Aerobic Power: Versa Climber

The Challenge:

Competitors will climb as many feet as possible in 2 minutes on the Versa Climber.

• Two minutes
• One attempt
• Points awarded to athlete with most feet climbed

The Why:

This event tests aerobic power. The aerobic energy system is the foundation of all energy systems, and it must be developed in order to efficiently use the other energy systems. Improving aerobic power will allow you to recover more quickly within a training session and between sessions thanks to improved oxygen delivery to the muscles, improved blood flow, and faster lactic acid clearance.

We love using the Versa Climber for aerobic training. The Versa allows you to train vertically, changing it up from the typical horizontal motion of running or cycling. It’s a total-body workout that gets you burning fast!

The Work:

To excel at this event, you must improve your VO2 max and your aerobic capacity. Unlike anaerobic training, which is done in short bursts at very high intensities, aerobic training can be sustained for much longer. To train the aerobic energy system, aim to perform 30 minutes of cardio with your heart rate at at least 130-150 bmp. This is a low to moderate intensity level – if you don’t have a heart rate monitor, use the “talk test” – you should be able to have a conversation, even if you’re a bit winded.

If you don’t have access to a Versa Climber, we recommend:

• AssaultBike
• Rower
• Running
• Swimming
• Walking

Athletes who will have a competitive advantage in this event:

• Combat sports
• Basketball players
• Volleyball players
• Swimmers
• Middle distance Track & Field 
• Rowers
• Cyclists
• Water Polo players
• Soccer players

Click here to register for the Games!