Stair Climbing for Cross-Training

Minute for minute, a stair-climbing workout delivers the same aerobic benefit as running, delivering a particularly good workout for the quadriceps.

By Josh Clark
Posted Wednesday, 17 September, 1997

In the last few years, the StairMaster machine has become one of the most popular machines in most health clubs, and with good reason. Minute for minute, a stair-climbing workout delivers the same aerobic benefit as running, delivering a particularly good workout for the quadriceps. At the same time, the high kneelifts demanded by stair climbing stretches your hamstrings and helps extend your stride length -- a nifty benefit for your running performance. Overall, it's a great strengthening exercise, not all that different from running hills.

Climbing stairs on a machine delivers a lower impact workout than running actual stairs, or "stadiums." The steps on a StairMaster are designed to give with each stroke, and the fact that you never get airborne reduces the pounding on your legs significantly.

If you're using the machine, don't hold onto the rail. You'll get a better workout (and promote better running form) if you avoid leaning forward and you pump your arms as if you were running. Try to keep your feet flat on the platform; running up on the balls of your feet can strain your Achilles tendon or aggravate the arch of your foot.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/114.shtml

Stair climbers push their sport skyward

By PETER COX

Columbia News Service

NEW YORK - Imagine entering the lobby of a high-rise and seeing a sign on the elevator that reads "Out of order." A lot of people would throw their hands up and head for the local coffee shop. But in the world of competitive stair climbing, 40 or 50 open flights of stairs is an opportunity that many would travel thousands of miles for.

"These guys are definitely masochistic," said Sproule Love, 35, a competitive stair climber from Manhattan. "It's basically who can suffer the most."

In the world of competitive sports, stair climbing isn't exactly the stuff of ESPN. But the sport has grown in popularity, with races up the world's tallest buildings sprouting up all over.

And while athletes aren't getting rich at these races (most races are run for small cash winnings or to raise money for charity), a growing number of stair racers are snagging sponsors who pay to send them around the world to run up the stairs.

Stair climbing requires endurance, strong legs and arms (since you can use the banisters to pull yourself up stairs) and a healthy set of lungs. But many people are drawn to the sport for its novelty.

"It's a great conversation piece," said Love, a real estate agent. "I'll tell people I cross-country ski, run in marathons, do mountain races, and the only thing they'll remember is the stair climbing."

Love says the number of races in North America has more than doubled since he started climbing competitively in 1999. Stair climbers in Seattle, for example, climb the 1,643 steps of the Columbia Center twice a year. In Toronto they race to the top of the CN Tower's 113 stories. In Chicago, stair climbers run up the Sears Tower's 1,643 steps, and on Feb. 27 they'll "Hustle up the Hancock," a race up the city's Hancock Building.

But the granddaddy of staircase competitions is the Empire State Building Run-Up, a race up all 1,576 steps of New York City's iconic skyscraper. It was held this year on Feb. 6. Though there isn't a cash prize, the Empire State Building race is an invitation-only event hosted by the New York Road Runners, and entrants come from across the world.

While most races start groups of runners at 10- to 30-second intervals, the Run-Up packs 290 competitors into a 20-yard-wide spread at the starting line. A starting gun sets off a melee as the runners rush toward the 48-inch-wide door to the building's staircase, with arms flailing and elbows flying.

"Your start position is key," said Love, who finished third in the 2005 race. "My first year I was thrown into the banister right at the start." Love sat out with an injury this year, but has made it a goal to win the event. For the most part, the race has been dominated by international competitors in recent years.

The key to success in climbing is the ability to take pain, but there are also a few strategic maneuvers.

"If you want any chance at winning, it's two steps on the whole way, one foot on the platform" between each floor, said David Shafron, 27, of Illinois, who has competed in several climbs.

Using the railings is key. Many stairwells are dusty and hot, and by the end of a race, people say their lungs feel like fire.

Most climbers engage in other strenuous sports, like long-distance running and cycling.

To train for races, most climbers just find a tall building in town and make like college students during a fire drill, except in reverse.

But training requires access to the tallest buildings around, which is not an easy task in a security-conscious world. Many climbers have had to rely on their health clubs, using high-tech stair climbers to train for races.

Benefits of Stairway to Health programs

There are a variety of benefits to programs that encourage the use of stairways, as part of physical activity in workplaces, or other settings. These benefits may include improved morale, a sense of well-being, higher energy levels and improved team building. Below are the measurable benefits that are indicated in research on stair use.

Canada's Physical Activity Guide recommends that Canadians accumulate 30-60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day. Stair climbing is possible in many workplaces and requires no special equipment in order to participate. There is evidence to suggest that moderate intensity lifestyle activities like taking the stairs may be more successfully promoted than structured vigorous intensity exercise programs (Kerr, 2001). Stair climbing can be accumulated across the course of the day, making a significant contribution to 30 minutes of daily physical activity (Kerr, 2001). Stair climbing interventions typically result in a 6-15% increase in use of stairs. A significantly lower risk of mortality is indicated in studies where participants climbed more than 55 flights per week. (Paffenbarger et al. 1993). Stair climbing requires about 8-11kcal of energy per minute, which is high compared to other physical activities (Edwards, 1983). Active Stair climbers are more fit and have a higher aerobic capacity (Ilmarinen et al, 1978). Even two flights of stairs climbed per day can lead to 2.7 kg weight loss over one year (Brownell, Stunkard, and ALbaum, 1980). There is a strong association between stair climbing and bone density, in post-menopausal women (Coupland et al. 1999). Stair climbing programs can improve the amount of 'good cholesterol' in the blood - HDL concentrations (Wallace and Neill, 2000). Stair climbing increases leg power and may be an important priority in reducing the risk of injury from falls in the elderly (Allied Dunbar Survey, 1992). Because stair climbing rates are currently very low, increasing population levels of stair climbing could lead to substantial public health dividends (Kerr, 2001). Because stair climbing is an activity with which we are all familiar, participants have a high level of confidence in their ability to participate in the activity (Kerr, 2001).

No, Thanks. I'll Take The Stairs

More people are skipping the elevator -- and are racing their way to the top

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smart Training for Your Best Stair Climb

By Chris Serb
January 2005
Chicago Athlete

When I competed in my first stair-climbing race, the Aon Building's "Step Up For Kids" in February 2000, I thought, how hard could it be to race 81 flights of stairs? After all, as a candidate in the Chicago Fire Academy, I routinely ran up our staircase toting heavy firefighting gear and equipment. And as a competitive Clydesdale racer, I finished 5Ks in around 20 minutes. Yes, I determined, I was in excellent shape . . . no extra training necessary.

Boy, was I wrong.

I started up with a nice quick sprint, the same way we always ran our stairs at the Fire Academy, but that staircase is only five stories high . . . five floors into the Aon Building, I realized this would be a much different race. My lungs started to burn around the 20th floor, and I gasped for breath through the 40th. My breathing returned to normal, but my quadriceps and calves tightened with lactic acid buildup through the 60th floor. For the last 21 floors I huffed, puffed, staggered, yanked the handrails, and prayed: Please God, help me get to the top. And if I do, I promise, I'll make sure I train for the next stair climb, if I'm ever stupid enough to enter another one again!

Perhaps you signed up for Step Up For Kids or Hustle Up The Hancock months ago, figuring you'd have plenty of time to work your way into shape. Now those races are just weeks away, and you need to get on a training program fast or else you'll end up like I did five years ago . . . sprinting the first 20 floors, then crawling, scratching, heaving your way to the top.

"Going out too fast is the biggest mistake that both fit and unfit athletes make," said Terry Purcell. "Most people underestimate how difficult stair climbing really is."

Purcell should know. The Springfield, IL, resident has competed in dozens of stair climbs around the world and has won several, including the 1998 Empire State Building race, the 2002 and 2003 Hustle Up the Hancock, the 2003 Go Vertical! Sears Tower race, and the 2003 Step Up For Kids race.

For all his success, Purcell doesn't run a lot of flights himself. "Actual training in the stairs is not an enjoyable experience-it's not like a nice run in the forest," he said. "So I try to find other activities to tax the legs and lungs."

Lori Dunn, an age-group triathlete from Villa Park, IL, has a different approach. "Doing the actual course or doing the stairs is best," she says. "Any stairway will do: in your home, in the mall, in the apartment complex. Some people head to Palos and use the stairs leading up to the toboggan chutes!"

Dunn had extraordinary success last year, her first experience as a competitive stepper. She was the second-fastest female at Step Up for Kids and third-fastest female at Hustle up the Hancock. Though she was a novice to stair-racing, Dunn already had a terrific aerobic base as an Ironman Triathlon competitor.

"I believe on average six weeks of running the stairs at least two times a week will do, if you're on a regular fitness program," she said. "Just to make it up to the top, start now and begin at least once a week on stairs and build a 10 percent weekly increase. Work your way to three times a week on the stairs and continue to cross-train on other days."

While Purcell does hit the stairs a few times while gearing up for a race, he trains with just about any aerobic exercise that taxes the legs and lungs. He recommends training on a "versa-climber" machine that's similar to climbing a ladder, incline elliptical machines, and running or biking on a steep hill.

"The basic premise is that you must go outside of your comfort zone twice a week for six to eight weeks before the event," he said. "The repetitions must last for at least two to three minutes, and the total time of exertion must exceed my total race time." At the other end of the spectrum from ultra-competitive steppers like Purcell and Dunn are the Jon Blackburns of the world. A few years ago, nobody would have expected Blackburn to enter, much less finish, a competitive stair climb.

The Zionsville, IN, resident tipped the scales at 340 pounds in December 2002. "I would get out of breath just taking the groceries in," Blackburn said. "But I could go up and down the steps OK. I knew that my legs and thighs were pretty strong, because they'd been carrying all this weight around for years."

Blackburn began his fitness program slowly, by climbing up and down a six-inch step in his garage for 10 minutes at a stretch. He gradually increased the size of the step and the length of his workouts, added some cross-training on the NordicTrack machine, and eventually began climbing real stairs.

By November 2003-less than a year after he started getting in shape-Blackburn was down below 200 pounds, and he celebrated his new lease on life by entering the Go Vertical! Sears Tower race. He finished in the top 20 percent, and has competed in several other races since.

While he might finish a few minutes behind world-class steppers like Purcell and Dunn, Blackburn's training regimen would challenge even the heartiest athlete. He doesn't have a high-rise for training purposes, so he makes do with a two-story stairway at his local church.

"Three times a week I go up two flights, 15 steps each," Blackburn said. "That doesn't sound like much, but eventually I could go up and down them 200 to 300 times."

He adds regular cross-training sessions on a NordicTrack machine or roller blades. When he was still working his way into shape in 2003, he might spend 20 minutes climbing stairs, but he now routinely climbs for two hours during each workout.

I wish I'd benefited from the collective wisdom of Purcell, Dunn, and Blackburn back in 2000. I did eventually finish that first stair race and it took several days to recover. After skipping the race the next two years, I found myself back in the stairway for the 2003 Step Up For Kids.

I began my stepping-specific training about eight weeks before the race with a 20-minute Stepmill session. I worked my way up to three one-hour sessions, slightly slower than my expected race intensity and with two short water breaks, every week. I then added live stairwell training in a friend's 44-story high-rise building (44 stories in her residential high-rise are roughly equivalent to 35 stories in the Aon Building). Eventually I could climb her stairs six times in a workout session, taking the elevator back down between each climb to save my knees.

The results? Not nearly as fast as Purcell, slightly slower than Dunn, but still respectable. And my Chicago Fire Department "Heavy Timber" team won the title for fastest overall team. Most importantly, my legs and my lungs, while taxed at the end, recovered within minutes.

With some good training and a smart race strategy, you can avoid making my mistakes and have an excellent stair race.

Stair Climbing Training Methods

Table Description: Ordered from best to least best

60 + stories straight up the stairs	Shorter building, up the stairs & elevator down, repeat	One flight of stairs in house, repeated several times	Running up a steep hill	Cycling up a steep hill	Running flat or track middle distance, 2K to 5K	Cycling flat or track middle distance, 3K to 10K	Exercise stepper machine	Push-ups and wall-squat exercises	Walking down stairs

Vertical Marathon

My passion for stairs climbing began to burn inside me after taking part in my first vertical marathon in 2004. Since then, I was hooked to the fun and enjoyment in doing this unique sport. Many people thinks i'm crazy, Why not take the lift? Haha... I prefer the stairs when it comes to conquering tall skyscaper that's the challenge. A good physical and mental training too. For it's not the pain endured or suffered but the sense of achievement and the great view at the end.

My previous races:

Swissotel Vertical Marathon (Swissotel)
2004 Women's Open 20th
2005 Women Under 20 2nd
2006 Women Under 20 1st


National Vertical Marathon
2005 Women's Open 9th Temasek Tower
2005 Inter-JC Top 20 Temasek Tower
2006 Women's Open Top 30 Suntec City
2007 Lovers' Challenge 4th Republic Plaze

Stairs Climbing

Stair climbing is one of the most grueling sports, requiring competitors to move their entire body weight vertically, instead of horizontally.

Benefits of Stair Climbing

• Stair climbing burns about twice as many calories than any other sport or activity.
• Because it is a grueling sport, stair climbing requires less time to do the same intensity of a workout. For example, if you run 30 minutes per day, the same workout intensity could be achieved with 15 minutes of stair climbing.
• Stair climbing is a total body workout. It makes the arms stronger with the use of the arms pulling you up with the use of the rails (or banister) which is allowed and encouraged. Stair climbing especially builds muscle mass in the legs, including the quadriceps and calfs. It is an aerobic sport as it works the cardio-vascular lung package. Stair climbing becomes an anaerobic event after about 10 to 20 flights of stairs as it strains your aerobic capacity to hold an intense load on the cardio-vascular package to the top of a very tall building. Since the contest is vertical, even a 70 story race up is not a total sprint and requires endurance, sprint, and muscular strength to complete in a fast time.


Entrance to US Bank Tower's stairs
• Stair climbing is excellent for cross-training. Runners, swimmers, cyclists, rowers, soccer (or football), and others find stair climbing to be helpful with its total workout. Cyclists, skiers, and rowers are especially attracted to the muscle mass in the legs which can be developed with stair climbing. Remember the 1976 Picture of the Year? Sylvester Stallone played the boxer, Rocky Balboa and one of the most famous scenes in the movie was when Rocky was training for the big fight with many exercises and ended with a run up the stairs to a museum and raises his arms in triumph at the top with the hit music "Gonna Fly Now" playing.
  
  
• Stair climbing does not require the purchase of any expensive equipment. It can be done almost anywhere. You could practice stair climbing at any public place that has many flights of steps, including, but not limited to: your apartment building, condominium building, your house stairs, the stairs leading to a public building, the library, or at a gym.