Because during a 100m, the stride length should never been reduced, at any point of the race. You can hold the same stride length or lengthen it, but never reduce it, i’ve never observed it in elite sprinters stride pattern.
So, even if i agree that trying to maintain the same stride length in acceleration phase is stupid (that’s why i’m not against hill runs, don’t misquote me), stairs prevent the reduction of SL which could occurs after 20 steps for example. That depends on the size of the crowds in the staidum you use of course!
Stairs can work very well as a stride length control with some provisos. First, the stairs must be at an optimal distance and the stadium at an optimal pitch (angle). Usually, stadiums get steeper as you go up so you must watch that. Also you must watch out for “optical fatigue”. As you get tired, the stairs may appear to blur together or move, causing you to lose sight of the target stair and trip, with potentially serious consequences- this is a phinominon known to sprint hurdlers also.
This said, do you think it’s better to stop before fatigue appears or still continue with mental care?
Optical fatigue sets in only barely ahead of CNS/muscular fatigue, so, if you experience it, it’s time to stop.
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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.[/QUOTE]
For what it’s worth…
Conventional wisdom in the 1960s/70s suggested that for sprinter/long jumper types, stair runs and bounds was indispensable. So as a rookie coach I had athletes do lots of this during the general prep phase (GPP). I didn’t notice significant improvement, with the work isolating muscles around the knee to great effect but not working muscles too well around the hip.
When I introduced double-foot (for safety) hopping back down the stairs as part of the set, the hip and glute muscles were brought eccentrically into the play and I found not only a more thorough workout but also more strength in the actual pick-up phase transitting from the drive phase into the lift at full velocity.
Using only the up-stairs activity I noticed some improvement in the initial starting strength and acceleration phase, with little to offer beyond maybe 30m.
In later years as I found more 400 types joining me, I quit the stairs entriely (due to knee pain considerations) and moved to the grass hills where I have remained. Used to advocate sand hills but for variety of reasons abandoned them after a couple of winters in favour of the grass-covered hills angled upwards at about 12-15 degrees.
I would worry about hopping down the stairs. Couldn’t the same effect be achieved with an equal number of foot contacts going off the back of the bottom few stairs and back up to the same spot?
Yes. Much safer. But as I noted, I got over stairs.
We trained on a ridiculously long staircase, more than 100 from bottom to top, with flat “shelves” or landings every 20 or so stairs. We ran up to the top non-stop, but walked to about halfway down and then hopped the rest of the way down. I long ago stopped the practice and if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have done that session at all. You need to be really careful you don’t drive the thigh forward across the shin. Not good for knees.
I’m sure others have had enormous success using stairs as part of their program, but one slip and you’re injured.
i know its an oldie but this is a great thread and has helped me a lot.
To any beginners here that have video’s them selves and have issues with incomplete extension / cutting off your stride then stairs could be your friend.
They have definitely helped me a lot. Taking them 2 at a time has helped me an awful lot. much more than normal hills.
So simple and so obvious but i never thought of it before…
I don’t wouldn’t reccomend stairs over hill work.
The standard Building Regulation rise for each step is minimum 180mm and the reccomended going about 220 with a max of 240.
The maximum pitch is 42 degrees with the max no. of steps 15 per flight.
Every athlete is different - every stair is the same (within 20mm or so).
For speed work I think it can be a little dangerous.
If the athlete uses stairs not at measurements suited to their mechanics or if the rises or goings are greatly outside these distances the results will not be pretty.
That’s not considering the surafce, state of the surface or the edging on the nosing of the stairs that can often protrude beyond the going and catch the users toe and this is very often the problem with people tripping.
I do take the points PJ makes though about footfalls.
Hills do’nt have such problems and for GPP especially are much easier.
Also the pitch of the hills can be varied - like I said the max pitch on stairs is 42 degrees.
i work in a 4 story building that has 3 deserted floors (so no one gets in the way) stairs are thickly carpeted and wet lit up so its fairly safe.
Im not sure what my optimum stride is but as you might have seen from my videos my natural stride is VERY short. Thats why im so slow. I’ve noticed a big improvement since i’ve both started doing stairs and started trying to run with longer strides. With hills my legs were getting stronger but my stride wasnt lengthening any bit. I was essentially getting faster at running incorrectly. The stronger i got the shorter my stride was getting as i fought continuously.
It may not help everyone but its definitely helped me.