drive. That should be a great competition for myself as I get my feet wet on international soils.

I would like to add a update section somewhere near the top of the main weppage of my site, so anyone will know what type of content is being updated. Check out my website for more information!

Hope all had a great halloween! Less then 60 days and we celebrating Christmas! wow!

Cheers everyone!
Trevor

Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association

Thursday, October 29, 2009

.
A New Way to Run



Not just in Canada but world wide, stair climbing events (also known as tower running and vertical racing) are becoming increasingly popular. Who participates in these events? Why do they do them? This article fills you in on how to find a stairclimbing event near you and how to train for one.


Feel the burn:

Even notice at the gym that the treadmills and ellipticals fill up faster than the stair machines. There is good reason for it. Climbing stairs is harder. For every minute that I walk at 4.0 mph I burn 6.8 calories where as I burn 8.8 calories on the stairs. That may not sound like a big difference but the effort expended stair climbing is greater and burns the calories. Stair climbing targets the body's large muscles such as the glutes and quads. The more muscle you have the more calories you can burn. Stair climbing is a great way to get in shape and lose weight.

Who me?

Almost anyone can participate in stair climbing events. Most events do have a minimum age limit. Often that is 18 years old. As long as you are in reasonably decent physical health you can sign up for a stair climbing event. The events have staggered start times and begin the race with the elite athletes first. The amateur athletes are then allowed to begin in intervals.

Why stairs?


Sure it is great exercise but why stair climbing events? It isn't another 5k. Runners like the challenge of stairs and people who want to join an event but don't want to do so when it is cold outside enjoy the same feeling and excitement.



Tower running is blossoming because it is a great fundraising opportunity. The American Lung Association hosts several stair climbing events and there are many other events that support great causes such as blood cancer and Muscular Dystrophy. Some events encourage participants to solicit pledges but this is not always necessary and often your entry or registration fee is all that is required. Speaking of registration fees often they can be reduced or waived if a person volunteers for the event as well. Setting up for the event the night before or helping to fill swag bags (goody bags at vertical races often include t shirts, water bottles or towels) is a great way to get involved, meet new people and save some money too.

Many of the tower running events are over thirty stories so unless you are already very athletic you are going to need to train for it. Access to the stairwells of tall buildings can be a challenge due to security measures so until the day of the race you may not be able to run up forty flights for practice so here are some training tips to help prepare you. In your own house, nearby apartment complex or even a hotel often you can find access to one or two flights of stairs and that is all you need. Begin by climbing the stairs without any weight the first week. Put in as many flights as you can without over doing it. Do this twice a week. Each week add dumb bells. First week hold a two or five pound dumb bell in each hand and walk up as many flights of stairs as you did the previous week. Increase the weight each week until you get to approximately fifteen or twenty pounds then keep the weight the same and increase the number of flights you walk up until you are walking up the same amount of flights that your event will have. On the other days your work out should include strength training and low impact cardio such as elliptical machine or swimming.

Find a stair climbing event :

Sometimes it takes a bit of searching to locate a stair climbing event since it isn't as popular yet as 5ks or marathons. There are a great many events out there and I have found some in almost every state. Your local newspaper and gym bulletin boards are a great place to start looking and online there are a couple websites such as tower running.com and stairclimbcanada.com which have vertical races but are not a complete list. Search the internet using the name of your state and stair climbing as search terms and you will be surprised how many turn up. Sign up for a race and let me know how you did. Good luck!

Trevor

Monday, October 26, 2009

Even professional athletes struggle with the CN Tower Climb.

"There's a point when you're running up the stairs and you just feel the pain," says Canada's top high-jumper, Nicole Forrester, who has conquered the climb twice. "But you push through it."

The Toronto native will take on the tower again Oct. 25, with a group of elite athletes representing AthletesCAN, an association for athletes on Canada's national teams. The public climb is scheduled for Oct. 24. Both benefit the United Way.

The AthletesCAN team hasn't trained specifically for the event. Though all are in peak condition, some may find their training isn't geared to the unique demands of the climb, Forrester adds. "It will be interesting."

For the average person, training is a must. Racing up 1,776 stairs requires power and endurance beyond what you get from the occasional Stairmaster session. Forrester recommends adding plyometrics jumps and other explosive moves to your regular workouts. Better yet, hit the stadium stairs, she says.

Exercises such as step-ups can also help build up your stair-climbing muscles.

Step-ups

1. Stand in front of a bench, step or milk crate. (If using a crate, place it on a non-slip mat.)

Hold 5- to 10-pound dumbbells, or hug a medicine ball to your chest.

2. Step up on the bench, leading with your right foot.

3. Step down, again leading with the right. Do nine more leading with your right, then switch sides and repeat on the left.

That's one set; do three. You can use heavier weights to add resistance as you improve.

Fore more training information visit The Canada StairClimbing Association Website

Trevor

Canada StairClimbing Association

Sunday, October 25, 2009

CN Tower Climb Results

Well I have finished the CN Tower Climb, My 7th time up, and I feel i gave it my all, but up short in beating my Personal Best. I finished the climb in 12:25 minutes, my PB was 11:33 minutes.

It was a good race up the tower and i am really happy that I finished it, but to be honest I was slightly disappointed.

I have to say by the halfway mark floor 72 I clocked in at 5minutes and 36 seconds. So If I had stayed on pace I would finished in 10:32, but that wasn't the case.

My girlfriend and I arrived at the tower around 5:15 am, yes we got up at 4 am! Woohoo! Registration was very easy and we waited in a group many people waiting to be let go and climb the tower.

By around 6:15 am est, the organizers let most people through to climb, we headed up the escalators and outside toward the looming CN Tower.

I ended up sprinting past at least 40-50 people as I wanted to be one of the first climbers to the top.

Before I started I was given a time card with a number punched in, I then started my watch and I was off!

It had been raining in the morning causing the first few floors to be wet, I almost slipped climbing around floors 1 and 2, but kept going, staying on my feet.

I started running up, driving through with the legs and letting my core do a lot of the work. I forget how tough the stairs are. The separation between each step is bigger then most that I have trained on, so I feel that immediately.

I ran to approx, floor 45, which I started to climb, grabbing the railings and driving hard through each leg.

As i got to floor 72 I checked my watch, 5 minutes and 36 seconds, I was on pace to break my PB.

As I continued I noticed I was slowing down. I could feel my lungs burning, my legs felt fine, not that fatigued.

I got to the 120th floor and looked down at my watch, 10 minutes and change. I thought to myself that there would be no beating my PB this year, but to finish strong.

I got to the 144th floor elated yet slightly Disappointed 12:25minutes, nothing close to the PB or the world record I want to beat.

My friends finished closely behind and as they started to calculate their times I noticed that they were all slower then last years.

Interesting..

It was very humid in the stairwell, Anthony my close friend told me. More humid then anytime he has climbed it (14 in total)

I pondered my results and figured there was always next year. As I head out onto the Observation deck with my girlfriend Tiffany to enjoy the Toronto view, I vowed to myself that I will break the 10 minutes mark in April 2010.

So I am happy that I made a great time, but want to do better.

Here are my goals coming into the winter season.

I will let my body take a break before coming back and training for the next CN Tower climb.

November 1st will start hard training again and I will be on a mission.

My goal is to become lighter, my weight needs to come down to at least 195 lbs, around 5 percent body fat. I was 210lbs 8 percent body fat

My leg explosiveness needs to increase, I will be focusing on doing more explosive movements in training.
I need to cut out heavy weight, and focus more on full body movements that will help climbing stairs. I will include some exercises that are compound movements like incline chest press, etc.. But will limit this
I would also like to find a huge condo in Toronto where I can train regularly starting in 2010
I would like to fin and talk to the World record Holder Brendan to see how he trained for the climb. I heard he took two years to get ready to do that.

So I will keep everyone updated on my progress. Hope everyone is well!

For more imformation on climbing the CN Tower or becoming a member of the Canada StairClimbing Association go to the Canada StairClimbing Association
Talk soon!

Trevor

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Hey!

I am finished my last weight workout which was great. I feel better today and not sick at all. So now its just easy recovery until the climb!

Ill post the results as soon as I am finished! woo!

Have a good couple of days!

Trevor

Founder

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Feeling Under the Weather



Hi all!

Well I am a bit under the weather for the past couple of days. A little depressing considering I have trained so hard for the last 3 months. But that happens right? I feel 90 percent, just a stuffy nose and a little tired.

I finished my last stair workout this morning, just going up and down the dundunr stairs 6 times which is the equivaant to the cn tower. Felt ok until the 5th time up, when my legs felt weak slightly tired, it was a wired feeling.

I am going to take the next 3-4 days to rest up and make sure my body is 100 percent going into Saturday morning.

I have updated the members area, and added a few new wigdets...

I will be writing the two articles I promised right after the tower climb

Take Care!

Trevor

Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association
http://www.stairclimbcanada.com

Canada Stair Climbing Association - Home

Canada Stair Climbing Association - Home

Monday, October 19, 2009

What is Your Why?

There are many people in 2009 that will start to follow a healthy lifestyle. They will cut out the heavy drinking, become more health conscience and start an exercise routine.

Unfortunately for every 10 people that start being healthy 9 will actually revert back to their old habits.

Why?

Everyone knows that being healthy is so important! Especially in today’s world where we have more obese individuals then non-obese.

I have found that I can teach a person the tools to get fit, and I can tell them the so called secrets and show them exactly what to do, however if this person is left to their own devices 9 out of 10 times they will revert back to old habits.

I believe that you need a strong enough “WHY” when trying to obtain a healthy lifestyle. A lot of us know that we should exercise, eat healthy, stop smoking, quit drinking, but many of us do not develop a strong enough “why” and therefore never follow through!

Your emotions are so much stronger then your rational thinking. If you get enough emotion behind why you would like to do something, then you’ll find just about any way to complete it!
The secret to living a healthy lifestyle for LIFE is to have 10 WHYS for every doubt. You must create a “WHY I NEED TO GET HEALTHY” List.

This list is filled with emotion, and desire.
Its cant be something like this..
1) To lose 10 lbs2) so my husband won’t call me fat anymore..
NO.

If you say these things to yourself that might inspire you for a day!

You have to get emotional!

For me exercise has a deep spiritual side, where if I don’t actually physically exercise I actually feel less spiritual, less connected with God! I believe that being physical is actually something that we were meant to do as human beings and to not have fitness in your life is like slapping your creator in the face.

So what is your “WHY?”

Come up with at least 10 “WHYS” that will get you moving, even if its just walking outside for 10 minutes, at least you are developing that habit!

Try our online trainers at www.stairclimbcanada.com! They are really really affordable!

In True Health!
Trevor
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association
www.stairclimbcanada.com

10 Fitness Tips!

Here are 10 tips that will help you become successful in your fitness quest in 2009

1) Tell a Buddy - Telling a friend about your fitness goals will keep you accountable for your actions. You want to tell as many people as you can about your fitness goals. This way your friends will help you to stay on track

2) Find Out Your “WHY.” - It is very important to figure out “WHY” you are starting an exercise program! Emotion is much stronger then rational thinking. Figure out why you are making a lifestyle change and your chances of success will skyrocket. (Please see blog above for more info)

3) Plan Your Workouts. Make sure that you are scheduling your workouts ahead of time. Treat your workouts like a business meeting that cannot be moved. Be consistent, if you are starting to workout every second day, then schedule your workout in your daytimer or blackberry and DO NOT MOVE IT!

4) Plan your meals ahead of time. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!” If you do not plan meals ahead of time you will be forced to grab fast food or an unhealthy treat when you in a rush. Cook meals on a Sunday, and make sure you have enough to cover yourself till Saturday morning.

5) Prepare yourself mentally - Often times overlooked, mental preparation is far more important then actually working out. Make sure you spend some time as soon as you wake up to actually visualize how you want your body to look like. Cut out pictures of the body that you would like to obtain and post them in spots that will make you excited and stay motivated. i.e. - Fridge, Bathroom Mirrors etc.. Make your mind strong, and your body will follow

6) Do more then just cardio,cardio, cardio - Cardio alone will not do the trick in changing the body. You must incorporate all aspects of fitness and health. Strength train, stretch, include core training, muscular endurance exercises and functional fitness exercises. If you do not know how to start hire our online trainers to help you get going!

7) Drink Water - Another overlooked application of weight loss. Water is the most abundant nutrient in our bodies. If you are dehydrated your body will not be able to break down fat and dispose of it. Your organs and other tissues will become toxic and not function properly. To avoid this and to aid in flushing out “FFAs” (Free Fatty Acids) Drink 2-3 liters DAILY! (Or until your urine is clear)

8 - Train with a buddy or hire a personal trainer! Often times the biggest obstacles in our fitness success is ourselves. We often do not know how to properly eat, train and recover and this is largely due to the misinformation that the media has fed us though the years. Get educated and hire a personal trainer to teach you everything you need to know about fitness and health. Even if you cannot afford it ask yourself this question “How CAN I afford it?” Take the time too see if you can cut back on other luxury items to free up some extra spending money, so you CAN AFFORD IT!

9) Be Grateful for Your Body. Being grateful for your health is the cornerstone in improving your body. Spend a little time each day to thank your body for giving you a gift. Your heart that keeps on beating, no coffee break, no lunch break, even if you’re not aware of it. Your eyes that let you see the most amazing things. You ears that let you hear magnificent sounds. When you are in total gratitude of your body then you will begin to see immense physical changes.

10) Being Balanced and in the moment. - Life is all about balance. Having an obsessive nature about exercise is not healthy. Once you start becoming obsessive about every calorie that is ingested then you are taking steps backwards. Be absolutely certain that you will maintain balance in your physical body, your spiritual mind and the outside world. Our bodies like to be in balance. Be present in everyday moments. Many people let their minds go on automatic pilot and just act like robots. Make sure to be present on daily tasks and events. Your body and mind will thank you.

For more information on our online trainers visit

www.stairclimbcanada.com

In True Health!

Trevor
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association
www.stairclimbcanada.com

Three

Three Weight Loss Mistakes That You Should Not Do!
Hi there!

I am going to let you in on three basic nutrition mistakes that most people start to make when embarking on a weight loss program. Follow the Action Plan listed after every mistake and your sure not to go wrong! For more information regarding fitness and health email trevor@stairclimbcanada.com Check out our website! www.stairclimbcanada.com


MISTAKE #1

Not consistently eating every three hours.

As a culture we have been programmed to think that eating less will help us lose weight. Many fad diets have taught us to reduce your calories that you eat in a day and you will lose weight!

Heck, even Oprah preaches about this: “Eat Less and Move more”

However our bodies are not designed like this. You see by decreasing the amount of food that you eat during the day; you actually decrease the metabolism in the body

There is a fancy word: “metabolism” what does that mean? Metabolism refers to all chemical reactions that happen in the body. This could refer to hair growth, nail growth, skin regeneration, digestion, elimination, and a hundred million different other reactions including the process of “fat burning”

Our cells depend on us to give them the proper fuel to fulfill these chemical reactions. If for some reason the cells do not get the proper fuel they automatically slow down and stop doing there job properly.

The point is that you need to be fueling you body every three hours. This will keep your metabolic rate humming along, and it will also keep your blood sugar levels from crashing and you feeling miserable!

ACTION PLAN #1

Look at your daily schedule: Pencil in the times that you can have a quick snack. Ideally you would like to have the following
6am – wake-up
7 am Breakfast
10 am Mid-Morning snack
12:30 lunch
3:00 pm Mid-afternoon snack
6:00 small dinner
9:00 small snack
Note: These meals are very small and are not the traditional three square meals a day!

MISTAKE #2

Not taking in enough water

The most overlooked aspect of any fitness program is WATER! Water is such an important facet in trying to lose weight, but it is often overlooked by most fitness professionals!

Why is water so important, you ask? Well for one your body is 70 percent water! That has to give you some indication of how important it is to the vital organs of your body.

-Blood is 83% water
-Muscles are 75% water
-The brain is 74% water
-Bone is 22% water

Without proper intake of water, your body would start to such down, toxins start forming in the blood and in vital organs, and your body can become very toxic.

Water - The Miracle Worker

Simple water is truly a "wonder drug." Without chemicals, additives, or anything unnatural, a steady dose of 2 liters a day will:
-Improve Your Energy
-Increase Your Mental and Physical Performance
-Remove Toxins & Waste Products from your body
-Keep Skin Healthy and Glowing
-Help You Lose Weight
-Reduce Headaches and Dizziness
-Allow for proper Digestion
-Help to keep you more Alkaline

ACTION PLAN!
Go to your local Wal-mart. There you will find a 2.2 liter water bottle.
Drink at least one of these per day!

MISTAKE #3

Not Eating Enough Protein throughout the Day

This is a big one for women. I consult with mostly women. Every single woman I have ever talked to does not take in enough protein.

Protein is the building blocks of all our cells in the body. Without enough of this important macronutrient it is impossible to see changes in the body.

Protein is so important in a weight loss prospective because it is extremely thermogenic. Meaning it takes the body a longer time to break protein down into its usable form that it actually speed the metabolism up!

In addition our muscles are made up of amino acids: (The breakdown of Protein in the body) without sufficient protein in the body, you will not see a change in your muscle shape or size.

Women are often scared of taking protein because of on thought. They don’t want to become muscular. Taking in protein will not cause you to become overly muscular. Women have not enough testosterone in the body to fully develop muscles like a man would. Therefore taking in copious amounts of protein will only cause the body to excrete the excess through the urine.

How Much Protein Do I Need?

To see changes in the body most women should aim for 1.0 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass.

There for if a women weighs 130 lbs and her lean mass is 100 (Fat free mass) Then she should take in roughly 100 grams of protein throughout the day.

100x1.0grams = 100 grams

Take 100 grams and divide it into 6 small meals a day

100/6 = 16.6 or 17 gram per meal.

So for every meal you would need 16 grams of protein, which is easy to do. A small chicken breast contain 20 grams already, combine that with a nice salad, and you have a great meal!

ACTION PLAN #3

Go to your local grocery store to do some grocery shopping. Buy the following items for some tasty protein sources

1) Skinless/Boneless Chicken
2) Cottage Cheese (low fat or 1%)
3) Tuna
4) Salmon
5) Lean cut of steak or meat (Center cuts)
6) Eggs
7) Extra lean ground beef
8) Chic Peas

Then go to your local Vitamin Store and buy some protein powder.

See you next time!

Trevor
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association
www.stairclimbcanada.com

Stairs, Stairs and More Stairs!

Yup another stairclimbing workout at the dundurn stairs in Hamilton On. Did 16 times up and down, which took an hour and seven minutes, not too shabby. On the last one I did 10 squats per landing which is a total of maybe 1000 squats??...not too sure on the numbers on that...it sure felt like it thou.
 
Tomorrow is easy arms, core and easy recovery cardio, Saturday is a blissful day off and Sunday is a time trial again.
 
Only 15 more days till im up the tower! woohoo! My girlfriend want to do the climb with me, which is even more exciting!
 
On the website front things are looking better and better. I have posted a lot of updates and will be adding a wiki, as soon as I figure out how to unzip the file.
 
If you guys need anyting just let me know. Sign up for a free membership and converse with other members!
 
Well just a short post today,
 
keep ya guys updated on whats going on!
 
Trevor

Stair Climb Update x 50 lbs!

Hi everyone!
 
I had a great workout on the stairs this morning! I climbed the stairs with an additional fifty lbs on my back! wow! It was tough! Of course I didnt run up the stairs, but power climbed, working on explosive power through the legs and core. I climbed up and down 10 times with 50 lbs on my back, which took just over an hour, then I dropped 25 lbs and climbed once with 25 lbs on my back, then finally on the last climb up I did it with just my bodyweight.
 
I feel I am very ready for the cn tower climb, which is happening in less then 18 days! yeah!
 
Hope you all are ready too!
 
Talk soon!
 
Trevor

CN Tower Training Routine

Hey guys!
 
 
Training is going well! I feel very fit and my cardio is really high. This morning I did at least 20 exercises in a span of a hour and then did a slow 20 minutes of recovery cardio on the elliptical machine and some relaxing stretching.
 
Yesterday I did stairs and did 13 times up the dundurn stairs with a 25 lb plate on my back (in a backpack) It was great I finished 10 in 53 minutes and 45 seconds and then did 2 more with the weight and then did the last one without weight.
 
Tomorrow I am back on the stairs doing a time trial and some more conditioning. Friday is Arms, core, and saturday is a day off.
 
I wish I was a competitive athlete who was paid just to train eat, sleep and compete. Oh well, we can all dream right? I guess its off to work now.
 
If you guys want to interact with me by all means! email me or send me your thoughts on the website. (Which is looking quite in good form) I want to know how you guys train etc, Ill help you out the best I can.
 
Talk soon!
 
Trevor
President

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Flying Folgering

Hi!

Lol great title right? Well I am done the last hard stairclimbing workout before the CN Tower climb. My legs are tired and now its time to head into recovery week and do some major tapering.

Today I did my last time trial as well. I ended up getting 11:32 minutes for six times up the stairs. Not a record, but considering my hamstrings were mega sore and my lungs felt constricted cause of the cold and because of my blood donation last Thursday I believe I did very well.

I put on the 25 lb backpack and climbed an additional 10 times up and down, and then did four more times without weight. Which gave me a total of 20 times up and down.

Now its strictly getting the legs to be back at 100 percent again, so tomorrow I will be doing Chest and Core, no cardio, Tuesday will be my last stairclimbing workout, but this will be very easy, maybe 5-6 times up. Wednesday, Back,shoulders, core. Thursday will be a day off abd Friday will be a light cardio workout i.e - elliptical for 20 mintues and stretching

Ok, so enough about that.

How is everyong enjoying the website? Any feedback or comments would be appreciated. This site is for you so any comments or questions please sent them my way!

Also I have another blog, which can be foound at my website:

http://www.stairclimbcanada.com/apps/blog/

Hope everyone is doing well!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
Canada StairClimbing Association
www.stairclimbcanada.com

Burning Quads!

Wow! I finsihed a crazy stair climbing training training session. I climbed up and down the dundun stairs 25 times!!!! Oh my this was a new best, and the time trial I went 11:23 minutes, beating my PB. So all in all it was a very good training session.

The weather is gettin colder. The temp was 3 degrees celcius making it harder to climb I think. Climbing the first six was tougher then previous because my lungs felt constricted. Oh well ,still a good effort.

When I got home my right quad was burning! I put some run 5a35 on it and did some self-massage. I think the lactic acid was so high it was causeing pain. I didnt pull anything, but its really fatigued.

I have also put up some updates on the website, photo updates etc.. So feel free to upload any photos or chat on our forums.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy thanksgiving!

Trevor Folgering
http://www.stairclimbcanada.com