[Jeeperscrow]

One article by uphill athlete says the stair master is the closest simulation while a different uphill athlete article says incline treadmill is the closest simulation because you have to step up against gravity as opposed to the stair master where you never really lift your whole body weight.

Anyone know which one is more accurate when the two articles conflict eachother?

Topic

[jakedev]

jakedev on April 14, 2023 at 7:24 am #77160

I guess the it’s the always irritating answer of…. it depends.

For me it I just try to be as sport specific as possible which is a recurring theme in these forums I have found.
In the spring I use the treadmill alot to get in shape for trail running (when I have to be indoors that is).
In the fall I have a big pack and go up and down my garage stairs. If it was a machine I think the step mill is the best answer but they are very expensive and not every gym has them.

The “star masters” with the rotating feet I think are the least specific and realistic. They can get your going for Z1 and Z2 but your legs aren’t getting the same workload. Better than nothing though.

Jake

[gregehle]

gregehle on May 6, 2023 at 2:47 pm #77940

I used a cybex arc trainer last year and found myself ill prepared for Emmons glacier on Rainier unfortunately. I bought a treadmill when I got back and set it for 15% for the duration of my workout and feel a lot better conditioned at this point. Sort of a different piece than a stairmaster but it allowed for incline and resistance in a similar way and as my feet were not completely off the pads it contributed to my false sense of security and fitness going into the climb.

I bought the uphill athlete 16 week program and feel a lot fitter at this point than I did last year. I think the duration of my workouts have really helped. I don’t think I could have accomplished this without a treadmill.

[Cory from Wisconsin]

Cory from Wisconsin on May 21, 2023 at 6:00 pm #78385

To add another voice here, the stairmill is a great training tool. I’m a flat lander and as a result I’ve spent countless hours on them training with pack and with body weight. Last year my meniscus was messed up and I could run, but could hike on the stairmill and used it for ALL of the Z2 work as part of the fall training group in preparation for a successful trek of Kilimanjaro. Overall I’m a big fan for those that don’t have regular access to mountains.

This is not a knock on treadmills, but unless you have access to an incline trainer that goes above 15%, my strong preference for simulating mountains is the stairmill. Now if you are doing MTN running or something else, then maybe the treadmill is a better tool, but for Rainier I find the stairmill superior. Although when I first went up Rainier I trained with a treadmill and had a very successful summit. Consistency is very important, as is training for the pack weight.