Stair Training Ideas For Hikers

Exploring some simple strategies on how to mix up your stair training and workouts for hiking.
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​Stair Workouts For Hiking 

Today, we are talking stair workouts for hikers.

Specifically, I want to share a handful of variations you can use to freshen up your stair training when everything starts feeling boring.

Most hikers know that stair climbing is one of the best ways to prepare for the trail.

It is relatively easy to find some type of stairs (for most people). It is incredibly specific to hiking. It is simple.

You go up and down, your fitness goes up, and your muscular endurance rises with it.

And most hikers know the typical way to progress their stair workouts.

Each time you do it, you either:

1. Carry more weight in your pack
2. Do more stairs
3. Try to move faster

Those three things will get you 98% of the way toward where you want to go.

But sometimes you have been training on the same set of stairs over and over. And everything begins to feel repetitive. You need variation. You need something that changes the stimulus and keeps your mental focus.

So if you need a bit of a change, here are some simple stair workout ideas: 
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​1) Change Up Your Stepping Length/Height  

Each time you climb the stairs, change the way you climb.

Do one step at a time. Then two stairs at a time (or even three if your staircase allows it).

Most people have a 'default' way of climbing, which we feel most comfortable with.

And simply changing your stepping pattern from what is 'normal' for you (either going shorter or longer) can be a fantastic new stimulus.​

Simple but very effective.

​2) Use Different Stairs

If you have access to two different stair types, rotate between them.

​One set might be small and tight. Another might be uneven or larger. This change in stride length and joint angles will carry over really well into real-world hiking.

You could swap between the different sets every 1-4 weeks (whatever you prefer). 
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3) Change Your Climbing Direction

Instead of climbing straight forward, try going up sideways and sidestepping up.

Face left and climb. On the next interval, face right and climb. And alternate between these (and forward climbing).

This forces the body to adapt to new angles, and it forces the mind to turn on because you need to concentrate.

It is not a technique you need every session (or the entire session), but it can be a simple way to break up the monotony.

4) Use 'Pre-Fatigue' Exercises at The Bottom Of The Stairs

The body adapts quickly to a fixed interval length. If every stair climb takes thirty seconds or three minutes, your system starts to expect it.

So by adding a few exercises before the climb, you lengthen the working time and give your body a little surprise.

If you want more muscular endurance (i.e the ability of your muscles to reduce the burn as you climb), do some slow squats or lunges at the bottom of the stairs before each climb.

You do not need many. Ten slow squats (3 seconds on the way up, 3 seconds on the way down). Or five lunges on each leg. Then climb. Repeat. And then each week, add a repetition or two.

If you want more cardiovascular work, do thirty seconds of star jumps, mountain climbers or running on the spot. Elevate your heart and breathing rate a little, then hit the stairs.​

This technique is golden if you only have access to a short staircase. (If your set of stairs only takes about forty seconds, you can easily add forty seconds of pre-fatigue so the overall interval feels longer and more challenging.)

5) Perform Exercises At The Top Of The Stairs Too

Everything written above applies here as well.

You climb the stairs up as normal, then at the top you do your squats, lunges, or star jumps.

Some people prefer to do this (as opposed to doing them at the bottom).

You could spend four weeks doing bottom exercises, four weeks doing top exercises, and then four weeks combining both if you want to push things harder.​

Simple!

​6) Change How You Carry Your Weight

Most hikers simply wear their pack on their back. And that is great 99% of the time. But if you want a bit of variation, carrying your pack in different positions can completely change the workout stimulus.

A few ways you could do this:

• Hold your pack in the crooks of your arms
• Hold your pack against your chest.
• Rest your pack across one shoulder (and swap to the other shoulder for the next interval)
• Hold it at your hip/waist
  
  

All of these variations challenge the body in slightly different ways.

Another fun option here is if you have been loading up your pack with rice bags, weights or hiking equipment, try filling a dry bag with water instead (about 3/4 full).

The idea here is that the water will slosh around as you climb, and force the body to stabilise in different ways.

To take this a step further, you can even use the dry bag in those different carry positions mentioned above.

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Hopefully, this gives you some ideas on how to mix up your stair climbing.

To be clear: the basics still work (increasing pack weight, climbing volume or speed each week). And 98% of the time, this will be enough for you.

But, if things are getting a bit boring, and you need a bit of variation, these should serve you well!

Yours in trekking,​

Rowan