At the end of my second leg workout of the week, a friend and I tag teamed the StairMaster rotating every 10 floors as fast as we could go. At this particular gym, they refer to this machine as “THE BEAST”. One day a week, I load up my backpack with weights, drive one foot in front of the other, battling the continuous release of lactic acid throughout my muscles gasping for air along the way. It does not take long before my mental toughness kicks in. I just keep picturing a bull at the top of a mountain and I am competing against another hunter who also drew a tag for that same unit. I focus on keeping good posture; my shoulder, ears, and hips in a perfect line throughout the climb. I also double-step the rotating stairs to gain more distance and to put more duress on my quadriceps, calves, and glutes, for these are the primary muscles firing on an uphill stalk.
If you notice by the picture, I don’t have my hands resting on the side rails to help assist throughout the climb. This forces me to use my core strength and stabilizer muscles to stay balanced. Just as in the wilderness, there are no side rails nor any type of assistance. It’s just you, your equipment, and desire trying to close the distance on a nearby bull. As I said earlier in this post, I worked out my legs prior to climbing the StairMaster. My overall goal is to suffer, making my body become stronger as it tries to adapt. My legs were already felling like jello, so completing this exercise drives me to the edge.
Next time you go to the gym and they have a StairMaster, give it a try. Start off slow and continually progress throughout your training. To make it tougher, increase the level first before loading up a backpack with weights. Once you have accomplished this, add some sprints every 4 to5 minutes. Keep your eye on the trophy and focus on where you are climbing. If you add this exercise to your training regimen, I promise you will be more fit for the Hunt. Conquer “The Beast”!
Stay tuned for the type of workout I will be performing next week. It will make this one seem easy. Hard Work, Pays Off!