Squats for better Stair Climbers

Good Day Stair Climbing Fans.

One of the best way to improve your stair climbing is not climbing more stairs! Many people think that the way to improving in their sport is to play the sport more and more.

To some degree this is true. Obviously to be as great as Andre Agassi in tennis you need to spend many hours on the court. However he also had to work hard off the court as well.

Therefore to be a great stairclimber requires time spent away from the stairs and at the gym.

Did you know the best way to improve your stairclimbing is to squat? Squatting develops overall power and endurance in the quadriceps, hamstrings, butt and core.

However most people do not squat correctly and therefore do not get the full benefits of squatting properly.

Another mistake people make when squatting is to load too much weight on the bar and only do half or quarter squats. While your ego will get a stroking, your body will not.

I found the best way to develop explosive muscles from squats is full depth squats with your ass to the grass!

Many people have a fear of squatting low because they think it will hurt their knees or low back. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The opposite is true. doing half squats with too much weight will actually cause more damage to the knees and low back then full range of motion squats with the correct weight.

Here is the best way to do squats:

First you need to elevate your heels on a board. The idea behind elevating your heels on a board is to increase the range of motion in th squat.

Now the number one reason why most people cannot get perform full range squats is their hip flexors are so tight that the muscles prevent them from going down to the floor. If this is you, you need to stretch more!

If you do have the range of motion that allows you to go down to the floor then thats great!

Make sure tokeep your toes slightly pointed out so that you can really hit your Vastus Medialis (tear drop muscle)


Now go all the way down. Do not use any weight at this point. Make sure that you slowly start to lower yourself down using a 4 count. Pause at the bottom for one second and the drive yourself back up for one second.

Make sure your back is straight and your chest is up, never look down in the movement as you will round out your back.

Really make sure you go down to the bottom slowly and pause! After four reps your quads should be on fire!!

Start to add wait by holding dumbbells in your hands. This is safer and more effective then a barbell on your back.

Try this squatting technique for a month and your stair climbing times will get faster and faster!

Yeah!

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

Do It With Them!

It is really important in todays age to be a good role model for children. Did you know that one in two children are overweight and are at risk for becoming diabetic?

Many doctors are actually seeing children that are developing Type II Diabetes at the age of 10! Shocking, since the majority of people who develop Type II Diabetes are over the age of 50!

So what can we do to help the health of our future generations?

First and foremost you have to be a role model! You cannot just tell your kids to exercise. You must show them how to exercise and teach them how to live a healthier lifestyle.

Kids learn by observing what we as adults do. They want to emulate adults in many different ways. You as the adult have great control over your own actions which will either positively or negatively effect you child's behavior.

For example: Do you eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, or are you so rushed that you do not have time to feed yourself. This will reflect back on your children. They will see you not eating breakfast and model your behaviors.

Therefore take time in the morning to cook a solid breakfast for yourself and your children. They will learn through action that breakfast is the most important part of the day. In addition it will be great bonding time in the morning.

When it comes to exercise do you TELL your kids to exercise, or do you SHOW them how to exercise.

When I say show them, it doesn't have to be a complex workout routine. It can be a simple as playing a physical game with your children like tag. It can also be walking the dog with your children, or it can be actually doing a workout with your children.

If you become a positive role model of health and nutrition for your children then they will emulate those actions and behaviors back onto themselves.

What is the secret to getting our future generations healthy and fit? The Secret??? ....Do it With Them!

Till Next time...

Stair Climbing Overview

Brought to you By Livestrong.com

Overview
Stair climbing uses a combination of anaerobic and aerobic systems that challenges your ability to sustain endurance, stamina and posture. Climbing up the stairs trains production of force; climbing down the stairs trains your ability to control force and speed deceleration, which uses a different movement pattern than going up. You can use almost any stairs in any environment, such as in an office building, college or park.

Step 1

Climb up a flight of stairs by placing one foot on each step. Go up at a rate of one step per second. Pump your arms naturally as you do so.

Step 2

Turn and climb back down the stairs without rest after you have reached the top. Go down at a rate of one step per second. Keep your spine tall.

Step 3

Rest for 20 to 30 seconds at the bottom of the stairs, and repeat the exercise for three to four sets. Increase the rate to two steps per second once you have become proficient with the one-second rate.

Two Step Bound

Step 1
Bound up the steps two at time at one bound per second. Lean forward slightly as you bound. Pump your arms naturally to help you maintain balance and strength.

Step 2
Turn and climb down the stairs one step at a time as quickly as you can after you have reached the top.

Step 3
Rest for 60 seconds and repeat the exercise for three more sets.

Upward Crawl

Step 1
Place your hands on the second or third step from the bottom, and place your feet at together at the bottom of the step.

Step 2
Bring your right foot to the first or second step, depending on your body length and flexibility, and put your left hand on the next higher step.

Step 3

Repeat the pattern with the opposite leg and hand as you crawl up to the top. Keep your spine in a neutral position, maintaining your natural curves.

Step 4

Stand up when you reach the top of the stairs. Turn and climb down the stairs on your feet as fast as you can. Rest for 60 seconds, and repeat the drill three more times.

Tips and Warnings
Climbing and bounding up and down stairs requires a high range of motion in your hip and legs joints and stability in your trunk and spine for balance. Warm up your joints by moving them in their full range of motion before doing any stair climbing.
Do not hunch your back or shoulders when performing stair-climbing exercises. Not all stairs have the same height, width or number of steps. Find a flight of stairs that you can do without hurting yourself. If the height is too high, you may place too much stress upon your joints. If the height is too low, it may not be challenging enough for more advanced exercisers.

Time to Start StairClimbing For Real!!!!

Well It is close to New years and you know what that means right?

The start of a new healthy lifestyle! The best way to start a healthy lifestyle is to set out some great fitness related goals to achieve!
One of these goals can be complete a Stair Race here in Regina! Stair Climbing is such a great way to get fit and lose body fat! Just ask some of our members how they feel after only three weeks of climbing stairs! They feel phenomenal! Now itr your turn!

Here is your challenge! I challenge you to sign up for our stair climbing meet-up groups and start training for our Stair Climb Race happening March 13th 2011!

Our StairClimbing Meet-up group meets three times a week, Sunday, Wednesday and Friday!

For complete details check out this link:

http://www.stairclimbcanada.com/st/index.php?N_webcat_id=204

Once you have gotten a spot in the stairclimbing meet up group, its times to register for our race!

By the way you should do it sooner then later! WHY? Because if you sign up now then you cannot back out of your training and you will have to train and get in shape. (Because there are also no refunds!) :)

So here is the link to sign up!

http://www.stairclimbcanada.com/st/index.php?N_webcat_id=823

So what is a stair climb race all about?

Well, The race takes place inside the Delta Hotel stair well. The Stair well is comprised of 400 steps or 25 stories. Depending on your fitness level you may choose to race up the stair well once, or try the multiple climb challenge if you are a die hard fitness fanatic!

This is also a great way to support an amazing charity, The Shelter Foundation! This charitable organization helps women who have been or currently are in abusive relationships.

So come on and join the sport that is changing the way people get fit and lose bodyfat forever!

For detailed information on our Organization, please visit:

http://www.stairclimbcanada.com/

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

Get Fit Fast With Our Fitness Tips of The Month

Tip of the Month for December 2010

Training

Learn to connect with the spiritual side of fitness. The spiritual side of fitness is the connection that bridges our physical self with the emotional/mental aspect of fitness. Spiritual Fitness is the connection that you have within yourself that resonates through physical pursuits. If you can develop your spiritual fitness levels then training takes on a higher meaning for you and the work that you put into your training will seem effortless.

Nutrition

Do you know that fish oils are not ideal for the human body? Mostly due to the chemical structure of the fish molecule, we cannot convert Omega 3 fish oils into usable forms of essential fatty acids! The best essential fatty acids are found from two sources which are either plant based or mammal based sources. Both are found to have great benefits to the human body.

StairClimbing

You are no better then your weakest link. Make sure to get to the gym and work the following muscles: Glute Maximus (butt) Adductors and Abductors (Inner and outer thigh muscles) Glutes Minimus (Side of the hip responsible for abducting the thigh, when the limb is extended, and is principally called into action in supporting the body on one limb) Stair Climbing involves pushing from one limb to the other in rapid succession while moving the center of gravity upwards. Not working these muscles at all will lead to slower stair climbing times.

Mind Over Body

Getting to that next level of fitness can be challenging. Whether your a beginner, elite or someone in between.

Pushing your body to the next level requires commitment to nutrition, consistent workouts and one other important link in the puzzle.

YOUR MIND!

The Power of the Mind is so critical it cannot be over-stated. I get a lot of questions about how to lose weight, get faster, stronger and healthier. What I realized throughout my eleven years as a fitness professional is that the reason most people cannot lose the weight, or get themselves up at 5 am to workout, or to push themselves to that next level is because they have something that is called...

"Stinkin thinkin"

Too many people have these negative thoughts in their head that it limits the body from producing the physical result that you are after!

Remember this "What your mind can believe, you can achieve"

It is so important to visualize the end result that you are after. This is because the subconscience cannot differentiate what is visualized in the mind and what is real.

So if you are constantly thinking that your body is lean, that you can workout hard for as long as you want to, that your losing fat every day and you picture what your body will look like, then your subconscience mind will already think its real and you will eventually get to your goal!

The mind is the most powerful human muscle in the body! So use it to its fullest potential!

The End of the Year Fitness Resolution

End of the year resolution? Don't you mean New year's resolution?

Well actually,no.

Now that we have officially ended Thanksgiving (Both in the United States and in Canada) people tend to start swinging into the holiday season pretty quickly. Well maybe for the gentlemen out there they wait till December 24th! But generally speaking most people start to prepare for the holiday season mid to late December.

So what do most people do for the holiday season? Are there more responsibilities and stress at the Holidays? Are you having more parties then usual?? Yes! (Especially those work parties, where you get to see your Boss looped, which makes it so much more fun!)

Seriously thou, the point of all of this is that usually there is so much more stress and responsibilities during the holiday season that we end up NOT WORKING OUT ANYMORE! Which is not the right thing to do.

Going to the gym actually relieves stress and helps boost your immune system! So really now is not the time to kick the workouts to the curb.

What you must do is have a "End of the Year Fitness Resolution" You must resolve that you will stick to your current workout strategy no matter what!

This way you will have ample energy to get all the shopping and baking done and still have enough energy to go to a few holiday socials :)

Working out also decreases stress, which there is plenty of during the holiday season which as you are well aware of.

So this year really plan to stick with a workout program through the holiday season!

The best time to workout during the holiday season? In the morning as soon as you get up! This way you will rev up your bodies metabolic rate, and kick start the day by having an amazing workout!

We hope you begin a "Year End Fitness Resolution" this year!

Stay Healthy!

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