Endurance Training
Endurance training has numerous health and performance benefits. In this article, I give you some endurance training tips for maximum success.
What is endurance training good for?
Endurance training has many benefits for health and performance. These benefits include reduced body fat, better blood glucose control, better blood pressure, better heart health, better circulatory system health, improved energy, improved sleep, better mood, reduced risk of chronic diseases and possibly a better quality of life. Not to mention, endurance training will certainly boost performance in a number of sports.
What is the best exercise for endurance?
Many forms of training work well for endurance. Here are some suggestions.
- Running
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Water Aerobics
- Elliptical
- Arc Trainer
- Stairstepper
- Cross Country Skiing
- Skip Rope
- Aerobics Classes
- Brisk Walking
All these forms of training can boost endurance. It’s important to select an activity you enjoy so that you can stick to it.
What are the 4 types of endurance?
The 4 types of endurance include aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, muscle endurance and speed endurance.
Aerobic endurance is the ability to perform relatively low intensity activity between 2 minutes and several hours or more at a time.
Anaerobic endurance is the ability to perform high intensity activity for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Muscle endurance is the ability to display strength for multiple reps without fatigue or form breakdown.
Speed endurance is the ability to maintain sprint speed for multiple efforts.
How Long is Endurance Training
Most endurance training workouts take at least 30 minutes to complete. Many endurance workouts take one hour or more and improve the body’s ability to maintain pace for a long period of time.
However, for most beginners, aerobic endurance can be improved with just 30-35 minute workouts multiple times per week.
How long does it take to improve endurance?
It takes about 12 to 16 weeks to really begin to see big changes from an endurance training program. However, you may begin to notice a difference in your endurance in as little as two to three weeks.
What are the types of endurance training?
The most common types of endurance training are long slow distance training, tempo training, fartlek training and high intensity interval training.
Let’s take a look at each of the types of endurance training below.
Long Slow Distance Training
Long slow distance training is a type of training where you go for a long time at a low intensity. Generally, these workouts take one to two hours to complete and are pretty easy. Your goal is to work at an intensity where you can still talk.
Don’t underestimate this low intensity form of training. For elite aerobic athletes, low intensity training comprises about 80 percent of their total training.
Going slow for longer helps you improve endurance and recovery. Long slow distance training helps you build the baseline for more intense types of training.
Long slow distance training helps you increase the number of mitochondria in your muscle cells. Additionally, this type of training helps you to build a larger network of capillaries to get nutrients into your muscle cells. This type of training can also help you to create more mitochondria in your muscle cells. It can also increase vascularization to working muscles, enhancing nutrient delivery and recovery. Finally, this type of training helps you become more reliant on fat as fuel, which helps makes your workouts feel easier.
Tempo Training
Tempo training helps your body learn to tolerate higher intensity training for more sustained tempos. This training should be done near race pace, or the fastest pace you can sustain for the workout. You can either try 3-4 sets of 3-5 minute intervals at race pace, or 20-30 minutes done continuously at race pace.
This type of training helps you tolerate working at a higher heart rate and with increased muscular fatigue. Tempo training also improves Hydrogen Ion buffering so you do not experience as much muscle pain during higher intensity training.
Fartlek Training
Fartlek training literally means “speed play.” With this type of training, you will alternate between recovery paces, sprint work, and tempo work. For instance, you might alternate jogging slowly, running at race pace, and sprinting all in one workout.
Fartlek training helps your body switch between higher and lower intensities seamlessly. It also helps you to recover more quickly from short bursts of high effort. Fartlek training also boosts muscle power through short sprints.
High Intensity Interval Training
High intensity interval training is the highest intensity form of aerobic training. This type of training requires multiple intervals over 90 percent of your maximum heart rate.
High intensity interval training is not recommended for beginners.
However, high intensity interval training helps athletes to boost muscle power and output over repeated efforts. High intensity interval training helps athletes to perform explosively at the end of a game or competition with less fatigue.
Programming for Endurance Training
For the average person, performing low intensity running, swimming or using a cardio machine a few times per week is plenty of endurance training. However, some people want to compete in endurance sports and take their endurance to the next level. If you are an endurance athlete, you may want to include a more varied program that incorporates tempo training, fartlek training, and high intensity interval training.
Ideally, it is best to consult a qualified personal trainer to determine the best program for you.
Endurance Training Final Thoughts
Endurance training has multiple benefits and it’s actually pretty easy to just get started by adding in some walking, jogging or swimming into your routine. I’d love to hear your comments below! Do you participate in endurance training? If so, what are your favorite methods or routines?
