Climbing Stairs Quickly Takes More then Just Climbing Stairs!

Getting good at climbing stairs takes more then...well lets just say it takes more then climbing stairs.

Ironically most sports require you to get fit first and then play the sport, not get fit from playing the sport.

Most sports such as hockey, baseball, soccer require the athlete to do some type of cross training, strength training or functional training.

Participating in this type of training will not only enhance the athletes abilities on the field but will prevent in injuries as well.

So how do you get really good at stair climbing? First Climb stairs only once a week "offseason." This means only climb stairs once a week when not preparing for a stair climbing race. Why is this? Well first stair climbing is naturally very tough on the body not only physically but it can also be a drain mentally. Therefore to keep the body fresh only train on actual stairs once a week when building your fitness levels.

Second train with weights. More specifically train for explosive strength, speed and agility. Stair climbing is a unique sport which requires the you to go vertical as fast as you can! Therefore any training that you do with weights should be done in such a manner that builds explosive strength through the legs.

If you want to get a good leg workout that builds your explosive power you need to try the prowler! Take a look at this!



This is one of the best pieces of equipment I have used in a long time! The prowler is a device that you can pile weight on to and literally push it back and forth! This will aid in your stair climbing by making your legs 1) more explosive and 2) you will have more muscular endurance in your lower body.

The third thing to consider to really get good at stair climbing is work the core, HARD! Yes I know "core work" is really being beat like a dead horse right now and everyone wants to work the core, however core exercises are so important in the overall picture of stair climbing. Because your core is the center of all movements it is imperative that you have a strong core!

Off-season training should be done before a big climb. In season training (Which I will discuss in a later article) Should start 6-12 weeks out depending on your fitness level

Till next time!

Keep on Steppin!

Trevor Folgering
Canada StairClimbing Association!
http://www.stairclimbcanada.com
http://www.cansca.org