I recently posted a easy way to do cardio if your stressed or beat up from all your weight training HERE. Well here’s a more intense cardio option for you for when you are fresh and full of energy.
Stair Sprints
Stair Sprints are fast becoming one of my absolute favorite ways to do cardio. Strength and endurance at the same time!
To make them count you probably want at least 40 stairs or allow between 15 – 20 seconds per set. When i’m not Personal Training at Bondi Junction Fitness First i’ve been scheduling in the ones above at Waverly Oval. These allow 12 steps each leg at 2 steps a time.
A simple way to do large sets of stairs such as this would be :
Run to the top 2 steps at a time.
Walk down
Rest 0 – 30 seconds depending on fitness
Repeat 12 – 20 times
Total amount of work is around 20 – 30 minutes
A more advanced way would be :
- Set 1: Sprint to the top of the stairs and come back.
- Set 2: Sprint to the top of the stairs and come back twice (no rest between).
- Set 3: Sprint to the top of the stairs and come back three times (no rest between).
- Set 4: Sprint to the top of the stairs and come back four times (no rest between).
- Set 5: Sprint to the top of the stairs and come back four times (no rest between).
- Set 6: Sprint to the top of the stairs and come back three times (no rest between).
- Set 7: Sprint to the top of the stairs and come back twice (no rest between).
- Set 8: Sprint to the top of the stairs and come back.
Rest 30-60 seconds as needed between sets, but, as noted, do not rest between sprints up and down the stairs–that “rest” will come on your way down, which is easy enough to allow you to recover. I generally recommend resting an extra minute between sets 5 and 6, especially for beginners.
(I recently had a mate do 50 sets of these exact stairs with max amount of push ups at the top. Yep, 50 times! Then again he is more beast than man sometimes! )
This is a lot of fun, and a great change of pace from most types of sprinting.
For body composition results you don’t have to over think stair sprints too much. Don’t expect to be strong in the legs the next 1-2 days though so factor this in to your weight training schedule so you don’t compromise your leg sessions)
The 2 Hour Rule
Something Tony Boutagy taught me was the 2 hour rule. Don’t eat two hours prior to cardio and attempt not to eat 1-2 hours after to maximise results. Or do them on a empty stomach in the morning.
Rip in !
See you on the stairs
Brad