Training Aerobic Endurance

Endurance Training What is endurance training? Simply put, Endurance training describes any type of athletic training that increases your body's cardiovascular or muscular endurance. Endurance training helps develop the body's respiratory capabilities and muscular strength to sustain physical activity with lower injury risks for extended periods. Cardiovascular endurance training focuses on aerobic exercise and is the most commonly thought of method. This method aims to improve the way your body uses oxygen to give you energy and trains your muscles to handle strenuous use for extended periods. Contrary to most common thoughts, strength training, interval training, and resistance training are great options for muscular endurance. We have two aspects, Stamina and endurance. Endurance is the amount of time and distance for an athletic task, i.e., running and cycling. Stamina, on the other hand, represents how long a person performs an athletic task at their peak before they feel fatigued. That is your aerobic/anaerobic threshold. Interval training is fantastic to improve Stamina and the body's ability to improve your maximum heart rate and capacity to use oxygen. Endurance training examples 1. cycling- is a great low impact exercise that builds endurance without as much strain on the joints as running. 2. running- cross-country running, jogging, and walking. It helps improve an athlete's VO2 max (body's maximum oxygen intake and aerobic ability) and slow-twitch fibers assisting in the use of oxygen. 3. Stair climbing- is also an amazing lower body workout activating glutes and calves. It is typically done on stair-stepper machines. 4. Swimming- low impact cardio endurance training and works as a full-body workout. Endurance training goals 1. distance training is- The most common type of training. It requires a distance goal such as running 3 miles. 2. Tempo training- The idea is to perform the exercise at a specific tempo. The idea is to find a pace that you can sustain for a long time without getting fatigued. 3. Interval training- known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), is short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by shorter periods. For example, sprints for 10 seconds followed by walking for 60 seconds. Interval training is great for VO2 and heart rate thresholds. 4. circuit training- involved a series of exercises done with little to no rest in between each exercise. It can be done as cardio or resistance training. Your muscles will tire out quickly. The benefits are getting a full-body workout in a relatively short time and increased VO2 levels. 5. Strength training- Involves resistance or bodyweight exercises to improve specific muscle groups. References Increasing endurance We can train endurance with multiple options, but there are certain guidelines we need to follow no matter what we choose. 1. Maintain fuel for your body: proper hydration and carbohydrate-rich snacks. 2. Pick a training choice based on your goals. For example, an athlete who wants to swim will practice their endurance by swimming. A cyclist would use a stationary bike or go cycling. At the same time, an athlete like a football player is going to need to hit weights and circuits. 3. Measure your progress. Identify your baseline. Measure your heart rate, your distance, and how long you were able to exercise before taking a break. 4. Make sure to rest. 5. Progressively increase the difficulty. Don't just start adding an extra mile every day you run. Endurance training is just like progressive overload. Increase the difficulty slightly each time. If you are doing circuits, add an extra rep. If you are doing weights, then increase the weight slightly. If you are running or any other marathon, then add a small amount of distance or time. 6. Re-measure your progress. I like to check each month or so. Some exercise selections could include, Squats, pushups, mountain climbers, burpees, jumping jacks, and climbing stairs. Below are the average maximum and target heart ranges by age. Moderate intensity should be around 50-70% of your maximum heart rate, and vigorous should be about 70-85%.

Age Target HR Zone 50-85 Average Maximum Heart Rate, 100%

20 year 100-170 beats per minute (bpm) 200 bpm

30 years 95-162 bpm 190 bpm

35 years 93-157 bpm 185 bpm

40 years 90-153 bpm 180 bpm

45 years 88-149 bpm 175 bpm

50 years 85-145 bpm 170 bpm

55 years 83-140 bpm 165 bpm

60 years 80-136 bpm 160 bpm

65 years 78-132 bpm 155 bpm

70 years 75-128 bpm 150 bpm