Why You Should Start ‘Vertical Training’ Outdoors
The StairMaster is trending right now, but stair running has been around for a long time. As a runner, I know that stair training in real-world conditions is one of the most effective and accessible training tools, requiring no gym membership. Especially for my fellow runners in cities without mountains or hills nearby—or for anyone looking to add variety to their workouts—stair training is a great option.
What is vertical training?
Vertical training is exactly what the name implies: purposefully incorporating upward movement into your workout. Unlike running on flat ground, every step up forces your body to fight gravity, which alters muscle load, cardiovascular load, and mechanical stress on your joints. There are many reasons to add vertical training to your routine.
This increases the strength of the posterior chain of muscles.
Running on a flat surface primarily engages the quadriceps. Climbing stairs, on the other hand, requires significant activation of the glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Over time, stair training develops posterior chain strength, something that simply doesn’t happen when running on a flat surface, and this strength directly translates into faster and more powerful running on any surface.
This gives you stride strength and explosive power.
Each step up the stairs is essentially a single-leg push against gravity. This develops explosive hip extension, which gives you a more powerful push-off upon impact with the ground. Sprinters have been using stairs in stadiums for decades for this very reason. You don’t have to be a sprinter to benefit from them.
It has less impact than you think.
Compared to running on pavement, climbing stairs is surprisingly less impactful. The key is to avoid overexerting yourself on the way down.
This increases your psychological resilience.
It’s no coincidence that the final training scene in the film “Rocky” features stairs. The ability to remain calm and maintain proper form when your legs are incredibly tired is a skill that will be useful in all areas of life.
These are my favorite stair workouts.
Before moving on to specific exercises, there are a few important technique points to keep in mind. It’s important to engage your entire foot, not just your toes. Try to lean slightly forward from the hips, move your arms vigorously, and look a few steps ahead. Avoid hanging your heels over the edges of steps, locking your knees at the top of steps, or other actions that could cause you to fall or climb stairs.
With that said, here are some stair exercises I like to do when preparing for competitions. Ideally, you should warm up for at least five minutes before starting the climb.
This is a simple stair workout for beginners.
Simply climb continuously for 20-30 minutes at a pace that allows you to talk. If you’re using real stairs rather than a machine, allow yourself to descend slowly each time. Focus on even effort, not speed. Finish the workout with a five-minute walk and calf stretches.
Ladder Workout with a Posterior Chain Focus
After warming up, quickly run up one flight of stairs, then slowly walk down. Run up two flights of stairs quickly, then walk down. Build up to five or six flights, then walk down again. Rest for 60-90 seconds between sets.
I understand that the definition of “running” changes depending on what’s in front of you, so use common sense. The goal is explosive, powerful strides—two at a time, if safe. The total duration of the session should be about 30 minutes.
and interval training on the stairs
This exercise can be performed on a treadmill or outdoors. Perform 8-12 repetitions of intense uphill runs for 20-30 seconds, followed by 90 seconds of easy downhill runs and recovery at the bottom. On the uphill runs, you should work at an intensity of 9 out of 10. (For experienced runners, this is the equivalent of a 200-meter treadmill run up the stairs: short, sharp, and effective.)
Result
Be like Rocky. Seriously, when I’m training for a race with significant elevation gain, stair training is a must. But even if your goal race is on completely flat terrain, posterior chain strength and the effectiveness of stair intervals will make you a better runner on any terrain.