When we discuss self-empowerment, I often suggest ways to improve ourselves, including eating healthy and working out. Excitedly, we will explore the aspect of workouts and discuss endurance training.
Did you know that life is a race you run and a sport you participate in? The goal is always to win in life. So, you have to deal with the obstacles and stay focused. One of the ways to win in life is to build your ability to endure. Therefore, endurance training is vital.
In this article, we will play the role of an athlete and learn to build endurance as I describe what endurance training is and explain in detail the four components of endurance training. I hope you have a good read.
What Is Endurance Training?
The phrase endurance training is made up of two words that can mean different things on their own. Endurance refers to the ability to bear or suffer and the quality of lasting for a long duration. It depicts survival with patience and perseverance.
While training refers to teaching, instruction, education, discipline, and the act of exercising. It also points to the preparation of oneself or others for future events and is otherwise grooming.
Therefore, endurance training means exercising, teaching, and disciplining oneself to build and increase the ability to bear and survive. Usually, the phrase is used to refer to aerobics, and so it is a type of training that improves aerobic fitness and increases stamina over time.
I believe we all want to be able to stay extra hours and do more work like walking, biking, cooking, and even writing, like myself, without feeling fatigued, or do we not? That is, essentially, what endurance training enables us to do. Let us see some endurance training benefits!
Benefits of endurance training
1. Improving Our Aerobic Capacity
Endurance training increases our body’s ability to deliver oxygen to our muscles during exercise. This is known as our aerobic capacity or VO2 max. The more we can improve our VO2 max, the more efficiently our body can produce energy, and the less quickly we fatigue during activity. Examples of endurance training include running, swimming, or cycling at a moderate intensity for extended periods.
2. Building stamina and muscle endurance
Endurance training also helps build stamina or muscle endurance. This means our muscles can withstand activity for longer without getting tired. The longer we can engage in an endurance activity, the greater our stamina. Start by aiming for 30–60 minutes of endurance exercise most days of the week. Over time, slowly increase the duration and intensity.
Additional Benefits
Endurance training provides health benefits beyond improved stamina and aerobic fitness. It can help control weight, lower disease risk, and improve mood and sleep quality. The repetitive and prolonged nature of endurance exercise also leads to the release of endorphins, which act as natural painkillers and mood boosters.
Overall, endurance training should be an important part of any exercise routine. Start slowly and build up your endurance over weeks and months of regular training. Your body and mind will thank you for it.
The Four Components Of Endurance Training
The four components of endurance training include aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, speed endurance, and strength, and to maximize our endurance, we must train all of them. Therefore, take each of the components into account in the process of endurance training.
Aerobic Endurance
Aerobic endurance refers to our ability to sustain physical activity over longer periods while using oxygen for energy. Things like running, swimming, or biking long distances help build our aerobic endurance. We measure aerobic endurance through metrics like maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and lactate threshold.
Anaerobic Endurance
Anaerobic endurance involves performing high-intensity exercise for short periods without oxygen. Sports like sprinting, tennis, and boxing rely on anaerobic endurance. Training anaerobically helps remove metabolic byproducts like lactate that build up during intense activity. We can gauge anaerobic endurance through tests that measure lactate levels.
Speed Endurance
Speed endurance is the ability to sustain high speeds over longer durations. For athletes, this means being able to maintain a high level of intensity for an entire game or event. Interval or repetition training, where we do short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by recovery periods, helps build speed and endurance.
Strength Endurance
Strength endurance refers to our ability to sustain muscle contractions for an extended duration. Exercises like planks, wall sits, and farmer walks train strength and endurance. For athletes, strength endurance translates to performing skills and movements throughout an entire competition without fatigue.
By training each of these components, we can improve our overall endurance and physical performance. Endurance training is not easy, but the rewards of increased stamina and athletic ability make the effort worth it. Keep putting in the work, and you will be going the distance in no time!
Aerobic Endurance Training
As endurance trainers, aerobic training is the foundation of our routine. Aerobic exercise means with oxygen and refers to workout activities that use the aerobic energy system to fuel your muscles. For us, that primarily means running, swimming, or biking at an easy-to-moderate intensity for an extended period. Below are some things to consider:
Building an Aerobic Base
To build endurance, we begin by setting up an aerobic base with longer workouts (60–90 minutes) at a comfortable pace. It will help strengthen our hearts and improve our bodies’s ability to use oxygen efficiently. Over time, our base pace will get faster without feeling more difficult. The key is to go slow and carry on without pushing too hard.
Increasing Duration and Speed
Once we have built a solid base, we can increase the duration and speed of our aerobic workouts. We may run or bike farther, swim longer, and walk breaks will become less frequent. We will also add some intervals, like picking up the pace for a few minutes. The 80/20 rule applies here. 80% of our training time should still be at the base pace, while 20% can be at a more moderate intensity.
Aerobic endurance training prepares our bodies for competition demands and prevents burnout. Consistency is key: we should aim for 3-5 aerobic workouts per week, with adequate rest days for muscles to recover. Over time, we will get faster and fitter, but we should never stop building that aerobic base because it is the gift that keeps giving.
Muscular Endurance Training
When we think of endurance training, we often focus on cardiovascular exercises like running or biking. But building muscular endurance is just as important for overall fitness and performance. Muscular endurance refers to the ability of our muscles to perform repeated contractions over some time without fatigue.
To improve our muscular endurance, we need to do strength training with higher reps and lower weights. Instead of lifting heavy weights with only a few reps, we are talking about lighter weights with 12–20 reps per set. These higher reps will tax our muscles in a way that increases their stamina and ability to work for longer periods.
Some of the best exercises for muscular endurance include the following:
- Bodyweight exercises like pushups, squats, lunges, and sit-ups. These require no equipment and can be done almost anywhere. Start with a lower number of reps, like 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps, and build up from there as your endurance improves.
- Resistance band exercises. Resistance bands provide tension throughout the range of motion. They’re great for exercises like rows, shoulder presses, glute bridges, and hip abductions. Aim for 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps of each.
- Dumbbell exercises include shoulder presses, lateral raises, bicep curls, and triceps extensions. Pick a weight that fatigues your muscles in the target rep range. Start lighter and build up the weight over time as your endurance increases.
- Bodyweight circuit training. Doing a circuit of pushups, squats, lunges, crunches, and jumping jacks is a great way to improve muscular endurance. Start with 1-2 circuits of each exercise and increase the number of circuits over time.
Building muscular endurance takes consistency and time. Start slowly and build up your strength and stamina over weeks and months. Be sure to train 2-3 times a week, get enough protein and calories to fuel your muscles, and stay hydrated. With regular training, you will be amazed at how much your muscular endurance improves!
Nutrition For Optimal Endurance
It is necessary to know that what we eat and drink is just as important as how much we train. Our nutrition provides the fuel we need to push through long runs, intense intervals, and everything in between. Here are some key things we focus on to achieve optimal endurance.
Carbo-loading
Carbohydrates are our primary source of energy during exercise. We aim for carbohydrates to make up roughly 60–70% of our daily calories, with the bulk coming from whole foods like grains, fruits, and starchy veggies. The night before a long run or race, we carbo-load by eating a big plate of pasta, rice, or potatoes to maximize our glycogen stores. For more information, check out the HealthLine.
Healthy Fats
While carbs fuel our workouts, fats provide essential nutrients and help our bodies absorb certain vitamins. We get about 20–30% of our calories from fats like nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocados. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, help reduce inflammation from tough workouts.
Hydration
Proper hydration is key to endurance. We drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated, and we also consume sports drinks with electrolytes like sodium and potassium during and after extended exercise. Dehydration negatively impacts performance and recovery, so we make hydration a top priority.
Pre-Race Eating
Our pre-race meal 3–4 hours before an event focuses on boosting fat utilization. We choose foods high in healthy fats and protein, like oatmeal with nuts and seeds, a veggie omelet, or a smoothie made with nut butter, protein powder, and coconut milk. This provides energy that kicks in after the initial carb-fueled burst, helping us push through the final miles.
Following these nutrition principles, we have found our endurance steadily improving over time. Our bodies have adapted to efficiently utilize every calorie, keeping us energized from the starting line to the finish. With the right fuel in our tanks, we can go as far as we should.
Putting It All Together: A Sample Endurance Training Schedule
We build up our endurance to push through challenging workouts and competitions. An endurance training schedule incorporates the four components we discussed, speed, strength, stamina, and flexibility, into a comprehensive plan.
Speed and strength training
Twice a week, we focus on speed and strength. That might include exercises like sprints, plyometrics (exercises like box jumps that build power), and strength training with weights. For example, you could do a circuit of sprints, box jumps, pushups, rows, and thrusters. Start with 3–4 rounds of each exercise and build up as your endurance improves.
Long, Slow Distance
One or two days a week, we go long and slow. That means doing an extended run, bike ride, swim, or other cardio exercise at a comfortable, sustainable pace. For runners, aim for a 30 to 60-minute jog. Cyclists can ride for 45–90 minutes. The key is not to push too hard so you can go the distance. Staying aerobic is the goal.
High-Intensity Interval Training
One day a week, we incorporate high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. That involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by recovery periods. For example, you could do 1 minute of sprinting followed by 1 minute jogging and repeat for 15-20 minutes. Other HIIT options include Tabata workouts, involving 20 seconds of intense exercise and 10 seconds of rest done eight times. HIIT provides an efficient cardio workout in a short time.
Flexibility and recovery
One or two days a week, focus on flexibility, stretching, and recovery. Take a yoga class, get a massage, or go for a swim or walk. Stretching and mobility exercises provide flexibility and aid recovery. Listening to your body and building adequate rest periods is necessary to gain endurance over the long haul.
Putting these four components into a comprehensive weekly schedule will help build endurance and prepare you for any challenge. Start slowly and build up your speed, strength, stamina, and flexibility as your endurance improves. Consistency and progression are vital. And before you know it, you will be ready to take on the world!
