Lifting weights helps you build your muscle strength, but if you want that strength to be beneficial in some other activities as well, such as group sports or running everyday errands, you have to build your endurance too.
Your stamina plays a significant role in your overall fitness level and performance and to be able to increase it, you need to commit to healthier habits, such as getting enough sleep or following a healthy and well-balanced diet. To get some great results, it’s a good idea to consult a professional to offer you guidelines or create a personalized diet plan, according to your nutrition needs. If you are unsure which expert you should consult, you can check out this article by Runner Click, and determine your best choice.
If your daily exercises focus only (or mainly) on lifting weights, consider making some necessary changes in your workout routine in order to boost your endurance.
Effective-Strength Weight-Lifting
To successfully work on your stamina, you can start by making your weight-lifting exercises more diverse. Instead of doing a single heavy-weight lift and take a long pause to recover, try going with slightly lighter weight and more sets (10-20) with fewer reps (1-4). Also, try to shorten your rest time between sets, as it won’t take too much of your time to gather strength after just a few repetitions.
HIIT
High-intensity interval training is best known for its fat-burning potential and great effects it has on weight loss, but it’s perfect for increasing your stamina too. HIIT alternates intense efforts with less intense recovery periods, activating your body’s aerobic and anaerobic system, delivering the benefits of both, at the same time. Making HIIT exercise a part of your training schedule will result in your ability to perform at a greater intensity for a longer period of time.
Swimming
If you want to increase your endurance, without putting extra strain on your joints, swimming is the best answer. It will be a great workout for your entire body, while also having positive effects on your cardiovascular system. You should start with your workouts slowly in order to warm up, and then move to the aerobic phase, during which you will learn how to build up your speed and keep it at a steady level during extended periods of time.
Cycling
Another great way for weight-lifters to increase their endurance is cycling, and you’ll see the fastest results if you opt for interval training. The periods of intense cycling efforts should last from 30 seconds up to 5 minutes, while the recovery phase duration will depend on your fitness level, with the goal of
keeping recovery intervals as short as possible. Still, as these workouts can be very intensive, limit them to 2 times a week, and do some slower and longer rides on the other days.
Running
You can decide to boost your stamina by adding some running training to your usual workout schedule, several times a week. Don’t be afraid if you feel that you’re a bit out of shape, as you can start slowly, and build your mileage and your speed gradually as you progress.
It’s a good idea to have at least three runs a week, and make every session different so that you have a long run, a tempo run and a speed run workout, adapting the length and the speed to your fitness level and your goals. To minimize your risks of overtraining, try to avoid working on your legs and heading for a tiring run the very next day.
Your Sleep Matters, Too
Extra sleep hours are known for boosting athletes’ performance and endurance, so try to make your bedtime habits regular and sleep at least 7-8 hours a night. A good night’s rest will make your body well prepared for challenges, and you’ll be able to perform better for longer periods of time.
The key to building your endurance lies in enriching or replacing your routine weight-lifting sessions with interval training and workouts which will challenge your body in a different way. Endurance is born out of the challenges like these, and all the strength you build can then be put to more practical use.