Stair Workout

Pretty much wherever you go you can find a set of stairs.  Anytime I have to go out of town or stay at a hotel I didn’t choose, I will find their stairs and do a little cardio or even a workout if needed.  Stairs can be very versatile and really kick your butt if you want to push it.  Also, a tip from old was unless your carry something heavy skip the elevator and use the stairs as much as you can in your everyday life. 

Below are a few exercises and ideas that can be used to combine or just focus on one area to squeeze that workout in at anytime.    

Exercises

Stretching-(calves, quads, hams) As usual, always stretch before any type of physical workout, and for sure stretch the calf muscle extra.  Just standing with your heal over the edge of the stair holding to something for balance.  For hams and quads, step on the second or third step (like a lunge) and stretch one leg at a time.

Triceps
Skull crushers-while keeping your feet on the ground put your hands on the third or fourth step touching thumbs together lowering your body slowly until your forehead touches the back of your hands then using your triceps push up.  If this is too easy go down to lower steps or put feet on steps and hands on the ground.

Chest
Push-ups- Pushups can be done with hands on stairs or hands on the ground depending on your strength ability. 

Quads
Squat Jumps-one or two foot jumps up single or multiple stairs.  Also you can try jumping sideways up or down stairs. 
Step-ups- This is just like walking up the stairs forward, reverse, or sideways. 
Lunges-This is a combination of step-ups and the ham stretch but keeping a lunge form facing the stairs.  Also try putting one foot back on a step or two then lunging on the ground.
Strides-the goal is to stride 2 or more stairs at a time with explosive strides.

Calves
Step raises-standing raises can be done using single our double feet by extending the heal down and pushing with your toes as high as you can.  Using one arm to hold a rail for balance the other can hold a dumbbell, milk jug or any weight you can find for extra resistance.

Cardio
Walking- try carrying weight or person on back.  For tracking count steps or floors, track time.
Running- flights or floors of stairs (hotel or apartment).  Challenge yourself with a stopwatch on how many floors you can get in 10 minutes.
Double time steps-timed sprint in place  Only using the two bottom steps step up and down as quick as you can in 30-60 bursts. 

…For more information and tips, check my website, www.chadamartin.com. Thanks to Universe Gym for supplying equipment for this show.