The StairMaster may be having a moment, but straight-up stair running has been around forever. As a runner myself, I know real-world stair workouts are one of the most effective and accessible training tools out there, no gym membership required. Especially for my fellow city runners without mountains or hills nearby—or really anyone looking to add some variety into their workouts—stair workouts are a great option to try.
What is vertical training?
Vertical training is exactly what it sounds like: deliberately incorporating upward movement into your workout. Unlike “flat” running, every step up forces your body to fight gravity, which changes the muscular demand, the cardiovascular load, and the mechanical stress on your joints. There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to add vertical training of some kind into your routine.
It increases posterior chain strength
Running on flat ground is largely quad-dominant. Climbing stairs, on the other hand, requires serious glute, hamstring, and calf activation. Over time, stair training builds the posterior chain strength that flat running simply doesn’t, and that strength translates directly into faster, more powerful running on any surface.
It gives you stride power and explosiveness
Each step up is essentially a single-leg press against gravity. That builds the kind of explosive hip extension that makes you a stronger pusher-off at ground contact. Sprinters have used stadium stairs for decades for exactly this reason. You don’t need to be a sprinter to benefit from it.
It’s lower impact than you’d think
Compared to pounding the pavement, the uphill phase of stair running is surprisingly low-impact. The key is going easy on the downhill.
It increases your mental toughness
There’s a reason the stairs are the end of the “Rocky” training montage. Training yourself to stay composed and keep your form when your legs are screaming is a skill that pays off in all areas of your life.
These are my favorite stair workouts
Before diving into specific workouts, there are some form cues to understand. You want to make sure you’re driving your movement through your whole foot, not just your toes. Try to lean slightly forward from the hips, pump your arms, and keep your gaze a few steps ahead. Avoid letting your heels hang off the edges of steps, locking your knees at the tops of steps, or otherwise causing yourself to trip up or down the stairs.
With all that in mind, here are the stair workouts I like to do when I’m training for a race. Ideally, you’ll warm up for at least five minutes before you start climbing.
This simple beginner stair workout
Simply climb continuously for 20–30 minutes at a conversational pace. If you are on real stairs instead of a machine, allow yourself to descend slowly each time. Focus on consistent effort, not speed. Cool down with five minutes of walking and calf stretching.
A posterior chain focused stair workout
After your warm-up, run up one flight hard, and then walk down slow. Run two flights hard, walk down. Build up to five or six flights, then work back down. Rest 60–90 seconds at the bottom between sets.
I know that what constitutes a “flight” changes depending on what you have in front of you, so use your best judgment. The goal is explosive, powerful steps—two at a time, if you can do it safely. Aim for a total session time of around 30 minutes.
And intervals stair workout
This one you can do on a machine or outdoors. Do 8–12 repeats of hard uphill effort for 20–30 seconds, followed by 90 seconds of easy descent and recovery at the bottom. You should be working at a 9 out of 10 effort on the way up. (For experienced runners, this is the stair equivalent of track 200s: short, sharp, and effective.)
The bottom line
Be like Rocky. Seriously, when I’m training for a race with any significant elevation, stair work is non-negotiable. But even if your goal race is completely flat, the posterior chain strength and raw efficiency of stair intervals will make you a better runner on any terrain.
