Stair training, prepare your ULTRA

7936 Views 6/09/2022 0 comments Posted By: Romain Montagne

Stair training is a very good exercise if you have to prepare for the UTMB® in a flat area, far from hilly or mountainous regions. It will give you a real strengthening of the quadriceps and a very interesting cardiovascular exercise.

The value of stair training

This is clearly one of the exercises that effectively strengthens the muscles of the lower limbs (especially the calves and quadriceps). It also allows you to make intense cardiovascular efforts over relatively short periods of time. In addition, this workout exercises the foot and its supports and allows you to work all the stabilising muscles. This type of training should not be done more than once a week and should be complemented by a light jogging session that ends on a dynamic note.

What exercises should be used for stair training?

We can define 4 main types of exercise that you can do on the stairs as part of your preparation for the UTMB® :

Frequency work with a single support per step and a contact time that must be as short as possible with the forefoot.
Work in amplitude with a push support every two steps with the help of the arms with a swinging movement.
Work with the same support in bell foot by going up the steps with the right foot then another rise with the left foot. This is an exercise that strengthens your calves and your balance.
Work on climbing with your feet together step by step, which will develop the rebound qualities of the foot. It is also possible to do this last exercise in intervals of 2 steps to work the power and the quadriceps.