WORK IT
Build your stair-climbing muscles
October 16, 2009
Paola Loriggio
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Even professional athletes struggle with the CN Tower Climb.
"There's a point when you're running up the stairs and you just feel the pain," says Canada's top high-jumper, Nicole Forrester, who has conquered the climb twice. "But you push through it."
The Toronto native will take on the tower again Oct. 25, with a group of elite athletes representing AthletesCAN, an association for athletes on Canada's national teams. The public climb is scheduled for Oct. 24. Both benefit the United Way.
The AthletesCAN team hasn't trained specifically for the event. Though all are in peak condition, some may find their training isn't geared to the unique demands of the climb, Forrester adds. "It will be interesting."
For the average person, training is a must.
Racing up 1,776 stairs requires power and endurance beyond what you get from the occasional Stairmaster session.
Forrester recommends adding plyometrics – jumps and other explosive moves – to your regular workouts. Better yet, hit the stadium stairs, she says.
Exercises such as step-ups can also help build up your stair-climbing muscles.
Step-ups
1. Stand in front of a bench, step or milk crate. (If using a crate, place it on a non-slip mat.)
Hold 5- to 10-pound dumbbells, or hug a medicine ball to your chest.
2. Step up on the bench, leading with your right foot.
3. Step down, again leading with the right. Do nine more leading with your right, then switch sides and repeat on the left.
That's one set; do three. You can use heavier weights to add resistance as you improve.
Toronto Star
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