Stair climbing for lower body strength

Virgil Aponte explains how stair climbing can be used to develop lower body strength.

The first way to improve lower body strength in stair workouts is to climb every other step (performing a lunge). Because doing this puts your legs at a mechanical disadvantage, your muscles have to get stronger to overcome this disadvantage. I also have athletes climb every three steps to challenge them even further. But this is usually left to very tall athletes or athletes with very long legs. Two steps are usually enough to challenge most anyone. For strength improvement, it is only necessary to do 1 to 5 sets of 1 to 30 repetitions on each leg. You can either alternate or use 1 leg at a time.

Strength protocols

As your strength improves, you can either increase repetitions, resistance (via dumbbells, barbells, weighted vests, sandbags, etc.) or speed to challenge yourself further. Although I have done 20 flights of stair lunges totalling around 60 repetitions on each leg it is important to remember the goal of the workout - are you trying to improve strength or strength endurance.

Strength protocols usually only call for between 1 and 20 repetitions for a few sets. But feel free to experiment as nothing is written in stone. One day I decided to see how hard it would be to climb every other step to the 20th floor. What a workout that was! Is it strength training in technical terms? No, but if you can do this, you will have achieved a high level of strength endurance that many athletes will never achieve.

Another way to do stair lunges is to use diagonal, cross-over, and side lunges. The great thing about using these lunges is they address exercising in different planes of motion. Most athletes exercise in a straight line forward or what experts call the Sagittal plane. Most athletes have plenty of strength in this plane. It is in the side to side (Frontal plane) and the rotational (Transverse plane) that athletes are weakest in. It is no coincidence that athletes get hurt in these planes. Most ankle injuries occur in the frontal plane, and many knee injuries occur in the transverse plane. Stair climbing lends itself very well to doing lunges in all planes of motion and can help athletes improve their strength in all planes of motion to balance out their strengths and weaknesses. In my own experience

I have worked for weeks just doing stair-climbing in frontal and transverse planes and my knees have never felt better. Walking downstairs can also be used to improve eccentric and deceleration strength which is very important in everyday life as well as sports. Always remember to use caution when going downstairs (because of the risk of falling). I prefer to use the first couple of steps and work down from there. For obvious reasons one should never run down the stairs (it is too dangerous). Always remember safety first.

Lower body

A lower body strength workout can look something like this:

Round 1
- Walk up 20 flights
- Stretch when you reach the top
- Take the elevator down
Round 2
- Do 30 stair-lunges: 15 on the weaker side followed by 15 on your stronger side
- Climb 2 steps each lunge
Round 3
- Do 30 stair-lunges in an alternating fashion
- Climb 2 steps each lunge
Round 4
- Do 30 crossover lunges in an alternating fashion
- Climb 1 step for each lunge and over time progress to 2 steps for each lung
Round 5
- Do 30 crossover lunges from the side: 15 on the weaker side then 15 on your stronger side
- Climb 1 step for each lunge and over time progress to 2 steps for each lung
Round 6
- Do 30 side to side lunges in an alternating fashion
- Climb 1 step for each lunge and over time progress to 2 steps for each lung
Round 7
- Do 30 side step-ups: 15 on the weaker side followed by 15 on your stronger side
- Climb 1 step for each lunge and over time progress to 2 steps for each lung

As your strength improves, you have many options to challenge you further. Possible options are:

" Use dumbbells or barbell
Use a weighted vest
Reduce your rest intervals between sets
Increase your sets (rounds)

Address frontal and transverse movements In this workout, you will be doing lunges in all planes of motion. Remember that it is very important to address frontal (side to side) and transverse (rotational) planes because that is where many athletes are weakest and are why athletes get hurt in those planes so frequently. We usually do not address these planes in our exercise routines but constantly use these planes in our everyday lives

Article Reference

This article first appeared in:

APONTE, V. (2005) Stair climbing for lower body strength. Brian Mackenzie's Successful Coaching, (ISSN 1745-7513/ 24 / July-August), p. 9-10

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

APONTE, V. (2005) Stair climbing for lower body strength [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni24a5.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Virgilio Aponte received his master's degree in physical education and has been an American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer since 1994. He has helped people from all walks of life reach their strength and health goals.


topics A-Z Page Index Article Library Coaching General Young Athletes Literature Reviews Coaching Conditioning Endurance Ergogenic Aids Evaluation Injury Prevention Nutrition Physiology Planning Psychology Skill Development Speed Strength Female Athletes Master Athletes Young Athletes Sports Specific Basketball Bodybuilding Boxing Cycling Golf Rowing Rugby Soccer Squash Swimming Tennis Triathlon USA Football Training Conditioning Endurance Ergogenic Aids Evaluation Injury Prevention Nutrition Physiology Planning Psychology Skill Development Speed Strength Anatomy & Physiology Articles Biomechanics Body Systems Cardiovascular Digestive Endocrine Muscular Neurological Respiratory Skeletal Body Type Energy Systems Maximum Heart Rate Movement Analysis Coaching Articles Assessment Communication Ethics Group Dynamics Methods Philosophy Process Principles Responsibilities Styles Skills & Roles Young Athletes Fitness Development Articles Agility Conditioning Core Stability Endurance Flexibility Skill Speed Strength Training Principles VO2max Fitness Testing Articles Blood Pressure Evaluation Tests Ideal Weight Nutrition Articles Basal Metabolic Rate Eating & Competing Eating Disorders Glycemic Index Healthy Eating Minerals Vitamins Planning Articles Athlete Profiling Creating a Plan LTAD Tapering Warm Up & Cool Down Programs Aqua Training Circuit Training CNS Training Complex Training Fartlek Training Heart Rate Training Hill Training Medicine Ball Training Personal Exercise Plan Plyometric Training Track & Field Training Weight Training Psychology Articles Competitive Anxiety Mental Imagery Relaxation Techniques SCAT Sports Psychology Stress Management TEOSQ Sports American Football Basketball Boxing Cross Country Cycling Fell Running Golf Rowing Rugby Soccer Squash Swimming Tennis Triathlon Ultimate Frisbee Sport Development Funding in Sport History of Sport Olympic Games Sport Structure Sports Injury Articles ACL Cramp Cryotherapy Dehydration Hot & Cold Baths Injury Prevention Muscle Imbalance Over Training Shin Soreness Stitch Sports Merchandise Books & DVD's Clothing & Shoes Training Aids Magazines Track & Field Combined Events Decathlon Heptathlon Hexathlon Octathlon Pentathlon Jumps High Jump Long Jump Pole Vault Triple Jump Running Hurdles Long Distance Middle Distance Sprints Steeplechase Throws Discus Hammer Javelin Shot Putt Track & Field Safety Training Aids Articles Ergogenic Aids Massage Sports Drinks Supplements Website Blog Website Updates Website Information Awards Disclaimer & Copyright Help - where do I find Link Exchange Policy Visitors Comments Visitor Feedback Visitor Statistics Web Master Web Links Coaches Corner Useful Links	Stair climbing for lower body strength Virgil Aponte explains how stair climbing can be used to develop lower body strength. The first way to improve lower body strength in stair workouts is to climb every other step (performing a lunge). Because doing this puts your legs at a mechanical disadvantage, your muscles have to get stronger to overcome this disadvantage. I also have athletes climb every three steps to challenge them even further. But this is usually left to very tall athletes or athletes with very long legs. Two steps are usually enough to challenge most anyone. For strength improvement, it is only necessary to do 1 to 5 sets of 1 to 30 repetitions on each leg. You can either alternate or use 1 leg at a time. Strength protocols As your strength improves, you can either increase repetitions, resistance (via dumbbells, barbells, weighted vests, sandbags, etc.) or speed to challenge yourself further. Although I have done 20 flights of stair lunges totalling around 60 repetitions on each leg it is important to remember the goal of the workout - are you trying to improve strength or strength endurance. Strength protocols usually only call for between 1 and 20 repetitions for a few sets. But feel free to experiment as nothing is written in stone. One day I decided to see how hard it would be to climb every other step to the 20th floor. What a workout that was! Is it strength training in technical terms? No, but if you can do this, you will have achieved a high level of strength endurance that many athletes will never achieve. Another way to do stair lunges is to use diagonal, cross-over, and side lunges. The great thing about using these lunges is they address exercising in different planes of motion. Most athletes exercise in a straight line forward or what experts call the Sagittal plane. Most athletes have plenty of strength in this plane. It is in the side to side (Frontal plane) and the rotational (Transverse plane) that athletes are weakest in. It is no coincidence that athletes get hurt in these planes. Most ankle injuries occur in the frontal plane, and many knee injuries occur in the transverse plane. Stair climbing lends itself very well to doing lunges in all planes of motion and can help athletes improve their strength in all planes of motion to balance out their strengths and weaknesses. In my own experience I have worked for weeks just doing stair-climbing in frontal and transverse planes and my knees have never felt better. Walking downstairs can also be used to improve eccentric and deceleration strength which is very important in everyday life as well as sports. Always remember to use caution when going downstairs (because of the risk of falling). I prefer to use the first couple of steps and work down from there. For obvious reasons one should never run down the stairs (it is too dangerous). Always remember safety first. Lower body A lower body strength workout can look something like this: Round 1 Walk up 20 flights Stretch when you reach the top Take the elevator down Round 2 Do 30 stair-lunges: 15 on the weaker side followed by 15 on your stronger side Climb 2 steps each lunge Round 3 Do 30 stair-lunges in an alternating fashion Climb 2 steps each lunge Round 4 Do 30 crossover lunges in an alternating fashion Climb 1 step for each lunge and over time progress to 2 steps for each lung Round 5 Do 30 crossover lunges from the side: 15 on the weaker side then 15 on your stronger side Climb 1 step for each lunge and over time progress to 2 steps for each lung Round 6 Do 30 side to side lunges in an alternating fashion Climb 1 step for each lunge and over time progress to 2 steps for each lung Round 7 Do 30 side step-ups: 15 on the weaker side followed by 15 on your stronger side Climb 1 step for each lunge and over time progress to 2 steps for each lung As your strength improves, you have many options to challenge you further. Possible options are: " Use dumbbells or barbell Use a weighted vest Reduce your rest intervals between sets Increase your sets (rounds) Address frontal and transverse movements In this workout, you will be doing lunges in all planes of motion. Remember that it is very important to address frontal (side to side) and transverse (rotational) planes because that is where many athletes are weakest and are why athletes get hurt in those planes so frequently. We usually do not address these planes in our exercise routines but constantly use these planes in our everyday lives Article Reference This article first appeared in: APONTE, V. (2005) Stair climbing for lower body strength. Brian Mackenzie's Successful Coaching, (ISSN 1745-7513/ 24 / July-August), p. 9-10 Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: APONTE, V. (2005) Stair climbing for lower body strength [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni24a5.htm [Accessed About the Author Virgilio Aponte received his master's degree in physical education and has been an American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer since 1994. He has helped people from all walks of life reach their strength and health goals.