Athlete Support Blog

April Newsletter

2011-04-22T03:27:00.000-07:00

Check out Aprils Newsletter! Happy Easter!

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

2011-02-11T12:03:00.001-08:00

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

CrossTraining For StairClimbing

2011-02-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

Q:I have noticed a large improvement in my fitness. I and my spouse began to do stair climbing the week after Christmas. I have improved a lot since that time, not a lot of time, but enough to show improvements. I had at first lost 6lbs then gained 7 lbs! then after couple weeks more, I began to realize I did not lean on the banisters and I was faster, then, I dropped 1/2inch! yey! : )
Now, I have added more loops to my training and feel empowered, though I had initially gained some lbs, I am sure that it was muscle, as I noted immediately after that, that my body was burning off the sugar much quicker than usual.

I plan on working to do cross training-- that is, doing some mileage on bicycle riding on days I don't do the stairs.

Any Thoughts?

Pat

A) Pat, this is really amazing, especially since you have only really been stairclimbing for just over six weeks! WOW!

Cycling would be a great tool to crosstrain for stairclimbing. Why? Because cycling can be used to an easy recovery day in order to avoid overtraining. You can also use it to increase your over leg strength by doing hill repeats on a bike, or pedaling over very hilly terrain. Cycling is a lower impact activity therefore it makes sense to add this into your routine.

A caveat is to make sure that you put in rest days so that your body doesnt overtrain. Try this weekly routine:

Monday - stairs
Tursday - bike
Wednesday REST
Thursday - stairs
Friday - bike
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - long ride

Make sure to rest at least once a week or if your really training hard, put in two rest days per week.

You will find that your body over time will tell you how much rest to take per week. The key is to really listen to your body and make sure that you are really optimizing your training with your recovery systems.

Good luck and I look forward to hearing more of your success stories!

Introduction to January Exercise of The Month

2011-01-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

2011-01-19T07:12:00.000-08:00

Q;) I am an beginner when it comes to exercise. I really want to get into great shape this year but am a little intimidated with all the machines and fancy gadgets out there. Can you please give me some good exercises to do that will help me get in great shape? Thanks!

-Curious Beginner

A:) Thanks for the Great Question! Find the answer in this recent blog post, posted by our athlete support rep Richard.

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

Can Stairclimbing improve my Running Performance?

2011-01-15T05:37:00.000-08:00

Q: I am a runner who has completed a few road races, and just this last fall I finished my first half marathon. I now want to better my time for 2011. Is stairclimbing going to help me run faster?

A: Great Question! Yes stairclimbing will help improve your stairclimbing.

One of the main reasons that climbing stairs improves your running performance is that you are developing your fast twitch muscle fibers which allow for a more powerful stride in running.

In addition, by climbing stairs you vastly improve the strength of your core (abdominals, and trunk musculature) which will help you in maintaining correct running form over longer distances which will improve times drastically.

For a full explanation of why stairclimbing is so wonderful for runners, please check out our Blog that specifically talks about the benefits to runners!

Thanks for the great question!

The 2011 Regina Stair Climb for Shelter

2010-12-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Q: I want to participate in the 2011 Regina Stair Climb for Shelter, but I have never done anything like this before, can I still enter?

A: Great Question! Sure you can still enter! When you register, just select Tier 1. Tier 1 is all the participants who have never competed in a stair climb event before.
This way you will race with or climb with people who are at the same level as you are. When your in Tier 1 you do not have to "race" you can choose how you get up the stairs. You can walk to the top if you prefer. No athletic ability is necessary to compete in Tier 1. So do not be afraid to enter!

If you would like to start training for this great event, you can join our Regina Stair Climbers Meet-up group. We meet three times a week at the Delta Hotel starting January 9th. Hope to see you there!

Richard Burgunder
Athlete Support
1-877-51-CLIMB
www.stairclimbcanada.com

All Work and No Play!

2010-12-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

David Writes in with a great question!

Q:) I work a desk job 4 days a week and cannot get into a good training program on those days. Would getting a seated stepper be benificial at all in helping me train if I used it most days while at work when I could not get to actual stairs?

Hi David!

Thanks for the great question. I would actually not recommend using a machine that supports your bodyweight to train for stair climbing. WHY?

First the fact you are seated actual will hinder you when you are racing up the stairs. Stair Climbing or Racing uses maximum muscle contractions through your hips, glutes (Butt muscle) core and upper body if you use the railings.

If you train four days a week seated all of these muscle will not get stimulated properly and when you go to race the muscles will not respond well.

In addition you cannot get the intensity up to where you want it to be.

There are a number of ways you can get the training in so that you will become a more explosive, faster stair climber.

If you say that you have four days that you are at a desk job, then that leaves three actually really good productive workout days.

Lets say your productive workout days are on Sunday, Thursday and Saturday just for example.

Sunday you should be at a set of stairs (even if they are not a lot of stair) You should be doing a combination of endurance, speed work and technical training on this day for about 1 hour. Make sure to stretch afterwards

Thursday is Gym work. At the gym focus on exercises that contract the most amount of muscle in your body. Full body exercises are the key. For additional exercises please become a member and check out the useful exercises for stairclimbers

Here is a freebie exercise to get you started!

On Saturday you have two options, depending on what your goals are: It is either a long duration cardiovascular workout on a stepper of some sort of exercise machine that works the whole body or its back to the stairs.

After the third session you would just rotate the workouts:

Sunday - Gym workout

Thursday - Stair Workout

Saturday - Gym workout

Sunday - Stair Workout

Thursday - Gym workout

Saturday - Cardio workout

etc...

I hope this has helped you understand a little bit more about training and becoming a faster stair climber!

Have a fit and healthy day!

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

I Quit Smoking..Now What?

2010-12-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

I received this great message from Glen, who is now a non-smoker and wanting to get in great shape!

Q:) Hi! I am so excited! I just kicked a twenty six year smoking habit! I finally found the strength to get rid of this filthy habit and am now ready to embrace a healthy lifestyle. My question to athlete support is, now that I have quit smoking, where do I begin? I am interested in trying your event but am not sure If I will be ready in time. Can you give me some helpful information that will get me on my way?

Signed - Non-Smoking Glen

A:) Well a big congratulations to you Glen! Being smoke free is amazing and you should be very proud!

In terms of exercise the first thing you should do is just quickly get a physical from the doctor to make sure you are good to exercise. You should be fine, but this will tell you if there was any side effects from smoking. Again I am sure you are fine, but for precautionary reasons it is good to have this done.

Once the doctor has given you the green light it is best to start of slow. Try not to do too much at one time. The reason being is that your body is trying to detoxify from your smoking habit. This will cause stress on the body and trying to really exercise hard 5-6 times per week will only cause undue stress on the body.

My advice is to do a mild cleanse. I would buy a mild seven day cleanse from any health food store and do a mild cleanse for seven days. This will help clean out any toxins that the cigerettes have left behind. Think of it as a long overdue oil change on your car.

You can start to exercise lightly when you are cleansing so no more then 30 minutes of treadmill work never pushing to the point of fatigue.

Once you have done the cleanse you are ready for action!

Here is what I would recommend. Start off with a three day a week exercise routine.

Day 1 (Monday) - 30 mins of weights/30 minutes of cardio

Day 2 (Wednesday) - Stair Climbing workout

Day 3 (Friday) 30 minutes of weights/30 minutes of cardio

This should be followed for a month to six weeks. Then you should change the routine to a more progressive program either with more days added or more volume in the workouts themselves.

Nutrition is another key factor! For this I will ask you to read some of our fitness freebies found on our website.

Please also check our blog for nutritional tips an hints, here is one you might like it covers the Canada Food Guide and its good points and bad

I hope this has been helpful! By the way you should have plenty of time to get ready for our stair climb event! You will be placed in Tier 1 which is for beginners! I am sure you will do very well!

Here is the event information

Athlete Support
athletesupport@stairclimbcanada.com
1-877-51-CLIMB

What To Do When There Are No Stairs

2010-11-26T17:53:00.000-08:00

Just received this question from Heather, who just got hooked on this great sport!

Q)I am an "older adult" who recently on a trip back to my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, decided I would try to climb those steps in the River Valley next to the Royal Glenora Club. I managed 5 1/2 reps of 185 steps and was HOOKED.
UNFORTUNATELY, I live in a small city in Ontario, which is not only flat but is lacking in any sort of public outdoor stairs and public buildings of significant height that give access to stair climbing.
At least, that is my impression! Do you have ANY contacts or resource information about stair climbing in my city?

A:) Such a great question! Thanks Heather! The sport of stairclimbing is such a fantastic activity that it is hard NOT to get hooked! Congratulations!

Having no access to outdoor stairs or tall building could be a problem. However there are solutions. First and foremost you do not have to climb stairs to be great at stair climbing. You can train in a gym to become an excellent stair climber. Check out this blog to get a sense of what it takes...

http://stairclimbcanada.blogspot.com/2010/10/training-for-stair-climbing-racewithout.html

The other option is to find a building that has a shorter staircase and work on the different aspects of stairclimbing

For example:

1)You can do squats in between landings to better develop your overall endurance
2)You can work on stairclimbing techniques (See blog for additional information)
3)You can do multiple climbs up and down and perform squats at the bottom and the top.

The best thing about stairclimbing is that you can be creative in how you approach your workouts. You are only limited by your own imagination, so go crazy!

I hope this helped! Good luck on your stairclimbing adventures! Drop us an email to let us know how you are doing!

Athlete Support
athletesupport@stairclimbcanada.com
1-877-51-CLIMB

Question From Anthony

2010-11-25T16:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a great question from one of our members, Anthony Sebrowski,

He writes:

Q) I am wondering how the Tier system works. I am a little confused to how I go about registering myself in a Tier. How do I know which Tier I am in? I have done a half marathon and finished the race in one hour and 45 minutes, my fastest 5 km is 19:50, and I have done one stair race, which I finished in 13 minutes. Can you point me in the right direction??

A) Great question Anthony! You are very fit indeed. Our Tier system is divided into four "levels" if you will. Each level has different requirements that you must fulfill. Here is a breakdown of our Tier system:

Tier 1 - Beginner stair climber. Someone who has NEVER competed in a stair climb event or any type of endurance sport. This is of course not you Anthony.

Tier 2 - Intermediate Stair climber. This is someone who has finished any type of endurance event or placed Top three in Tier #1. This is not you Anthony.

Tier 3 - Advanced Stair Climber - Any participant that has completed any stair race in the world and has finished top 10 in their respective age category. Or anyone from Tier 2 that finishes TOP 3. This would be where you fit in Anthony, Tier #3

Tier 4 - The Elite Athletes - Our Pros! The best of the best race at this level. Come out and see some amazing stair climbers push their bodies to the limits and burn some rubber on the stairs! - To qualify to enter the Elite category you must finish TOP THREE in the advanced category.

Of course you if you compete with us and finish in the top three of your category you are automatically qualified to represent Canada on "Team Canada" Very exciting stuff!

I hope that clarifies what Tier you should register in! I look forward to seeing you at our events soon!!! Thanks for the great question!

Athlete Support
1-877-51-CLIMB
athletesupport@stairclimbcanada.com

Welcome to Athlete Support!

2010-11-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Hi!

I want to welcome you to this blog! Please bookmark and follow this blog. It has pertinent information that will aid you in competing in our stair climb events as well as information on how to train for stair climbing.

If you have any questions regarding the sport of stairclimbing, races or THE CANADA STAIRCLIMBING ASSOCIATION you can email us at

athletesupport@stairclimbcanada.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

Athlete Support Rep
1-877-51-CLIMB