We believe ANYONE can climb a tower, but there’s nothing worse than entering a stair race without some sort of base conditioning. Stair climbing requires aerobic and anaerobic fitness, physical strength and pure determination to achieve your ultimate goal… Reaching the top floor.
When training for a stair climb we recommend that you start a training regime at least 5 weeks prior to the event with at least a couple of weeks improving general fitness prior. This is enough time for your leg strength to improve significantly, the performance of your heart and lungs (cardiovascular system) to increase and prepare you psychologically for one of the most exciting fitness challenges on the planet!
The number one rule of competitive stair climbing is ‘training for specificity’, which means running/walking up stairs at least 3 times per week. Gaining access to a skyscraper is extremely difficult so using local parks, office buildings and grandstands are the best ways to build your stair climbing legs. Make sure you check out our Stair Climbing Database to see if we have your closest stairs listed.
In every stair climbing session you should climb double the amount of steps to the race you have entered. There are many ways to vary your stair climbing workouts but in the early stages it’s as simple as repeatedly running up the steps and allowing your body to adapt and condition.
Leg strength is crucial for a stair climber as the legs are the major muscles used when carrying the body weight vertically. Getting into a gym and being shown how to squat, use a leg press machine and lunging with added weight will have you developing some serious muscle tissue.
To help get you started we have developed 3 possible training programs to try: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Take a look at each to see which you think best suits your situation. For those who try them we would love to hear your feedback via our Contact Us page.
I am a novice Stair Climber, in training etc. I live in the Innerwest (Sydney) I intend using the Agar stairs at Millers Point and UTS Tower for training etc.
Anthony
Great to hear Anthony! Let us know how you find the Agar Stairs and good luck with the training!
?G’day…I am an ex Ironman triathlete(amateur) and 5 years ago I had a brain tumour removed. It has taken me those entire 5 years to learn how to walk again after being paralyzed on my left hand side from the operation.
I am still a long way off being able to run, which pains me, but recently with a friend I climbed Mount Lofty in SA via the Waterfall Gully track. It had a lot of steep sections and stairs. When I reached the top I realised that my body felt like it used to after I’d completed a marathon or a half marathon.
If I can only walk and not yet run, Stair-climbing at a walking pace could be just what I’ve been looking for to whip my body back into shape. My question is, Do I have to run to participate in organised stair climbs?
I am not physically able to run yet, but I know that I have the determination to finish(I have never dropped out of an event I have started). Is finishing viewed in the same way as it is in Ironman? We let the elites chase the sub9 hour marks, the true test for us age-groupers is to just finish the damned thing.
Hi Kasey, just reading the blog and noticed no-one had replied. First off, I hope you have continued to recover since your op – and good on you for getting back into things mate!
In regards to your question, I have only run the Perth stair climb in Central Park Tower (Enerflex Step-Up for MS). The format is great for everyone from your beginner to elite, as they split you in groups of 10 based on your finish time from earlier years and let a group of 10 go every 60secs. In this way it is unlikely you’ll hold anyone up, and in any case the stair wells are usually wide enough to fit 2 or 3 people side-by-side (so no excuses for those behind you not to overtake!). Additionally, there are event staff on just about every floor (or every other floor) to help if you need assistance, water, medico or exit to a lift back down – so if you are struggling at any point just get someone to help you our!
happy stair climbing mate, and hoping you make a complete recovery.
ben
Hi Kasey,
I hope you’re coming along with your fitness goals since you asked the above question. I work on the Eureka Climb and we have actually got 2 stairwells being utilized for our event. One is a timed stairwell (so running up) and the other is a designated walking or “go at your own pace” stairwell so we cater for everyone. This year’s event is on Sunday November 17. http://www.eurekaclimb.com.au Registrations will open in August.
Interesting blog, great! I start my training for the 9th Saxon Everest Marathon stairs 20th / 21 April 2013. I’m in a team of three man my first competition.
Greetings from Germany
Hi there
How do you take care of your knees when you train for stair climbing on weekly basis?
Cheers
Bruno
Hi Bruno,
Thanks for the question.
Providing you have sound knees with no structural issues, running stairs, or training for stair climbing can be quite beneficial. The motion of climbing stairs is low impact and the adaptation required by the quadriceps means that they will get stronger and in turn provide greater support for the joint.
One thing we avoid as much as possible to prevent damage to our knees is running down stairs or hills as this is very high impact for the joint (forces of up to 3 times greater). If there is no alternative then walking down is our preference.
The quadriceps, glutes and calf muscle (in fact the entire lower leg muscle complex) are worked quite intensely when running stairs so we always allow for rest days or alternate with low impact/intensity training to give our body the time it needs to rebuild. Massage, Foam Rolling, PowerPlate, stretching and pool work are good options.
The other thing that we include is exercise that requires us to move in multiple directions. When stair climbing we are always moving in straight lines (sagittal plane) so we need to make sure muscles that provide sideways and rotational movement are stimulated just as much to keep balance and prevent injury.
This is all obviously a general guide and not specific to any one training program but I hope it helps with answering your question.
SCA
Hi, I was checking the training programs..what does 3×3, 3×4, etc. mean??
thanks!!!
Nacho Manrique
Hi Nacho,
If for example you are able to train on stairs that have 100 steps. You would climb them 3 times one after the other then rest for 60secs before climbing them again 3 times in a row and again resting for 60secs then climb them 3 times again to finish.
Therefore 3 x 3 ascents of 100steps for a total workout of 900 steps.
Hope this clarifies it.
So, assuming you only have 100 stairs to climb in total, would your rest period consist of walking back down the stairs before you climb them again?
Thanks
-Mark
Hi Mark,
If you have only 100 steps then we suggest you climb, walk back down as active recovery then repeat another 2 times before having a 60sec rest. After the 60sec rest complete another 3 climbs (including the walks back down).
We hope this makes sense.
Thnaks a lot!!!!
NACHO MANRIQUE