Sunday, July 31, 2011

Pushing Past Mediocrity

What does it really take to push your body to new physical heights and be able to experience a body that is full of life, vitality and energy??

Most people do not actually realize how they need to push themselves to get the results they deserve.

The problem is that its not only the training that they must push themselves through, but they must also push through societies constant message of being mediocre.

While fitness professionals all over the world try desperately to change clients views on living a healthy lifestyle, other sources of influence tell them its alright to live a life full of mediocrity and forget about a healthy lifestyle.

For example - take a look at any 30 minute television show broadcast around the world. In a 30 minute time span the t.v viewer is bombarded with commercials and messages to go and eat that burger from A&W or go and purchase the latest high tech gadget that will keep everyone sedated and lazy. And this is only in thirty minutes.

Most individuals watch way more then thirty minutes of TV.

Society is telling us that living a life of mediocrity is way better then living a life of health and fitness.

How many ads do you see about living healthy, purchasing a gym membership or hiring a personal trainer to take your life to a higher level??? That's right..there is NONE!!! (well maybe a few in the new year)

Do you see the issue here??? We have been sold a bill of goods for so many years. We just except that as the way it is and go about our day.

However you can do something about this!

Fight Past Living a Mediocre Lifestyle

1) Refuse to purchase any types of foods that are processed, man made, or have added chemicals, sugars, salts, fats and additives.

2) Hire a Personal Trainer! Get educated about how to really treat your body and fight past living a mediocre lifestyle.

3) Start to live more consciously and realize that the small things make the biggest difference over the long run. Being conscious about your health is the number on way to break free of being mediocre!

4) Join our stairclimbing meet-up groups! These groups are a great way to start your fitness journey! Take a look at some of the feedback we have been getting in the last year! This group is for everyone and is not just for people who are fit! Com check it out!

I urge you to really rebel against societies message of being mediocre and start living a life of fitness!

Your Fitness Mentor and Guru,

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
www.bodyrevolution.ca
www.stairclimbcanada.com
543-4598

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Summer Poison - Ice Cream!

Well now that it is summer its time to relax and take a few months to enjoy the nice weather and let it all hang out (not literally!)

Ice cream is a food that can kill us. Loaded with sugars, unhealthy fats and oils. This summer time "treat" should be avoided to maintain a healthy figure and waistline.

Not only that but ice-cream provides no nutritional value and does nothing to fuel workouts or provide any type of recovery from workouts.

What really bugs me is the insane amount of people lining up for this summer poison. There is nothing good about ice cream - yet people poison their bodies with it.

There are alternatives to ice-cream if you looking for a alternative. How about a ice-cold protein smoothie?

Here are some protein smoothies that take the place of ice-cream and are amazing for leaning out, building lean muscle tissue and losing body fat!

Protein Smoothie - Max Protein Recipe

Ingredients:
1 banana 1 tbsp pf protein powder(or recommended amount) 1/2 cup of yogurt 1 cup of nonfat milk

Directions: Blend the banana and milk togther for 30 seconds on high speed, add the yogurt and protein powder and blend for another minute on high speed. Now you have a high protein, great tasting smoothie.

Protein Smoothie Recipe for Muscle Builders

If you are looking to build muscle, you have to have protein in your diet. There are many good sources of protein but if you do not have the time to cook and eat every time you need proteins, than protein smoothies are a great, easy source. Most protein smoothie recipes take a few minutes to get ingredients, add protein powder, and blend all together.

Protein Smoothie - Max Protein Recipe

Ingredients:
1 banana 1 tbsp pf protein powder(or recommended amount) 1/2 cup of yogurt 1 cup of nonfat milk

Directions: Blend the banana and milk togther for 30 seconds on high speed, add the yogurt and protein powder and blend for another minute on high speed. Now you have a high protein, great tasting smoothie.

Low Carb Protein Smoothie Recipe

You can also enjoy a healthy, low carb protein smoothie. Low fat, low carb, full of vitamins and packed with protein makes protein smoothie recipes a great weight control dessert.

Fruit Medley Protein Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tbsp pf protein powder(or recommended amount) 4 strawberries 8 cherries without seeds 5 peach slices 1/2 a banana 1 cup of nonfat milk

Directions: Blend the assorted fruits with the milk, begin adding the powder as the texture becomes smooth. The milk may also be replaced with orange juice or fruit punch for a non dairy protein smoothie.

Hope these help! Stay away from the ice-cream poison!

Interested in getting fit and healthy throughout the summer?

Join us at our stairclimbing meet-up groups ad well as our stairclimbing workshops both aimed at making you the healthiest you have ever been!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Monday, May 30, 2011

10 Hour Climb

On Sunday May 29th I finished my first 10 hour stair climb ever. What follows below is an explanation of what happened during the climb and how it went.

The day before I completed a hard gym workout as I didnt want my legs to be fresh for the long climb. The workout basically consisted of 12-16 minutes of straight circuit training with 2 minutes rest in between circuits. Lastly I completed 15 minutes of medium intensity cardio with stretching at the end.

On Sunday I woke up at 2:45 am and got ready to go to the Delta Hotel in Regina, Saskatchewan. I packed the following for the climb

1) 4 liters of gatorade (Split up in two 2.2 liter bottles
2) 10 small jars of banana baby food
3) 2 bottles of table syrup
4) Two Bananas
5) 2 containers of semi cooked oatmeal

Mostly the plan was to climb for two hours straight and then start pushing in baby food and table syrup every few laps. Solid food would be started at the 6th hour point as well.

I started right at 3:45 am. The pace I needed to set was a consistent tempo paced climb. Not too fast, but not to slow. I climb two steps at a time really thinking about explosive movement through the hips and pushing with the heels of the foot. I use a "v-step" movement which allows for more power as I climb.

I did time myself for every 12 laps to make sure I was on pace. I was a bit slower then previous climbs as my legs were not fresh and I havent been getting as good of a sleep as I wanted.

Th average pace I set for myself for 12 laps (260 floors) was around 1 hour and seven minutes. Usually I have been able to set 1 hour and 2 minutes for a 12 lap count.

I would climb to the top of the building, then take the elevator down. The elevator ride were interesting as 5 in the morning you can get into conversations with people just coming home from the bar or the local casino here.

The tough part about doing a climb like this is actually waiting for the elevator to return to the top floor. On this particular day there was a conference happening in the hotel, which at times made the elevator ride down very slow as there were numerous stops on the way down, a major factor when timing yourself for a climb like this.

The first two hours were pretty easy and nothing major happened. I began eating baby food and table syrup around 3 hours.

My body felt really good, although I was still feeling pretty tired from not having that much sleep. It took my body a full four hours to be fully functional.

By hour seven I started to eat solid food, oatmeal and bananas.

My stomach was a bit queezy around hour 7 and 8 with all the simple sugars and gatorade entering my system.

By hour 9, I pushed harder as I hit one hour and 7 minutes for 12 laps.

By far the hardest hour was hour 10. I hit the wall around 104 laps. It took all my mental fortitude to finish to 109 laps which was approx. 30,000 feet climbed, however I still finished fast at 1 hour and five minutes.

Check out my finishing total times below:



I will be resting for 2 weeks before attempting a full 12 hour climb.

Let me know if you have any questions and Ill be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Get in Amazing Shape with Our Groupon Deal - June 1st 2011

Well its time to get the summer body that you deserve! StairClimbing is one of the best way to get in great shape and now you can belong to our stairclimbing group for 80 percent the regular rate!

On June 1st go to:

http://www.groupon.com/regina/

and purchase the deal of the day!

Only 15.00 for 10 stairclimbing sessions!

Our classes will have you wanting more as our stairclimbing instructors teach you the fundamentals of stairclimbing and how to lose weight with our amazing fitness program!

Check out our meet-up group website at:

http://www.meetup.com/Regina-Stairclimbers

Keep On Stepping Strong!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Staying Fit Through the 2011 Summer Season

Summer is upon us and that means, BBQ's, Patios and good times. When the summer heat is at its best, many people choose to grab an ice cool drink, light up the BBQ and enjoy.

However how do you make the summer of 2011 healthy and not gain that dreaded weight that most of us try to get rid of come September.

Lets take a look at a few ways that you can make the summer of 2011 the healthiest without sacrificing the fun times along the way.

1) BYOD - (Bring Your Own Drink) - Alcohol can sure increase your waistline fast. Alcohol provides no nutritional value and can actually decrease testosterone levels in males and increase estrogen levels in females. Your body also views it as a poison which creates a very toxic environment within the cells of the body. As an alternative, why not bring your own fruit smoothie which will not only help keep you cool but will also feed the body proper nutrients in the summer heat. Check out this great smoothie recipe:

Pineapple Mango Smoothie:

1 banana
2 dried dates
2 cups of cold water
1/2 medium papaya
1/2 cup pineapple
1 tbsp of flaxseed
1 scoop of protein powder (Vega is recommended)
1 tbsp of coconut oil

Put all ingredients into a blender, blend and serve. Makes about 2 large servings

2)What's Your Beef.....with Beef! - Red meat is a summer favorite on the BBQ, However there are a number of disadvantages when eating red meat to stay healthy and lean. Red meat has a lot of saturated fats that can increase our waistlines. As well did you know that there is not a lot of usable protein in red meat? Most red meat such as steak offers very little usable protein for the body to repair muscles after a tough workout.

As an alternative chicken or turkey breasts serve as a great BBQ food. It is extremely low in saturated fats and your body uses 80 percent of the protein in chicken or turkey as opposed to less then 20 percent with steak and beef.

3) Show me the....Vegetables - Increasing vegetable intake has lot of benefits when trying to stay lean for the summer. First many vegetables have a lot of fiber which helps you stay full and stops cravings for sugary carbohydrates. (Like Beer) In addition vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals which are often void in other "summer time favorites" i.e - potato chips, cheesies etc... Lastly vegetables help keep you lean and trim throughout the summer because they keep the blood sugar levels stable. All vegetables have a zero impact on the blood sugar levels in the body which is key when trying to lose weight and keep it off for the summer months. A fun fact is that 12 cups of lettuce is equal to only one cup of pasta in terms of total calories consumed. So eat lots of veges!

4)Step-up to Shape up! - StairClimbing is the best way to stay healthy and not increase your waistline over the summer months.

Why?

Because you are moving your entire body vertically which actually burns double the calories you normally would in any other activity performed. StairClimbing also increases core strength and shapes the lower body, particularly the butt and the legs.

Want to try out one of our stairclimbing groups in your city?? Then try our stairclimbing program for one week, on us!

Just click the link above and print out the week free trial card.

Join us in any one of our meet-up groups across Canada

If your interested in starting your own meet-up chapter in your area, check out our meet-up chapter website!

We hope you stay fit and healthy in the summer of 2011!

Step Strong!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Top 10 Nutrition Tips!

Looking to lean out and lose weight fast! Here are 10 specific things that you can do in order to lose body fat and get ready for that hot summer weather!

1) Meal Frequency – It is very important to eat every three hours even if you’re not hungry. Every time you eat a small meal you increase your metabolism. This is caused by your body using energy to break down the food (called Thermal effect of food)

2) Meal Composition - Each meal must be comprised of three main macronutrients – Carbohydrates/Proteins and Fats – Generally when trying to lean out and decrease body fat levels – protein is always increased in each meal as a protein molecule is more complex and takes more energy for the body to break down. This in turn increases your metabolism further due to your body increasing its own effort to break down protein.

3) Alkaline vs.; Acidity – Having a more toxic or acidic diet will stop you from losing weight and getting super lean. Most starchy carbohydrates are very acidic forming – for example potatoes, pasta, breads, red meat, wine - You should aim to alkalize the body by consuming more greens and vegetables. Every meal past 12 pm should be loaded with greens, like salads, kale, spinach, broccoli, etc, Th more you eat of these foods the more alkaline your body will become the easier you will lose weight

4) Nutrition Combination – Make sure that each small meal you have has more proteins then carbohydrates, and is rich in greens. For example – Spinach salad, green drinks, fruit smoothies with whey protein, egg salads, fish and spinach or fish and any type of greens.

5) Load up on Essential Fatty Acids – Speaking of fish, make sure you supplement with essential fatty acids. These essential fats are found in fish, but should be supplemented as well. Hemp oil is a great way to get your essential fats – It has the correct balance of essential fats and actually tastes great! Taking these fats will make sure you are not deficient in any of the good fats and will actually help your body burn off fat faster.

6) Releasing Sugars – Sugars increase insulin into the blood stream to help push down high blood sugar levels. Sugars should be eliminated from the diet to help keep blood sugar levels stable. This includes anything ending in ‘OSE” for example Lactose – which is milk and milk derivatives should be avoided. This included yogurt.

7) Water – Drink a minimum of 2-4 liters of water a day – Make sure that your urine is clear and that you do not feel thirsty. Water will help keep you full, release toxins from body, increase your metabolic rate and super charge your fat burning capabilities

8) Eat like a king in the morning and a pauper at night – In simple terms this means that your biggest meal is in the morning and your smaller meals are in the afternoon and night time. 6pm meals should be comprised of greens and a clean burning protein – I-e fish, salmon, eggs, etc

9) Carbohydrate Cycling – Refers to having high, medium and low carbohydrate intake days. Cycling carbohydrates helps lose weight by burning glycogen in the muscle and tapping into fat stores for energy. This is not endorsing a low carb lifestyle, but allows you to manipulate your carbohydrate levels based on your level of activity for the day. For example on workout days, try lowering intake of carbohydrates and then on recovery days, increase the carbohydrate intake to allow for adequate recovery of glycogen in the muscles.

10) Intuitive Nutrition – Basically this is getting in tune with your body and actually feeling what it needs. This may take some time to actually develop. This is a very instinctual type of eating which requires to really get to know how your body behaves and reacts to certain foods. – This can take some time to develop – but when you start to know your body very well – you will begin to hone what you are taking in, which will lead to better overall body compositional changes.

Nutrition and Exercise go hand in hand! Check out our stairclimbing meet-up groups to help you melt the fat away!

Till Next Time, Step Strong

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
http://www.stairclimbcanada.com
1-877-51-CLIMB

Monday, May 9, 2011

Forget The Elevator!

While the thought of climbing stairs in an office building, or anywhere else, makes most people cringe, it’s become one of the best all- around methods to develop a strong and fit physique, as many people use stair climbing as a method to their improve strength and endurance. However, as its popularity has taken “flight”, thousands of very fit and adventurous athletes have taken stair climbing to the next level: as the latest extreme sports trend, a new breed of extreme athletes has emerged, turning stair climbing into an international phenomena, racing up many of the most famous and prestigious buildings in the world!

So, what exactly is tower racing? Tower running is a sport, which involves running up tall manmade structures. Usually, races take place on the internal staircases of skyscrapers, but the term can cover any foot- race that involves a course that ascends a manmade structure. Over the past 10-20 years, an influx of competitive tower races has emerged throughout the United States, but also internationally. Many of these intense stair climbing races and endurance events are held in some of the world’s most prestigious skyscrapers. Notably, races have been held in the Empire State Building (New York), Willis Tower (Chicago), Tower 42 (London), US Bank Tower (Los Angeles), Columbia Tower (Seattle), Bank of America Plaza (Tampa), and newly added races held in the Taipei Tower & Las Vegas’ Stratosphere Tower. All of these buildings are considered iconic landmarks that are immense in size and have an abundant amount of stairs, making them ideal for an extreme race.

Arguably, one of the most famous stair-climbing races is the Empire State Building Run Up, which is held annually in New York City by the New York Road Runners (NYRR). This race, which receives extensive international media publicity, is held the first Tuesday of February and attracts some of the most diverse and well-trained athletes in the field. The event is by invitation only, and typically, only a couple hundred, out of thousands, are selected to participate in one of several waves. Every year, athletes flock from almost every state and close to 20 countries, creating a diverse field. The race, which offers an extremely intense and quick start that you don’t want to miss out on, also adds a dose of adrenaline by racing up the stairs of the most iconic building in NYC and finishing outside on the observation deck with panoramic views of the NYC skyline which is, literally, quite breathtaking. If you think you have what it takes, athlete registration opens shortly after the New York City Marathon and selected entrants are notified by mid-January. For more information, see NYRR.org

Stair climbing any major building is definitely a very impressive athletic feat, but nobody knows competitive tower racing better than Germany’s Thomas Dold. A numerous world record holder, Dold has won the Empire State Building Run Up five consecutive times (2005-Present), along with winning the Taipei 101 on June 15th 2008. Mexico’s Javier Santiago is also an all- star when it comes to international tower racing, with multiple top placements in prestigious races throughout the world, including ESBRU, Stratosphere Las Vegas, AON Center Los Angeles, and La Torre Mayor. Other internationally well- known champion tower climbers includes 3- time ESBRU Champion Suzy Walsham from Australia, and New Zealand’s Melissa Moon. The USA’s most accomplished tower racers in the World Cup have been Jesse Berg, Tim Van Orden, Oz John Osborn, Braden Renshaw, Master's star Mark Trevosky, who's the managing director of the West Coast Labels' Elite Tower Racing Team, newcomer Justin Stewart, and female sensations Kristen Frey, Cindy Harris and Kacie Fisher. Other notable athletes include USATF Mountain- running star, Rickey Gates, who finished 3rd in the 2009 ESBRU behind the Germans, and Kevin Crossman, who finished 10th in the 2010 Towerrunning World Cup standings. While competitive tower racing has been growing at an extremely fast pace, only select US races have substantial, if any, cash prize- purses, while many international races offer large sums of prize money. For instance, the Taipei Tower’s generous total prize amounts to NT$1,010,000 or over $31,000 USD. On the contrary, the Empire State Building Run Up does not currently offer any kind of cash prize structure, but is considered the most prestigious and competitive by others involved in the sport. Despite the lack of a prize-purse, NYRR flies the male and female champions back to NYC the upcoming year, and all athletes walk away with a well-earned medal and an experience they will never forget .

While not everyone who wants to venture into stair climbing is lucky enough to be selected to run the ESBRU, there are plenty of other options throughout the United States. Some better-known events include Seattle, LA, and Chicago. The Fight for Air Climb, a popular race series held throughout the United States, aims at fighting against the major causes of lung associated illness: asthma, second -hand smoke, lung cancer, emphysema, and COPD. The event held by The American Lung Association, attracts more than 20,000 participants and grossed $4.9 million dollars last year alone. This charitable event has multiple races in almost every state, and thrives through local participation and sponsors. Other charitable stair climbing races include: Climb to the Top (National Multiple Sclerosis Society), Climb for the Cure (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation), and Tackle the Tower (Ronald McDonald House). To find races, like these, and more, visit www.towerrunning.com.

For those who aren’t necessarily competitive athletes, but seeking alternate ways to exercise, stair climbing is extremely beneficial to one’s health. According to Trevor Folgering, the founder of the Canada StairClimbing Association and a fitness expert, stair climbing is a highly effective workout. Folgering explains that Stair climbing is more efficient then running or walking on a flat surface because climbing stairs is a vertical challenge. Because of this, the individual must push his own bodyweight vertically, which when looking at overall calorie burn and overall muscular endurance is more efficient then running. Folgering goes on to explain that stair climbing produces better results when looking at overall body compositional changes (Losing body fat and gaining muscle) because the calorie expenditure is greater than running on flat surfaces, which allows the body to change at a greater rate. Lastly, Folgering cites stair climbing as a safe workout due to the fact that it is a low impact exercise.

Additionally, Folgering gives some tips on how to successfully complete a stair climbing workout:

•Always warm-up. Some great exercises would be jogging on the spot, butt kicks, high knees, side shuffles, arm-circles, and squats. A warm up should be 5-10 minutes long.

•When starting a stair climbing workout always start off slow. The best part of climbing stairs is that you do not have to run up stairs or do long workouts to make great gains. 10 minutes for a rank beginner is amazing, and then increase from there.

•When starting make sure to always put the whole foot on the step, this will ensure that you will work the major muscles in the legs more efficiently and also protect the Achilles tendon.

•The best way to climb stairs is to actually push from your heel, this will help contract more muscles in the glutes (buttock muscle) and hamstrings

•For the first few workouts, so not overextend the body. The body will adapt quickly. The key is consistency to keep pushing beyond what the person did in the previous workout. For example if the person did 5 flights of stairs, they should try to do a minimal 3-5 flight more per workout or 5-10 more minutes. This will ensure the body will continue adapting. Unlike running, the body will adapt quickly to a stair climbing routine.

To learn more about Tower Racing or stair climbing for fitness, make sure to check out Towerrunning.com, Run2Sky-Europe, and the Canada StairClimbing Association. With tower racing becoming a very popular extreme sport among athletes looking for another challenge, look for many new business opportunities to emerge such as event sponsorship, travel and accommodations, and more. Business and organizations like West Coast Labels, MMF (Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation), McDonalds, Wawa, Corona Light, Canada Life, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Gold's Gym, John Hancock, Fleet Feet Sports, Hilton Suites, Competitor Magazine, and Puma have all sponsored major stair climbing events. Due to the high media exposure that many of the more prestigious tower races generate, stair climbing can become a great way to build brand awareness and recognition, especially in a niche market.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

The StairClimbing Tribe

The sense of belonging....this is what every human being seeks and wants, the feeling of belonging and community. Not only is it a want, it is one of our basic needs as human beings. It is ingrained in our DNA, to belong to a group of individuals.

Since the dawning of the 21st century our need for belonging, acceptance and community have greatly increased. The internet and the tools it brings such as Facebook, twitter and Myspace have allowed individuals to belong to a particular group of individuals and form a community.

A community of people that come together to share a common purpose and to form a community are called Tribes. Tribes have been around for thousands of years, but until now havent been acknowledged for the power that they bring.

Being part of a Tribe helps connect people, builds a sense of trust among members and helps build a strong organization and movement.

Our StairClimbing Meet-up groups are "Tribes of Participants" coming together for one common purpose, to support one another in losing weight and getting healthier using stairclimbing.

Our members have a strong bond with one another because each and every one know that they belong to this tribe.

Each member of the stairclimbing tribe has encouraged, motivated, pushed each other to climb higher and have shared their own unique weight loss and fitness stories. They have broken bread together, cried together and laughed together.

Belonging to this tribe is a fantastic experience that many people will never forget!

We are forming many "StairClimbing Tribes" across Canada and around the world and we are always looking for new tribe members.

Interested? Sign up to become part of this amazing group of individuals!

Regina StairClimbing Tribe

Toronto StairClimbing Tribe

Do you want to start your own StairClimbing Tribe - Then Click here!

Learn more about the Canada StairClimbing Association

Tribe Leader and Founder
Trevor Folgering
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

How to Build a Better Butt

By Penny Hoff

The hardest body part to reshape is the gluteus maximus, the junk in the trunk, the caboose, patootie, booty, arse, badonkadonk -- whatever you want to call it. The world of behinds is divided into three distinct categories.

The first group has not enough butt, sometimes known as flat butts, also referred to as party platter butts. These are the people you see on America's Funniest Videos in the pants-falling-down category .

A little known side benefit of having some junk in your trunk is that it keeps your pants from falling down. Paula Dean is an excellent example. She is by no definition thin, but(t) her butt could be a serving tray and when she wears spanks she has been known to lose her pants.

The second group has too much butt and this is where the majority of adult women end up. They never lose their drawers. Ever. Instead, their struggle is to get their pants ON.

The third group has never looked back there and has no opinion whatsoever about their own tush. Many men are grouped here. If you fall into this category you can skip the rest of this article and go sit on yours.

Unlike belly fat, which, if you have the bad kind, can be lethal, fanny bulge is just annoying and unhealthy in a more vague and overall unhealthy way. This is due to the anatomical fact that no vital organs are stored in our hiney, although I have known some men who've made me wonder if this is true for all humans.

If you don't like what you've got back there, here's what you can do:

If Your Rump Is Flat:

• Lunges and squats with heavy weights can give the appearance of lift and separation if you have good form. Lift a challengingly heavy weight for your size and work through your heels. By that, I mean keep your weight out of your toes, because you don't want to work the front of your leg.

• Remember the Jane Fonda bridge? Lie on your back, feet under knees and pulse the hips up like 10,000 times. This will directly work the glutes. Add weights and let them rest on your your pelvis as you lift or alternate legs for added challenge.

• Do stair climbing, either on a machine or preferably on real stairs. The major mover in your body when you climb is the glutes.

• If you really yearn for a bubble butt and don't want to work for it (and it is hard work) you can purchase a handy little undergarment called Bubbles Bodywear. which adds some silicone to it's padded panty. Bubbles Bodywear are the Ebony to Spank's Ivory. Uniquely similar in opposite, yet equally important ways. It may sound ridiculous but if those of us with a tummy bulge can spend $40 on Spanks then $30 for a bubble butt sounds like a reasonable investment to those who'd rather have something on their party platter.

If Your Rump Is Too Big:

• Do tons of cardio, preferably running or if not running, jogging. Nothing will more effectively reduce your rear-end size like high-impact cardio. Don't bike a ton of biking or do heavy-weighted squats/lunges. If you do indoor cycling classes, keep your toes angled up and your heels in a dropped position.

• Do LSD workouts. This stands for Long, Slow Distance. Try for a 60 minute walk, vigorous golfing or tennis. Any length of time over 45 minutes will be burning fat stores and if your fat is in your behind then 30 minute workouts aren't gonna cut it.

• There is no such thing as spot reduction. You just have to lose weight. The densest weight stores are around the hips so if you drop the extra pounds, chances are it will go from your trunk.

• If all else fails, wear black.

And finally, if you can't be with the butt you love, Honey, love the butt you're with.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Using the Stairs for Community and Connection

Facebook and Twitter are one of the most used ways in which people have been communicating to each other online now for the past few years. This virtual community allows others to see what is happening in our friends lives and the lives of others.

However are we really connecting with one another? Or are Facebook and Twitter great ways to communicate with one another that is more superficial?

Facebook and Twitter are great tools but as human beings we still look for the visceral experience of connecting with one another in a real life situation. It is in our nature to belong to a real community of people, rather then an online digital world of thousands.

As human beings we want to engage all of our senses to the experience that we are having. I.e - Touch, hearing, seeing and feeling. Emotional connections help bond us together and give a sense of true belonging.

Although Facebook and Twitter are great for communicating to our fellow human beings, they lack the human and emotional connection that we all seek.

What we as human beings want and desire is to be a part of a "tribe" of people all moving in the same direction. We all want to feel part of something that touches us emotionally.

Simply put a tribe is a community of people who all come together for one purpose: To bond with individuals who have similar goals, aspirations, desires and dreams.

Our stairclimbing meet-up groups allow for individuals to connect with each other on an emotional level. There is a real sense of community and belonging in our meet-up groups that you cannot duplicate in the online world of Facebook and Twitter.

Bringing people together to share a higher purpose is really what our stair climbing groups are all about.

Our Meet-up groups allow for people to join a real community of people who together form a tribe. Moreover it allows for people to experience an amazing connection with people that cannot be found online.

Our goal in each StairClimbing Meet-up group is to bring individuals together to share common experiences and to build a sense of community and connection among the tribe.

To join our stairclimbing meet-up groups and belong to an amazing tribe of people please visit our meet-up group website

To start your own stairclimbing tribe in your area please visit our StairClimb Meetup Chapter of Canada Website

For more information on The Canada StairClimbing Association please visit our website

Till next time, Step Strong!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

April Monthly Newsletter!

Check Out Our Monthly Newsletter! Happy Easter!!!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Happy-Easter-from-the-Canada-StairClimbing-Association-.html?soid=1103295305625&aid=lJqBpwFAKnM

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The CSCA at the Climb for Wilderness

On April 15th and 16th The Canada StairClimbing Association attended the Alberta Wilderness Association's Climb amd Run for Wilderness. This amazing event features athletes racing up the Calgary Tower in support of Wildlife, wilderness and fitness. The event was very well attended with well over 1,000 participants attending the weekend event!

We had an amazing booth set out in the lobby of the Calgary Tower. Our wonderful administrative support, Andrea was there to greet people at the booth and explain why they should get involved with the Canada StairClimbing Association.



Our founder, Trevor Folgering Participated in the five hour endurance climb during the event. His efforts paid off as he was able to complete 28 laps of the tower breaking the old record of 25 laps and placing him second overall!

http://www.climbforwilderness.ca/results.asp#individuals

In addition to climbing for five hours, the previous day Trevor raced up the tower in 4 minutes and 53 seconds, placing him second overall.

Check out this video of Trevor Folgering in action on the stairs!



We want to thank Alberta Wilderness Association for allowing us to come down and have a booth at this amazing event! We look forward to coming down next year!!!

Step Strong!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB
www.stairclimbcanada.com

Monday, April 18, 2011

Alberta Climb for Wilderness Time Trail Results!

Taken from http://climbforwilderness.ca/news.asp

Tremendous times at the first ever time trial!
Wow, our first ever time trial event was an incredible success! We had 16 fierce competitors tear up the 802 steps of the Calgary Tower setting some truly heart-stopping times. Our winner, Jonathan Heinz, who already holds a few records at the tower climb set another one today as he topped the tower in only four minutes and 27 seconds! Trevor Folgering came a close second with a time of 4:53 and rounding out the top three was the AWA’s very own Nigel Douglas with a time of 5:23.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

2011 Mini Stair-Race Wrap Up

The Annual Mini Stair Race at the Cornwall Center was a huge success and many people came out to race up and down the stairs to test their body and see how many laps they could complete in five minutes!

The event started at 9 am, with the Founder of The Canada StairClimbing Association welcoming everyone and introducing the sport of stairclimbing to the participants.



We had many sponsors who helped make this event possible. Our title sponsor Gold's Gym provided great prizes for the overall winners including a six month membership. Here is Michale Lindenbach, owner of Gold's Gym Regina addressing the crowd:



With the formalities out of the way it was time to rumble on the stairs! After a quick debriefing the race was on!



Participants raced each other on the stairs for five minutes at a time. Tope three winners advanced to the finals which comprised of 25 laps of the stairs!

Check out some of these great photos of the race!







After our 25 lap race off and when everything was said and done there were three finalists!

In third spot we had Linda Emilise receiving a six month membership to Gold's Gym and a body skin care package from Only Green!



In second place we had Andrea Belitski receiving a six month membership to Gold's Gym and a body care package from Only Green!



And our overall winner was Mr. Mark Furlan who received a six month membership to Gold's Gym a Fido Gift Card and a Body Skin Care Package from Only Green!



We want to thank all of our sponsors, participants and everyone who supported us to make this race a reality! Thank you! We will see you next year! We leave you with a video clip of the stair race!



Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB
www.stairclimbcanada.com

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Stairway to Fitness

REGINA — Trevor Folgering bounds up a staircase, taking it one, sometimes two, stairs at a time.

While Folgering looks like he is in a hurry, he is not late for anything. He is participating in a sport.

It is a sport you truly have to take one step at a time. Though, for those who enjoy it, each step is one in the right direction.

While the act of climbing up the stairs, even for exercise, is hardly a foreign concept, the actual organized sport of stairclimbing is something much newer in Canada. While it has some popularity in other parts of the world, stairclimbing only started to be officially recognized here in 2009.

"Stairclimbing is such an amazing activity to get involved in, because it allows you to actually work muscles more efficiently than any type of cardiovascular activity," says Folgering, a 31-year-old Regina product who has been involved in stairclimbing since 2006. "In stairclimbing, you're pushing your body vertically all the way up to the top of a tall building or a lot of stairs. You work a lot of different muscles and work your muscles harder. It's a lot more efficient workout."

In 2009, Folgering founded the Canada StairClimbing Association in Toronto, where he was living at the time before later moving back to Regina. The organization is dedicated to "getting as many people fit and healthy using stairs as possible." And when it comes to stairclimbing, Folgering insists there is more to it than just climbing the stairs.

"If you climb with your toes, it could injure your knee, especially if you have a knee problem," says Folgering. "We've developed systems or techniques that actually help you climb stairs more efficiently. The one technique is pushing with the heels of your foot to fire your hamstrings and glutes and put less pressure on your knee. Another technique involves crossing your legs over one another as you climb the stairs."

Right now, the CSCA has stairclimbing groups in Toronto and Regina. In Regina, there is currently one group which meets at the Delta Hotel three times a week. During each session, the group goes up and down the stairs. More experienced athletes do more floors, go faster, and rest for shorter periods of time.

For those who have attended the stairclimbing groups, and worked hard on the technique, the results have been outstanding.

"One of our members started the program about four weeks ago and she had never done any kind of physical activity," said Folgering. "She was extremely intimated by physical activity and I told her to come try stairclimbing. The first time she climbed a total of 15 floors and was hooked. She is now climbing about 64 floors in an hour."

Along with stairclimbing groups, Folgering is trying to get more competitions going. Right now, there are only a select few. In these meets, there are different tiers for people who plan to go up the stairs once, twice, three and four times. The competition gets more intense in the higher tiers. To avoid crowding up the stairwell, racers have chip timers which stick onto their shoelaces. Once the stairclimber crosses the starting mat, the chip timer goes off and it stops once they get to the top. This allows athletes to start at different times.

Regina is hosting a mini-stairclimb run up for local stairclimbers on Sunday at the Cornwall Centre from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. At this meet, eight heats of five athletes will race up and down the stairs for five minutes at time. The top three winners in each group will earn a spot in the finals, where there competitors will go 25 times up and down. To register for the free event, visit www.stairclimbcanada.com.

Folgering's ultimate dream for the CSCA is to have stairclimbing groups across Canada. There would be regional stairclimbing tournaments, with the winners advancing to a national championship in Toronto with a possible world championship after that. However, Folgering is taking things slowly.

"It's still a bit too early for nationals," says Folgering. "Right now, we're just trying to get the meet up groups happening and get people involved in stairclimbing. As that grows, we can start introducing more events. I think we could have a national event in 2012."

For some stairclimbers, like 30-year-old Reginan Andrea Belitski who attends Folgering's sessions, stairclimbing will never be about the competition even if more meets are introduced.

"(Stairclimbing) has so many benefits for you without competing in tournaments," says Belitski, who lives in Regina with her husband Kevin, son Ashton, five, and daughter Ayva, three. "I just do it three times a week for recreation. I'm not a very competitive person, so for me it's fun."

After attending a stairclimbing practice, it is not hard to see why Belitski has fun. Even when the group is panting up the stairs, they always joke around and encourage one another.

"We all have a really good rapport," says Belitski. "Most of us have been climbing together since January and we motivate each other. You can come and do the stairs on your own, but it's just not as fun as when you have a big group of people."

To get involved in the sport of stairclimbing, the first step is to attend one of the practice groups. It costs $100 for 20 sessions or $60 per month. For more information, contact Folgering at 543-4598, 1-877-51-CLIMB or trevor@stairclimbcanada.com. To learn more about the CSCA, visit www.stairclimbcanada.com.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Conquering skyscrapers to keep fit

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Although they may be unable to leap tall buildings in a single bound, enthusiasts of tower climbing insist they can conquer skyscrapers, and stay fit, just by taking the stairs.

When it comes to multi-story run-ups, the higher the rise, they say, the richer the challenge.

"They call it the vertical marathon," New York-based securities analyst Brian Kuritzky said of his maiden climb up the 1,576 steps of the Empire State Building. "I have a lot of pride for the city, so to do a race up its most iconic item was special for me."

Kuritzky, who on a spur-of-the-moment bet tackled the Iron Man triathlon competition last year, is no stranger to a workout challenge.

But he described last month's Empire State Building Run up, in which 440 finishers triumphed, as "very intense, very tough."

It was also very compact.

"The Iron Man took almost 16 hours, so to be done in 13.37 minutes is very appealing," he said of his time, "and to have the challenge as well is very cool."

To prepare for his run, Kuritzsky thrice scaled the stairs of his 30-storey apartment building in downtown Manhattan just so he could get a sense of the distance and how his legs would feel. Then he did it again.

"At a certain point you have to have mental fortitude," Kuritzsky said. "My legs shut down at the 60th floor (of the Empire State Building). At that point you can either stop or push through. A skyscraper run is an enticing thing to see how far you can push yourself."

Fabio Comana of the American Council on Exercise said stair climbing can be a great conditional workout for the lower extremity and the cardio-respiratory system.

"The impact on joints is minimal, although there's stress on the knees," the exercise physiologist said. "It's a great workout for the glutes," he said, referring to the muscles in the buttocks.

Comana, who did some stair climbing while training for rugby, said stair climbing works both energy systems -- the aerobic, which uses a lot of oxygen in activities like running or swimming, and the anaerobic, which kicks in during short bursts of high-intensity exercise, such as weight lifting or muscle-building.

"It's a very effective form of training for both systems," he explained. "It fits well into the training regimens of sports like soccer and rugby, where you need both."

Comana added that while stair climbing is not a full body workout because there is not much for the upper body, it's great training for the lower half.

"I think it's a great exercise for everyone," he said. "As we age we tend to lose strength in lower extremities before we do in upper extremities."

Comana called stair-climbing a time-efficient workout that brings out the competitive fervor in a person.

"You get to the top of the stairs, you are gassed," he said.

Kuritsky is already eyeing the next steel mountain to conquer.

"I read there's a race in Dubai," he said of a run up the 163-story Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper. "In Chicago, there's a stair run up the John Hancock Building. And at the CN tower in Toronto I hear they let you go up as many times as you want."

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Run your own StairClimbing Meet-up Chapter in Your Own City!

Are you a business-minded fitness professional who enjoys helping individuals get healthy? Are you searching for a extra source of income?

The Canada StairClimbing Association is searching for the best fitness professionals in Canada who want to own their own company with us. You will be part of an amazing group of individuals throughout Canada who are making a huge difference in peoples lives using stairclimbing.

You will own your company underneath our Association. We offer full training, 24 hour business support, a complete operations manual for success. As well as weekly conference calls and weekly business coach support.

StairClimbing is quickly becoming the way for Canadians to get the fitness results they deserve! The Canada StairClimbing Association is the leader for improving fitness through stairclimbing.

Come join our team of StairClimbing Meet-up Organizers who are enjoying running their own business and making a great income doing so!

For more information please visit our Meet-up Chapter Website

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Seattle's 650 staircases offer unique fitness opportunity

Hundreds of staircases snake their way through the city of Seattle. Sure, these provide shortcuts through neighborhoods - but there are also plenty of ways to use staircases near your home or office to pump up your fitness routine.

SEATTLE - Hundreds of staircases snake their way through the city of Seattle.

Sure, these provide shortcuts through neighborhoods - but there are also plenty of ways to use staircases near your home or office to pump up your fitness routine.

Thanks to Susan Ott Ralph and her husband David, a map of the city's 650 staircases is now online.

Susan Ott Ralph says, "I just think it's fun that no matter how poor you are, anyone can go climb some stairs."

Susan and David not only counted every stair - they took pictures to show you what you're getting yourself into.

Lisa Kennelly, "I don't have to go to the gym; I just can just walk out my door and walk up the stairs."

Staircases offer a great free workout. You can take the stairs one at a time, or challenge yourself, jumping two at a time.

For pointers on getting started, I consulted outdoor fitness expert John Colver, who founded outdoor fitness company Adventx in Seattle and just finished a book, "Fit By Nature."

"Maybe a good place to start is twice a week," says John.

And don't forget the warm-up before you tackle any set of stairs. You can do some jumping jacks to pump the heart rate up and maybe some leg swings to loosen up those muscles you’re about to work.

And like starting any new exercise, make sure it’s OK with your doctor and take it slow to start.

John says, "The most important thing to do, for somebody starting out, is to go slow."

Demonstrating a slow pace up the stairs, he says, "If I come out here and do this for two or three weeks, then by the time I get into the program a little ... I'll be able to pick up the speed and go faster."

In addition to a slower speed, John says to make sure you're standing tall, with all your weight in your heels, to prevent pain in your knees.

He also has some advice about how to avoid repetition.

"Instead of just going straight up and down, we can exercise the stabilizer muscles by going sideways, and do a few steps like that and change around," John says.

Before you know it, you'll be running up the stairs like Steve Barker does - three or four times a week. He mapped out a route that takes him up the Howe Street stairs not once, but twice, during his run.

"I have the theme song from Rocky on my iPod," he says.

Running or walking - reaching the top usually adds another bonus.

"And of course stairs means views," says Susan. "If you have a hill, you have a view."

Susan says her stair mapping is how she and her husband David discovered Fremont Peak Park.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Adventures of a Stair Master!

FOR me, stair climbing is an exercise chaser. My real exercise is hard, sustained cardio, five times a week, at a gym these days, but a lifetime habit begun when I was an 8-year-old by running a half-mile before breakfast, around the block in Neenah,

Still, I enjoy climbing stairs. And at work, at The New York Times building, I climb nine flights, typically three times a day, for a total of 609 steps, up but not down.

The brief treks are back-loosening, head-clearing aerobic jolts — and they may be contributing more to my health than I suspect, according to exercise experts. Stairs, it seems, are a neglected asset in the fitness crusade.

“There’s good scientific evidence that the activity itself is quite beneficial,” said Paul M. Juris, a kinesiologist and executive director of the Cybex Institute for Exercise Science, in Medway, Mass., the research arm of the maker of Cybex exercise equipment.

Mr. Juris, a former researcher at Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan and a past consultant to professional sports teams, including the Dallas Mavericks of the N.B.A., pointed to stair-climbing scholarship. It concludes that a few brisk climbs a day, like my modest regimen, can increase aerobic capacity and reduce cholesterol.

Most any stair-climbing routine, experts say, is a healthy step, literally, toward achieving the recommended level of physical activity for adults, according to the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. (The goal: moderate aerobic activity — think purposeful walking — for 30 minutes five or more days a week, or vigorous activity like jogging for 20 minutes or more at least three times a week.)

“It’s not all or nothing,” said Carla Sottovia, an exercise physiologist at the Cooper Fitness Center in Dallas. “Short bouts of exercise, like climbing stairs, certainly help. It all adds up.”

For real athletes, there are staircase races. Once regarded as oddball curiosities, the races have increased in number and stature. Last year there were more than 160 staircase races in the world, on five continents, chronicled and celebrated on Web sites like towerrunning.com. One of the earliest races, the 86-floor ascent of the Empire State Building, begun in 1978, was run for the 34th time on Feb. 1, attracting competitors from around the world.

Serious stair runners seem to be mostly marathoners and triathletes, who find stairs a related but novel challenge.

For Emily Kindlon, 30, a runner and triathlete, gaining access to high-rise buildings for training is an obstacle. Frustrated by her eight-story apartment building in Brooklyn, she asks friends in loftier homes for stair privileges. Yet building managers, she said, are reluctant to open their stairs to outsiders, and one asked her to sign a legal wavier.

“In case I fell and broke my neck,” she explained.

“I’ve honestly considered moving to a high-rise in Manhattan for the stairs,” Ms. Kindlon said.

To James Miller, 52, who runs up to 60 miles a week, stair climbing is a kind of cross-training, as if they were vertical wind sprints. “It really expands the lungs — that has to help the running,” he said.

Like Ms. Kindlon, Mr. Miller participated in the Empire State Building race this year. His training was done at home, by repeatedly scaling the 17 flights of his Central Park West apartment building. The training, he said, got him thinking about the neglected stairs.

“It’s not ingrained in our brains to take the stairs,” Mr. Miller observed. “But we live in New York City, and we have this great resource here — so many buildings with so many stairs.”

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Tim VanOrden's Running Raw Project: Health Care Rant

I wanted to post this because this has been on my mind for a while, especially eating healthy and how expensive it is to be healthy. Tim really summed this up well. Comments??? Thoughts??? The system needs to change!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

When Trevor Folgering takes the stairs, he doesn’t just go up one or two flights - it’s about 100 plus.

AdrenalineReginaSports.com

By: Julie Folk
FEATURE

Stair climbing is emerging as both a sport and a work out. The fitness benefits are unbelievable, and it’s amazing how much fun you can have on flights of stairs.

Folgering, the head of Stair Climbing Canada, invited me to try the stairs one nice weekend in February. I wasn’t sure what to expect – I knew it would be tough but wasn’t sure what the workout would be like or how long it would take me to tire out. Turns out, not too long. As Folgering describes it, stair climbing is an entirely different sort of training. It’s cardiovascular, but it’s also hugely beneficial for core and lower body strength training.

“Stair climbing is really an easy thing to do anywhere, anyplace, anytime, by anybody,” he said. “You can really push yourself as hard as you can. It’s a very natural movement of the body, so it’s a really safe and really efficient way of getting a great workout. The great thing about stair climbing is it burns so many calories you don’t have to do it very long to see great results.”

On this particular day we performed sets that included slow, technical stair climbing to learn and improve the movement, sets incorporating squats and strength work, and sprints. This is the type of workout the meet-up group – which meets three times a week at the Delta Hotel in downtown Regina – partakes in.

Glenn LaPointe is one member who has incorporated stair climbing into his workout routine. Almost six months ago, LaPointe decided he needed to turn his life around. He quit smoking and began exercising. In addition to gym workouts, he incorporated stair climbing, and has seen a significant improvement in his cardiovascular endurance as well as muscle strength.“It all started here,” he said. “Trevor got me into it. Once I started stair climbing, I’ve incorporated it at work where I always take the stairs, never the elevator. I sleep better at night. The wheeze (from smoking) is gone and my cardiovascular keeps increasing.”

There are those who stairclimb for fitness, and others who stair climb competitively. The sport began in the mid-1970s in other parts of the world, particularly the United States. People were climbing the stairs of buildings around the United States, including the Empire State Building in New York City. The sport grew in the 1980s and ’90s, and associations began organizing races, in particular to raise money for charities. The number of competitive stair climbing athletes continues to increase, and Folgering is hoping to grow the sport in Canada.

As the founder of the Canada Stair Climbing Association, Folgering began the association while he was living in Toronto. It was there he first climbed into the sport.

“In 2006 I was a personal trainer in downtown Toronto,” said Folgering. With the owners of the fitness center he was working at, they decided that to get in better shape they would climb the stairs of their apartment building.

“We went to our apartment building, climbed up and down the stairs, and I was hooked. It was phenomenal. It was the best workout I’ve ever had. I changed my training and focused more on stair climbing. I found out there were races at the CN Tower, and started training for them.”

In 2006, Folgering climbed the CN Tower stairs in 14 minutes and 49 seconds. Four years later, he climbed it in 11 minutes and 19 seconds. He was most recently the top Canadian and 29th overall at an unofficial world stair climb championship at the Empire State Building. He is continuing to grow the sport in Regina, and will be holding a few events to spread the word. On April 3rd, there will be stair climbs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Cornwall Center. Groups of five will climb the two sets of stairs in three- to five-minute intervals, with prizes going to the top three finishers.

There is another event that will be scheduled at the Delta Hotel later in the year, which will include all levels of stair climbers competing in various categories.

For anyone from competitive stair climbers to cross training athletes to fitness enthusiasts, stair climbing is greatly beneficial. It needs to be tried to truly understand what it’s all about. And as I can attest from just 30 minutes on a Saturday – it’s a leg and cardio workout like you’ve never had before.

For more information please visit www.stairclimbcanada.com

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Spring into Summer with our StairClimbing Meet-up Groups! (Regina Location)

StairClimbing is fast becoming a great way to really shed body fat and get into the best shape of your life!

Our stairclimbing meet-up groups are designed to take you from flabby to fabulous in just three months!

Get ready for the spring and summer seasons by taking advantage of this great activity!

Here is what one of our participants had to say about our program:

"Your program is so well laid out, easy to follow and challenges me to really want my best performance. I love the step by step approach (ha, pun intended) and that I can work at my pace and still be among a great group while doing so.

Thanks again Trevor, this workout is awesome and I recommend to everyone. Really. It's great for anyone looking to feel great, increase energy and enjoy the process!" - Corrine Johnson Regina

Stairclimbing Times:

Wednesday at 6:15-7:15
Friday at 6:15-7:15
Sundays at 1-2pm

For more information and to sign up please visit:

http://www.meetup.com/Regina-Stairclimbers/

Looking to start your own Meet-up Group in your own city?

Contact us to find out more information!


The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Friday, February 25, 2011

Lose Body Fay and Get Healthy with The ExpressFit Training Program!

Are you tired of carrying that extra weight?

Wanting to know exactly how to lose body fat?

Do you want a easy to follow, no fail fitness plan that will actually product results?

Then you need to read this!


Losing body fat can be a challenge, but not with the ExpressFit Training Program. Our fitness professionals are created an amazing stairclimbing training program that will allow you to lose bodyfat at a record pace!

Th ExpressFit Training Program will allow you to lose your bodyfat and help you develop a healthy lifestyle for life.

What is the ExpressFit Training Program?

The ExpressFit Training Program is based on sound training principals of climbing stairs.

Stairclimbing is the FASTEST way to lose bodyfat! If done consistently climbing multiple stairs will help you lose weight, increase your health, fitness and vitality and decrease any chance of health-related diseases like strokes, heart disease and cancers.

The ExpressFit Training Program starts with a three month beginner program that will allow you to experience the positive benefits of climbing stairs in you area. You will be able to track your progress and actually see positive results each and every time you workout. Progress is fast and easy!

You will also have access to top quality nutritional information and recipes that will allow you to eat amazing delicious foods, that are easy to prepare and will give you the results you deserve!

Lastly you will be able to book a consultation with our fitness professionals. Our fitness consultants will be able to guide you and help you in creating the healthy lifestyle that you want.

Screenshots of The ExpressFit Training Program


Nutrition Screenshots


For more information and to see what kind of results people have gotten from The ExpressFit Program please visit our website:

The ExpressFit Training Program

Step Strong!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Please Support Trevor's Stair Climb To Heaven

Trevor Folgering is going to climb 68,088 ft ,Over TWICE AS HIGH AS A JET FLIES for the World Vertical Stair Climb Title in Toronto, Sept 29,2011

Not quite to Heaven but as close as Trevor can get on your behalf.

Stair Climbing at this level is one of the most painful sports there is. Trevor will endure 21-24 Hours on behalf of Children Hospital Foundations that support your kids , kids who are very sick and all the kids with Special Needs and Disabled that want to climb stairs but can't..

If he can endure 21-24 hours on behalf of the kids you love, I am sure you can give Trevor a moment of your time and other moment to inspire all your contacts to sign a Petition to Support Trevor's Stair Climb that he needs to get to climb a specific building he wants to climb.

P.S. TAKE THE STAIRS FOR YOURSELF AND THOSE THAT CAN'T

Sign the Petition Here

Monday, February 21, 2011

Decrease Your StairClimbing Times!

I would just like to expand on my video post on how to improve your lactic acid threshold levels. This is the key to becoming a faster athlete and stairclimber. It is also very useful for individuals looking to loose weight. Enjoy!

If you want to climb stairs faster then you must increase your lactic threshold levels. What does this mean? Lactic Threshold simply means your body’s ability to deal with and remove lactic acid from the muscles while climbing stairs.

Lactic acid is a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism. In simple terms lactic acid is produced when you exercise so vigorously that the body cannot get enough of the oxygen it requires. When this happens, lactic acid is formed in the muscles. Lactic acid is your body’s way of shutting down muscle contractions to help the body meet with the increased demands of exercise.

When you first begin to climb stairs, you will notice a “burning sensation” in your legs. As you continue to climb eventually there will be enough lactic acid in the muscles that you will be unable to climb another step. This is called your “Lactate Acid Threshold”

Lactic Acid Threshold is again the point at which your body cannot keep up with the amount of lactic acid in the muscles. In beginner stairlcimbers this usually will happen around 50-60 percent of your maximum heart rate (220-age = Max HR)

The lactic acid threshold can be actually improved through continuous training and demanding more from the body physically each and every time you climb stairs.

Top elite stairclimbers have a Lactic Acid Threshold of approx 80-90 percent of their maximum heart rate.

To actually improve your own lactic acid threshold try the following training methods:

1)Interval Training – Interval training is one of the best ways to improve your lactic acid threshold fast! This can be done on the stairs and is really simple to do. Interval training is simply increasing the tempo or speed over a certain distance and then slowing the body down for a short rest period. If you are a beginner you will need to start off slow. Start off by warming up the body very well and completing a cycle of 5-6 floors. When finished warming up complete the following interval

1 cycle of 15 floors – 1 set of stairs run, 1 set of stairs climb

The combination of running up one flight of stairs and then slowly climbing the next flight and alternating until you reach the 15th floor is a great interval workout that will really help increase your Lactic Acid Threshold.

You may want to start out by doing a interval of only 6-8 floors, especially if your just getting into climbing stairs for fitness. Complete as many “cycles” as you can in an hour.

For stairclimbers that are more advanced try this exercise. Set your stopwatch for one hour. In the building you train at perform 10 squats per floor. Remember to run up to the next floor and perform 10 squats. Depending on the number of floors in the building you may end up doing 500+ squats in one cycle.

After you have completed this go back down to the bottom of the stairs and then do 20 squats per floor.

The next time you go up try 10 jumping squats per floor.

Lastly you may want to try higher squat numbers such as 40 squats per floor, however it does take some time to build up to this point.

Doing a training session like this will certainly increase your lactic acid threshold!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Want washboard abs, toned legs? Climb stairs say experts

Pity the poor stepper!

While gym lines form for treadmills, elliptical trainers and stationary bicycles, the stair climbing machine is all too often the neglected wallflower of the cardio room.

Maybe that's because whether you call it a stepper, stair climber or stair mill, it evokes the drudgery of Sisyphus, the character in Greek mythology condemned to push a boulder uphill for eternity.

But experts say if you master the stairs, you'll reap dividends in tight abs, butt and thighs.

"It's the intensity," said Kerri O'Brien of Life Fitness, which designs and manufactures exercise equipment.

"There's a vertical component. You're going to be working harder because you're going against gravity," she explained. "Also you'll have isolated muscle soreness because you're using muscles you're not used to using," O'Brien, an exercise physiologist, added.

But if done regularly, O'Brien promises it will become more enjoyable. It is also a great workout for the muscles that make up the buttocks.

Staircases have been around almost from the beginnings of civilization. In 2004, archaeologists found a stair case in Austria believed to be at least 7,000 years old.

O'Brien said modern steppers evolved from so-called Jacobs Ladders, climbers prevalent in high school gyms of the 1950's.

"And ever since the 1950's, football and track teams have used running up stadium stairs to work out. People also use step climbers to train for mountain climbing and hiking," she said.

It's also an effective low-impact cardio choice. One study of 10,269 Harvard alumni found that those who climbed at least 55 flights of stairs a week had a 33 percent lower death rate.

A British study found that daily stair climbing among sedentary young women resulted in a rise in HDL, or good cholesterol.

Dr. Hank Williford, of the American College of Sports Medicine, thinks steppers are a good fit for women.

"They're not bouncing around like with a treadmill and still they can increase their bone marrow density and prevent osteoporosis," he said.

Michael Karlin, a lawyer in New York City, started using a stair climbing machine to lose weight and wound up scaling all 1,576 stairs of the Empire State Building.

Stair climbing races are held worldwide. The American Lung Association alone holds 57 in stadiums and skyscrapers throughout the United States.

"I competed in the Empire State Building climb last year, finishing in 16 minutes, 3 seconds," said Karlin, who has also raced up the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower in Chicago and the US Bank (formerly Library) Tower in Los Angeles.

"I have derived tremendous benefit," the 38-year-old said.

"My legs are really strong, my sprinting has improved, and my lung capacity is much greater," he said. "Competitive stair climbing pounds my legs and knees substantially less than running."

So how would Karlin feel about French writer Albert Camus' essay suggesting that Sisyphus was happy in his uphill struggle?

"I love preparing for a race, finishing the race, and talking about it!" Karlin said. "Doing the race itself, though, well, that really hurts."

Friday, February 11, 2011

Petition to Re-Instate The CN Tower Endurance Climb

Hi StairClimb Fanatics!

Back in 1981 a record was set by Robert C. Jezequel who climbed up the CN Tower 17 times in 11 hours and 17 minutes. Each time he descended by lift.

We are going to break this record, by not only completing more then 17 times up the CN Tower but by also descending down the stairs of the CN Tower as well.We would like to complete this amazing physical challenge in support of children's hospitals across Canada.

Unfortunately the record was rested in the late 1980's but showed up in an edition of the Guinness Book of World Records in 1991.

We need your help! We have a petition going around that states to re-instate the CN Tower Endurance Climb set in 1981.

We are aiming for 100,000 signatures to take to the Guinness Book of World Records so that they see that this human endurance feat is being done for a great cause!

Please help us in getting this world record re-instated once and for all!

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/39028.html

We thank you for supporting our cause and hope you can make it out to the CN Tower when we break this 30 year old record!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

New Discussion Forums for The Canada StairClimbing Association

We now have a new forum for discussions on StairClimbing and health related topics like weight loss and nutritional supplementation.

This is a great place to discuss the hot topics of stairclimbing and really help us create a global community. Please feel to add you own topics and reply to other posts. Even if you are new stairclimbing please feel ask questions to others and really get as much information as you can. This forum is a place where we can all share training tips, information about races, competitive strategies and share the latest news and views of stairclimbing.

This forum is also a great place to share ideas on how you would like to see the sport progress. Our goal is to have stairclimbing become a global phenomenon. We need your help! This is your chance to help grow this sport by becoming part of the community. It is really important that we grow the community of stairclimbers, which means adding your own thoughts and opinions on what YOU think is important.

Please post and respond to topics here

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB

Monday, February 7, 2011

February Newsletter

Take a look at our February Newsletter! Get great insights into the world of stairclimbing, fitness and health! Take a look at our featured athlete, Napoleon Woo from Montreal, Quebec!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Beat-the-February-Blues-with-StairClimbing-.html?soid=1103295305625&aid=zTcJi0JQFuA

Saturday, February 5, 2011

New York Empire State Building Run-up Race Review

On February 1st Trevor Folgering founder of the Canada StairClimbing Association raced up the 1,576 stairs of The Empire State Building. This is a world class race and is considered the "World Championships of Stairracing"

Trevor's Experience

I arrived in New York Jan 30th and had a good day to acclimatize to the New York Environment. During the first day at New York it is a tradition to do a warm-up and run to the Empire State Building and check out the building. As I ran their I slipped on some ice and fell to the ground. Not a good start, and I had slightly hurt a muscle in my lower back. It wasn't debilitating, I would just have to put some ice on it to reduce inflammation. I continued running and made it to the building in twenty minutes. The building is a magnificent structure and very iconic.

Inside there are security officers everywhere. You can't go anywhere in the building without running into one of them.

I headed up the the second level to see if they were setting up the registration area, but was stopped by security their and was almost escorted out of the building. "No dry-runs" the security officer said. I laughed and left the building, finishing the rest of the warm-up with great fury.

On race day I arrived pretty early around 7:30 am. I headed up the the second level registration area, which was already full of athletes who were racing for charity.

I registered and grabbed my number for the start line, which was 32. I had a feeling I would be around this number as I finished 30th last year.

Our start was at 10:35 which left me a lot of time to socialize with other athletes, but most importantly to mentally get ready to push my body to maximum capacity.

It was great meeting athletes from all over the world. I really think stairclimbers are the nicest athletes out there. Everyone is so pleasant and friendly. It is so nice to see, especially coming from a sport like bodybuilding where everyone is very closed and not open to conversation before an event.

I continued to socialize until around 9:30, where I began my mental prep and warm-up drills. Myself and another athlete from the states found a very quiet place to do warm-up drills. My body felt pretty good and my back was much better then the previous day.

As I finished my warm-ups I began to really quiet the mind as I knew that the start of this race is very crucial and can be at times dangerous. If I was to have a good start I would need to really keep any anxious thoughts at bay and really start to mentally get in the zone.

The start on this race is pretty wild and crazy. Just imagine 80 athletes running toward a small doorway that leads to the stairwell. Its like being chased by 80 bulls in a stampede!

I lined up with everyone at the start of the registration area. We were all lead down the stairs to the start line. For the first time the athletes were all together and I could really feel the energy rise.

I could hear the Marshall telling us all to "slow down and hold up." Some people listened and the mass of athletes slowed down.

We all approached the start line together. The first 10 people get the front line and all the other athletes joust for position to be closer to the front line.

I heard the opening remarks very clearly. "RUNNERS TAKE YOUR MARK!" and then the horn went off and we stampeded toward the doorway that lead to 1,576 stairs of pain.

I was able to squeeze through the doorway with the other athletes, just barley. It felt like I was being "lifted" through the doorway as their were so many athletes around me that it seemed like I could easily crowd surf my way to the stairs. I believe its the adrenaline that made me feel this way, as I a recollection of my feet feeling very light.

We began to climb the first twenty floors, which were just like any ordinary stairs. I felt I wasnt able to really push hard at the start since their was so many people around me it made it hard to really push at maximum capacities. I felt like I was pushing around 40 percent of my maximum.

At one point a fight almost broke out in the stairwell, as I saw one athletes stumble to the ground and another athlete yelling "stop it!" Quiet a wild ride!

As we got past the twentieth floor athletes began to fad and it was easier to pass people, I know felt I was working close to maximum capacity.

The stairwells at the Empire State Building are very different then other stairwell. After the 20th floor there are long landing in between floors, so it makes it a longer more tougher climb.

At floor 20 and 65 you have to cross the entire building and enter another stairwell, so the actual building is different then a regular building. It is quite unique!

As I got towards floor 65 I found my lungs were actually keeping up with my legs and felt pretty strong, but suddenly around floor 75 I felt a little light headed which is new to me. I might have been slightly dehydrated before the race and this could of been one symptom.

I pushed passed this and continued to race to the 86th floor. As I got to the top, I noticed the first sign of light. I raced harder and wanted to really finish strong!

I entered the 86th floor and ran toward toward the exit. Finally! I sprinted towards the finish line: 13 minutes and 15 seconds my finishing time indicated.

I was exhausted by happy to finish. I was slightly disappointed with my finish as I wanted to go under 13 minutes. However I was happy that I beat my previous best by 35 seconds.

I got back to the 61st floor for the race results. I finished 29th out of 213 runners. I was the first Canadian over the line which was a great feeling.

The race is becoming more competitive each year. Last year I ranked 30th which means that there are more competitive athletes at this race.

Next year I will be back and breaking the 13 minutes mark and getting into the top 10!

Overall it was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget! Thanks for all the people in New York who made this happen! Check out some of the pictures below!

Till next time!!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB





Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Bodyweighted Exercises for Improved Fitness and Performance

What is the best way to get in shape? Are there better exercises to incorporate into a structured workout program? What exercises deliver really good bank for your buck?

In this blog post we will explore types of exercises that will really help in assisting you to achieve your fitness goals in 2011.

Body weighted Exercises 101

The fitness industry has exploded with all kinds of fitness machines that it can make going to the gym a frustrating experience. All of these shiny, neat looking machines are really nice to look at, and they do serve a purpose however, one of the best ways to train is still the use of your own body weight, a few dumbbells and a bench.

The K.I.S.S Principal

Keep it simple Simon! This principal is best applied to training. If you are a beginner the best thing to do when training is to make sure you hit all the major muscles groups in the body.

The most efficient way to do this is through compound movements, meaning a movement that involves two or more joints. For example a squat is a compound movement because the hips, and knees are involved. This makes the squat the king of all body weighted exercises, due to the high amount of muscle mass it recruits in the legs and core.

Pull ups or Chin ups are also a great exercise which involve the shoulder joint and elbow joint. This is a great exercise to develop a nice back and arms. If you cannot do a full chin-up, use an assisted chin up machine, that will basically reduce the amount of body weight lifted.

Next is the push-up. This exercise is one of the most underutilized exercises. A push-up can have amazing effect on the strength of the upper body, yet many individuals do not do push-ups correctly or do not do them at all because they think that the push-up is less effective then a bench press. If done correctly the push-up can really build the strength in your core, chest, shoulders and triceps. In addition once you get good at doing push-ups correctly, then there are many, many variations that can add a great deal of intensity to this exercise.

The next king of the body weighted exercise is the deadlift. There are two versions of the deadlift, one being with the knees locked and the other being a squatting type of motion. Both are effective, but the stiff-legged deadlift works more on the hamstrings, core, lower back and some upper body, whereas the regular deadlift focuses on the quads, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, core and some upper body stabilizing muscles.

These four basic exercises should be the focus of anyone who is beginning an exercise program. These four exercises serve as the foundation of a training program. Once you have set a good foundation with these exercises then you can always incorporate some machines into your workout.

As always, If you have any questions regarding training, stairclimbing or getting into great shape you can contact our athlete support rep Richard Burgunder, and he will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Step Strong!

Trevor Folgering
Founder
The Canada StairClimbing Association
1-877-51-CLIMB
http://www.stairclimbcanada.com