| One of our favorite training methods for developing anaerobic conditioning is running stairs. As with any workout, start out with a good warm up and stretch. You just may want to start by walking up the stairs, then proceed to the running phase of the workout.
We like to run up the stairs, but you can still get a great workout by walking the steps very fast. We also like to skip every other stair when we run them, but you can run every step if you life. Experiment to find out what works best for you.
We like to climb anywhere from 6 to 12 flights of stairs at full speed, then rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Now you might not have a 12 story building to run in, but even if you have a 2 to 3 story building you can run up and down until you cover the complete set.
During the rest break we prefer to take an "active" rest by continuing to walk up and down the stairs. We find this allows us to recover faster. Again, experiement to see what works best for you. We usually run anywhere from 4 to 10 sets in a workout.
As your conditioning improves you have many more options to continually challenge your anaerobic system.
- Run more flights of stairs
- Reduce your rest intervals
- Increase your sets
- Use a weighed vest
Another great anaerobic conditioning tool is an all out sprint. Run until your legs can barely move. You will be forced to walk, but your body will still be in an anaerobic state. There are many ways to do anaerbic training on stairs - just remember to be safe in what you are trying to do. Anaerobic work should have you breathless. To get an idea of how you should feel, run a 400 meter (one lap) around your local high school track at full speed, and you will see how you should feel running stairs.
If you want to feel great late in the game, then you need to build up your cardiovascular system with some stairs!
|
