Training for endurance and pushing your body past its limits gives you a feeling that you can do anything. Endurance athletes such as marathoners, triathletes and cyclists improve the health of their heart, lungs and muscles enabling more efficient transportation of oxygen throughout the body. Endurance training can also improve your immune system and reduce the chance of injuries. Building up your base level of endurance is important for athletes of all sport; a tired athlete is a weak athlete.
Warm-Up
Before beginning any workout, perform an active, dynamic warm-up — one that uses continuous movement to prepare the body for work. No stretching — just drills like squats, jumping jacks, skips, lunges and high-knees.
Tabata Training
This high-intensity workout will help increase your endurance and help to burn fat. The workout's designer, Dr. Izumi Tabata of Japan's National Institute of Fitness and Sports, saw in participants increases of up to 28 percent in anaerobic capacity — how much energy your body gets from non-oxygen sources — and up to 14 percent in VO2 max — the maximum amount of oxygen your body is able to use during maximal exercise. The Tabata training interval requires the athlete to participate at 100-percent effort during every repetition of every set. Pick one exercise that can be done continuously; running, jump roping, jumping jacks and squats are all good options. Use a stopwatch or timer and perform as many reps as possible for 20 seconds. After 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, but don't stop moving — if you has been running, for example, slow to a walk. After 10 seconds, repeat the pattern for a total of eight sets. The total workout is only four minutes, but if you truly give 100-percent effort, after four minutes your tank will be empty.
Ladder Run
For this workout, head to a track and get ready to sprint. The workout will start with a 400-meter sprint, then down to 300 m, 200 m, 100 m, 50 m, 50 m again, then back up the ladder to 100 m, 200 m, 300 m and finally 400 m again. For rest, you will have exactly the amount of time it took to complete the previous sprint. For example, if it took you 60 seconds to run the first 400, rest for 60 seconds before starting the first 300. As you get to the shorter sprints, your rest time will be significantly decreased. You might run the second 200 in 25 seconds and only have 25 seconds of rest before starting the 300. The total workout is 2,100 meters, but will feel like much longer. Remember to give 100 percent, and don't rest longer than you're supposed to.
Cycling Sprints
To perform a cycling endurance sprint workout, you can use a road bike or a stationary one. Watch the odometer, or map out a one-mile course to ride on. Ride at a fast pace, but not at 100 percent. Once you reach the one-mile mark, sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds, slow back down to the speed you were at before the sprint and try to maintain that speed. Repeat this for five miles, more if you can handle it. You could also adapt this to running or swimming by lowering the one mile to a more suitable distance.
For Everyone
Endurance and cardiovascular training should be a part of everyone's workout schedule as long as you are physically able to engage in exercise. Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program. Lifting weights is great, but be sure to also train your most important muscle, your heart.
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