how long should the reps be on these? (in seconds)… i was thinking 15-30? i couldnt find too much on it in cfts… thanks in advance
LM are you talking about stadiums? we would usually do 3-5 whole lenghts with wb recovery depending on the phase we were in.great results both plyrometric wise,fitness and motor firing wise
Why are you doing stairs? Not a particularly effective training modality for speed…perhaps ok for GPP.
why do hills?
In hills (depending on length and grade) you can feel the “pull through” the ground more than on stairs. You dont have the same feeling on stairs
Good question, but I didn’t see where he asked about hills.
However, you make a point. If I had to chose, I prefer hills to stairs because you can use a natural stride length as opposed to being forced into the length of the stairs. In addition, with stairs, people tend to look down so that they won’t trip and this inhibits good sprinting posture.
So in general I would recommend hills more than stairs but still sparingly compared to my overall sprint volumes.
you feel more of a sensation of push(full TE) during hills.stadiums give the same feeling but with less extension leading you to a more vertical push rather than with hills.
the initial question was how long should the reps be???
Why did you ask about Hills if it was never mentioned? I am confused hehe 
As for distance of reps. I never do stairs so I can’t really comment. Depending on how plyometric you make them maybe 20 contacts per set (10 per leg)
Not sure
i figured stadiums were good to use almost as a plyo movement, teach the legs to move faster… better exercise to do?
Chris,
Your posts always put me in a good mood because you’re so jolly. Thank you.
hehe no problem
Well, how long the reps should be depends on why you are doing them…
(See, I wasn’t being totally flip when I asked why!)
If you are doing them for speed, then the reps should vary from short to none. If you are doing them for conditioning, then perhaps a bit more volume would be in order. BUT I would generally look at using up my precious CNS reserves on flat out sprinting or perhaps some gentle hill work for starts and initial acceleration.
why are you doing stairs
xl you asked why do stairs,i replied why do hills.the comparison between hills and stadiums are quite close.the major difference is stride lenght and more proplusion during hills but the same patterns are used while performing both.
with practice of stadiums the initial looking down will improve to the stage were the athlete will be performing them with normal posture.improves the athletes height and strenght in specific areas.
ok so i should get rid of doing stadiums and add in some more 5-6 second sprints?
like 4 sets of 4 reps? 3-4 minutes rest between reps and 7 minutes between sets?
I think that would be more beneficial depending on your goals. Are you training for Football? I cant remember?
Think of the reps in terms of distance not time. Then you can compare your progress a little easier
5-6 second runs depending on your speed is approx 50 meters.
I would take 5-7 minutes rest between reps and ~10 between sets depending on how you are feeling for 50 meter sprints. Try and get someone to time you as well.
You need to state your goals as well as your target competition dates.
Cheers,
Chris
as long as i am 4.52 or lower i will be happy… im pretty naturally fast, i have till 2nd week of february… yes i am training for football… mainly for the 40 yd test they give…
thanks again for everyones help
I see it differently, here’s my point of view:
you don’t use a natural stride length in hills runs, it modifies your stride anyway. Stairs has the advantage to keep the same stride length even when fatigue comes.
Also, in stairs runs, your feet touch a flat ground like you were running on the track, while in hills, the ground is slopping.
Stair by stair runs as fast as you can is also good for developping frequency gesture and learn to stay relax while achieving frequency.
Boundings several stairs with two or one leg is also excellent, and doesn’t have the disadvantage of the stressful touch-down of a flat soil :you’re just climbing, you don’t fall.
I tend to agree that it should be more suited for GPP rather than Specific P though.
PJ glad to hear you are on the same line as me
me too 
The question was about how many reps: that depends on who you are and your level and when and where, etc…
This sould be a quality work, so when quality is decreasing, it’s time to stop or do one last rep.
Stairs training should NOT be combined in the same day with leg extension exercises nor endurance training, according scientific studies ran in GDR concenring LJ training principles.
Why do you want to keep the same stride length? What qualities do you see this working? Endurance/fitness?
I like hills for early acceleration work, you would never want to keep the same stride length for this type of work as I’m sure you would agree.
I am guessing you are working on some type of fitness with this then?