We've all had that frustrating feeling of been working out for quite awhile, yet we've "hit a plateau" - and cannot seem to build up our endurance beyond a certain point. Here are some tips that can help you get beyond your plateau and increase your endurance in your workouts.
First of all, if you're looking to increase your weight lifting endurance - the best way to do that is by working on your cardio program. Improved cardiovascular fitness, whether done by running on a treadmill, riding an exercise bike, or workout out on an elliptical trainer, is an excellent way to improve your endurance during a resistance training workout.
When you put together your cardio training plan, divide it into three levels. The first level is your intense plan - this is where you're training so hard, you can't talk to anybody during your workout, even if you tried. Your intense plan pushes you to and maybe even beyond your limits. This is the plan that will help you the most because the more you push your limit, the easier it will become to increase it.
The second level is your moderate level - this is where you could blurt out a few short words. The moderate level is important because it also pushes your limit, but it doesn't push your body as hard as the intense level. You don't want to do the intense plan all the time because you'll get burned out and so will your muscles!
Finally, the third level is your recovery level - this is where you could carry on a conversation while working out. This level provides the much-needed break your body needs from the intense and moderate workouts.
Next, plan your routines. You can base your plan on whether you do your cardio workouts once a week, twice a week, or three times a week. If you workout more than this for your cardio routine, just double up the routines - if you workout four times per week, take the 2x plan, and do it twice during the week.
- 1x per week: Do the "Intense" workout (below), then do 15 minutes at an easy pace.
- 2x per week: Do the "Intense" workout one day, then the "Moderate" one the other day.
- 3x per week: Do "Intense" one day, "Moderate" the next, and "Recovery" on the third.
The Workout:
- Intense: To complete an intense workout, do eight alternating sets of 1 minute at hard, 1 minute easy - without rest between sets.
- Moderate: To complete a moderate workout, do five alternating sets of 3 minutes hard, 2 minutes medium - without rest between sets.
- Recovery: To complete a recovery workout, do 25 minutes at an easy pace
After a couple of weeks with this workout plan you should start to see your endurance increase and improve - both in your cardio workouts, as well as your weight training sessions. Have a great workout! Come visit us.
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