Last week I featured the first of a 2 part Q n A series with Stair Fitness Expert Virgil Aponte. If you missed it, you can check out part one by clicking on the blue link.
Let’s get straight back to the rest of the interview so you can discover why stair exercises are one of the best bodyweight workout methods possible.
DPM: What is your favourite stair running exercise? My personal, because it’s really tough are prisoner runs – where I have my hands behind my head.
Virgil Aponte (VA): I do like prisoner runs (I call them hands behind the head. LOL!) But my favourite stair exercise has to be the buddy carry. I call it the greatest stair exercise of all.
In fact I dedicate 1 video in Ultimate Stair Exercises to it.
It’s simple: pick up someone that weighs at least 20 pounds (about 9kg) less than you and carry them up stairs. Very simple but I’ve not found many exercises that are so effective for strength, conditioning, muscle building and fat loss. And less than 10 minutes on this is all you need. I carry my wife who weights 135ilbs (61kg) up 20-26 flights of stairs.
Set 1: 10 flights
Rest 1 minute
Set 2: 4 flights
Rest 1:15
Set 3: 3 flights
Rest 1:30 – 2:00
Set 4: 3 flights
DPM: Okay, great example that people can do. Now I’ve got bad knees, so what’s the deal for people like me? Will it give my knees grief or will they be sweet? (Personally I find stair running fine for my knees – walking down them is the hardest part when you’re legs are all jelly like and shaking!)
VA: That’s a tricky one because the cause of knee pain is different each case. I had chronic knee pain and my therapist prescribe using the crossover box lunge.
So what did I do in the stairs. The crossover forward and guess what? My knees never felt better. The key is to see how you feel when you hit the stairs. While it did wonders for me each case is gonna be different.
DPM: What is your Ultimate Stairs Exercises program like and what do I get with it?
VA: The Ultimate Stairs Exercises is book detailing how to use stairs as a total fitness program. It starts with a 200 page e-book that breaks down stair training into aerobic fitness, anaerobic conditioning (or what I like to call high end conditioning), strength development, power development, flexibility and what else can be done (using 1 step, 1 flight, adding equipment, eyes closed etc…).
After all that there is a section with 10 stair workouts, a nutrition section, a for your spirit section and an FAQ section.
You also get 15 videos that demo that exercises you’ll find in the book plus a bonus video section of body weight exercises called No Gym Necessary!
DPM: That’s pretty extensive. I found a really good ITB stretch from reading your book which I hadn’t seen before. Is it normal for people who do a lot of stairs and other running to feel tight in the ITB?
VA: I added that stretch because it unique to stairs or a step and because I’ve always had super tight ITB’s! I’m not sure if running or stairs caused it or if it’s normal for people to have tight ITB’s due to running or stairs.
For me I think my sitting way too much behind a PC has more to do with it. But I would say that any tightness in the ITB would be an individual thing. Either way a good ITB stretch can help and there are some excellent stretches unique to stairs you can use for tight ITB’s.
DPM: Now for anyone who invests in Ultimate Stairs Exercises from http://www.stairfitnessexercise.com/ I’m throwing in FREE my 18 week
Aussie Fatblast Success Manual so they can maxmise their time inside and out of the gym. How many times should people do your stair workouts in conjunction with my fatblast system?
VA: I’d say start with twice a week and go from there. When I initially started stair training I did it 4 times a week but that is all I was doing. After I returned to weight training I decided that the stairs were too valuable and settled on 2 stair days and 2 weight days.
But you can also combine the stair work with your program as you already do a lot of stuff which fits perfectly with stairs like your body weight exercises, sandbag work and kettle-bell work.
The key of course is testing to what works for you.
DPM: Thankyou for your time Virgil – and for people who are interested in Stair Running I highly recommend you check out Virgils program. He is even giving away 3 free videos that demonstrate some great exercises you can do on the stairs as a thankyou for visiting his site. Just pop your email in the address.
And don’t forget, when you invest in the Ulimate Stair Fitness program (it’s less than $60USD) through the link on my page all you need to do is email me – daniel@dpmperformance.com.au and include your receipt so I can send you your Fatblast 18 gym program to follow along and complement the stair program outdoors.
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