This photo is from the park where I go for my morning runs and walks. I live literally two minutes from the city center and this park is exactly 55 steps away from my front door! I am very lucky. However, something darker lurks at this park. Something much more sinister… the weight loss stairs.

Sprinting stairs for faster weight loss

This a photo I took today to show you all where I do my sprinting training. It gives me chills just looking at it.

For the last few weeks I have been trying to boost my fitness and lose a little bit of weight and I have been doing this by sprinting up and down these stairs over and over, again and again.

I have a love/hate relationship with these stairs.

I love them because they give me the most intense workout I have had in a long time. If you are disciplined you can run stairs hard and fast and get a lot out of the exercise. I hate them because it hurts. It hurts during the exercise and it hurts the day after.

What are the benefits of running stairs?

There are a few amazing benefits that come from running stairs.

Firstly, you will lose fat faster than you thought possible. You might think that running stairs only works your legs but it actually works your whole body. You need your back and abs to stabilize yourself, your arms to punch for momentum and your legs, butt and calf muscles to push you upwards. Because of this you are able to get your heart rate up to a very high level. This keeps your metabolism cranking well after the session has finished so you continue to be a fat burning machine for the rest of the day.

Secondly, running stairs adds muscle. I have noticed that my legs and glutes are a lot stronger and visibly bigger after only a few short weeks of running the stairs. Sprinting is a very explosive exercise and your muscles respond really well to the punishment.

Thirdly, you develop a lot of mental toughness. Running stairs is really hard and takes a lot of discipline to turn around and run back up them again after you only just got back to the bottom!

How do I get the most out of stair sprinting?

If you want to make sure you get the most out of your stair sprints you should do a few things.

1. Warm up
The first time I did it at these stairs I didn’t warm up thinking I was fit and healthy enough to just go right into it. I threw my lower back out. For about a month my lower back was twisted and a little bit painful because I went too hard to fast on the stairs.

2. Pick a number of laps
If you don’t have a solid goal in mind you will leave as soon as it gets tough. The best idea is to write down a number of laps that you want to do and then don’t stop until you have done it. Start off with a small number like five sprints and then try to beat it everytime you go down.

3. Introduce time restraints
If you really want to push yourself you can start introducing time restraints when you become a little more expert at running the stairs. The idea is to pick a number of laps (say 10) and try and do it in a certain amount of time. Record that time and then try to beat it. If you beat it reward yourself with a break or perhaps a nice lunch.

4. Sprint up them, don’t run
There is a big difference between sprinting stairs and running them. Running stairs is easy, you could do it all day long. Sprinting stairs is a different story. Sprinting is going as fast as you can until you reach the top. Running is only going at 60%-80% of your maximum.

A word of warning

Stair sprinting is not for unfit people who are just starting out. It is for expert who are fit and have a clean bill of health from their doctor. While it can be a very rewarding exercise it can also be a really dangerous exercise especially for people with knee, heart or asthma related problems.

Does anyone have a place near their house where they do all their workouts? Love to see some photos!

It seems that losing fat fast is still the hot topic in the health and fitness world. Many people are struggling with their weight as fast foods, lazy lifestles and stress continue to increase. In this article I am going to show you how to lose fat fast the real way. No gimmicks here.

How to lose fat fast… the real way

This website has built its reputation on providing articles that are real. I have never once discussed a fad or tried to sell you a program that doesn’t work. The same goes for this article. Everything that is discussed from hereon in comes from my own exeperince, study and practice.

With that in mind, to lose fat fast the real way you must:

1. Make a total change to your eating; don’t just diet

Many people think that losing weight means a fanatical diet where you force yourself to eat nothing or eat only protein for a few weeks. This is the worst thing you can do. It harms your health and as soon as you stop this diet your fat will come straight back on.

The real way to eat is to make a total shift in your diet habits. You want to make changes that will last a lifetime, not just a few weeks. The important changes that are ESSENTIAL to losing fat fast include: Continue Reading

When it comes to losing weight women are always after something new. It is understandable. Women are under pressure from so many different areas of their life to lose weight and there is only so much time you can spend on the damn treadmill! In this post we will take a look at why every woman should do kickboxing.

What is kickboxing?

Kickboxing is a martial art that originated in Thailand. It is traditionally called Muay Thai but once it made its way to America it took on many new names and changed the way it operated. We now have kickboxing that is based on cardio workouts instead of being centered on fighting. However, it is important to remember that kickboxing is a traditional Thai martial art. Heritage is important.

Why should women do kickboxing?

The reason all women should do kickboxing is twofold:

1. It is one of the best weight loss exercises on the planet; and
2. You get a really good grounding in self defense.

Lets take a look at both of these aspects. Continue Reading