Is there such thing as too much stair climbing?

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SalmonSister
SalmonSister Posts: 37 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I looove the stair master as my cardio. I can't run on the treadmill (medical) and walking seems just not that much of a work out. I usually do a well balanced cardio and weights every day. But is the stair master the master of all never ending cardio?

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,506 Member
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    There have been times that I've had to lay off or reduce stepmill or stairmaster because of a little patellar tendinitis, but other than that you can keep climbing as long as your recovery is fine.

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  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,841 Member
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    I climb real stairs at work, and I walk, but my main exercise is cycling ... and I discovered some things about stair climbing after doing it now for a couple years.

    - 40 flights of 20 stairs each flight is about the maximum for me. More than that and my legs tire out too much for cycling purposes and my knees start to bother me.

    - When I'm cycling and walking a moderate amount, I can comfortably do about 25 flights of 20 stairs each day, and maybe toss in some extra flights now and then.

    - However, when I'm cycling a lot, I have to cut right back on the stair climbing. Especially if the cycling involves lots of hill climbing.
  • SalmonSister
    SalmonSister Posts: 37 Member
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    Patellar bursitis for me also :/ no flare up with the stairmaster but I don't run up it, but I feel like it really works me!
  • ronocnikral
    ronocnikral Posts: 176 Member
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    Hopefully you're not that person draped all over the machine, elbows out 25 % of your weight on the bars.

    I do over 2000 ft of real stairs a day plus run about 6 miles as well. Looking to ramp up another 1000 ft a day, but I've got some hiking and mountain objectives. It's incredibly boring, but I think of the mountains.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    Also look into your local area and see if the tallest building has a charity stair climb event. There's one in Dallas for a 70-story building.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,841 Member
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    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    Also look into your local area and see if the tallest building has a charity stair climb event. There's one in Dallas for a 70-story building.

    This sort of thing actually interests me, but my city doesn't have very tall buildings. I think the tallest might be 16 or 20 stories.
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,832 Member
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    ronocnikral wrote: »
    Hopefully you're not that person draped all over the machine, elbows out 25 % of your weight on the bars.

    I use the stairmaster a couple of times a week at the gym. Everything I've read about it says exactly that: keep your hands free and not touching the bars. The trouble is that I use the "cardio" setting and every time I take my hands off the verticle handles, it tells me that it needs my heart rate. So I have to grab on again. What setting do you use so that you don't have to hold on? Or is resting my hands on thosé heart rate handles okay?
  • susanp57
    susanp57 Posts: 409 Member
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    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    ronocnikral wrote: »
    Hopefully you're not that person draped all over the machine, elbows out 25 % of your weight on the bars.

    I use the stairmaster a couple of times a week at the gym. Everything I've read about it says exactly that: keep your hands free and not touching the bars. The trouble is that I use the "cardio" setting and every time I take my hands off the verticle handles, it tells me that it needs my heart rate. So I have to grab on again. What setting do you use so that you don't have to hold on? Or is resting my hands on thosé heart rate handles okay?

    Newer SMs will detect a heart rate monitor.
  • ronocnikral
    ronocnikral Posts: 176 Member
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    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    ronocnikral wrote: »
    Hopefully you're not that person draped all over the machine, elbows out 25 % of your weight on the bars.

    I use the stairmaster a couple of times a week at the gym. Everything I've read about it says exactly that: keep your hands free and not touching the bars. The trouble is that I use the "cardio" setting and every time I take my hands off the verticle handles, it tells me that it needs my heart rate. So I have to grab on again. What setting do you use so that you don't have to hold on? Or is resting my hands on thosé heart rate handles okay?

    I don't use a stairmaster, my building is 54 stories and I use all 54 floors - up and down. But, I would suggest getting a chest strap HRM. Or, get your HR from the machine, take note of your exertion and focus on that. I can usually tell when my HR is going to spike and can stop it before it gets out of control without looking at my HRM. It also helps to have a decent aerobic base to control your HR a bit better. I assume the machine changes the pace based on your HR? Can it be fed a bluetooth or ant+ chest strap?
  • BlueSkyShoal
    BlueSkyShoal Posts: 325 Member
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    I exercise on the stairs at work. Just make sure you stretch thoroughly. When I didn't stretch, I used to wake up at night with terrible cramps in my lower legs.

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