Months ago, Melissa came to me and said that I had just got signed up for a 5k. Now, I have been getting into shape for a while now by lifting weights 5-6 days a week, but I know that my stamina while running was awful. I had to find a solution to this fast, as the race was just around the corner and I did not have much time to prepare. I needed to build my endurance and to do this, I needed to increase my cardio. I started running and biking every other day, but I decided I loved lifting weights, so I kept doing that as well. Double the gym time!
When race time came, I was pretty far with how far I had come, but I was still a bit tired afterwards. I hate not being the best I can be, so i decided to look into what kind of cardio paired with weight training would get me that endurance I was looking for.
Below are some suggestions for how you can get in the best shape of your life if you stick to a plan. A lot of my research originates from YouTube. I will watch people give advice, and then I will TRY IT. Nothing you are told in the fitness world is concrete evidence for it being right. You need to take everything you read and hear and then go to the gym and try it out for a while and see what it does to your body.
So without leaving you hanging any longer, here are my best tips on how to build endurance and increase your stamina.
Less Rest Time
Letting your muscles rest between sets is a great way to get in heavier weights. However, if you are resting more than a minute in between sets, you are allowing your heart rate to go down and that is hurting your cardio performance. Next time you set yourself up in the gym, only give yourself 60 seconds max rest in between your sets. You will get your workout done much quicker, but you will definitely feel like you are working harder and breathy heavier.
If you want to do a really heavy leg day, you may need to allow yourself a few minutes each time. Try to mix it up and keep most rest periods under a minute to improve your cardiovascular endurance.
Do Big Compound Movements
Ever since I first stepped foot in the gym, I have loved the big 3 compound movements (bench, deadlift, squat). You should be doing more of these! Compound exercises burn a ton of calories, work multiple muscle groups at the same time, and increase your stamina! Since you are working so many muscles at once, they need to use a lot more energy in a short amount of time. Getting used to doing movements like these are going to be intense but in the end, your endurance and stamina will improve if you are doing them regularly.
One of the first videos that I watched was from Elliot Hulse about doing compound exercises. You can find it below, but this will develop your body and give you the extra bit of stamina you are looking for.
Stretch Everyday
I guess I should have put this one first! Stretching is extremely beneficial. It will aid in recovery of your muscles, it will help muscle strength, and most importantly, it will help you keep away from injury. If you are stretching everyday, you are a lot more likely to work out harder and for longer because you will not be in pain from the day before.
Your Rest Is Now Your Cardio
When you are in the gym lifting, you will lift for a set, and then take a rest to let the muscles recover right? Well, if you want to increase stamina, your rest period is now over. Try this. Next time you are lifting, do your set. When that set is done, your “rest” will be a cardio set. Cardio sets could include jump rope, box step ups, running in place… you get the idea. Then you hope right back into your weight lifting set.
Increasing your cardio during weight lifting will skyrocket your workouts. Do this for a few weeks and you will realize just how much better shape you are in.
No Bloating
Getting bloated is probably the best way to kill your endurance. Never eat too much or drink too much before you go to the gym. Also, never ever, EVER drink carbonated drinks anytime before, during, or after your gym time. The bubbles will make you feel out of breath, sluggish and slow.
Do HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
I was recently reading a thread on Reddit about firefighters in the mountains who fight fires on the front line. The physical demand of this job is nearly off the charts. When asked what this guy did to get ready for his PT test, he said that he did high intensity interval training.
I can tell you from experience that this does work, very well in fact. Instead of getting on a treadmill and jogging for 30 minutes, HIIT is more of long bursts, and then short rest periods.
For example, you could do a set of pull ups, 500 meter run, and jump rope all without resting. You would then rest for 30 seconds to a minute, and do them all over again.
If you do not want to use any equipment, I first started off doing the Insanity workout. While a bit gimmicky, I will tell you that it DOES work. I was nearly dying by the end since I was so out of shape, but afterwards I was a lot more confident and got a gym membership.
Change Up Your Workout
I love going to the gym and getting my workout in, but doing the same workout split every week gets BORING! If you stick with a single routine and never change it, changes are you will never see the results you are looking for and will eventually burn out. The movements you do in your routine are quickly picked up by your muscles and they tend to “remember” or “get used to” these movements and before long, stimulating them becomes that much harder.
If you want to increase your stamina, I would suggest every 3 weeks that you change up your routine. Do different exercises that still hit the same muscles. Make sure to include cardio into the mix and perhaps try out a different activity such as sports for an even greater boost. A lot of people do not even think about swimming, but this is one of my favorite activities. Grab yourself a pair of goggles, and that is just another cardiovascular activity you can add to your list.
Explode!
When you are lifting, you want to move the weight safely and efficiently, but you always want to be explosive. Take the squat for example. I see many people slowly go down, and slowly come back up. While this can be good for building muscle because they are always under constant tension, this does little to nothing for your stamina.
Instead, drop down (controlled), and just explode upward. Get those fast twitch muscle fibers firing on all pistons. This will be a lot harder than it seems at first, but you can add explosive movements and sets into all of your exercises. This will build your strength but you will get a great boost of stamina in the process.
You will also feel like you are working a lot harder, but all the best lifters and runners (think about sprinters here) are incredibly explosive!
Here is a great video that should give you some ideas of how to incorporate this into the workout you are already doing.
Increase Speed
While adding explosive movements above is a great start, you can take it a step forward by lifting the same weights you normally would, but at a faster pace. Always remember to keep it controlled and do the movement correctly to avoid injury. If you can do them safely, this will shed fat, increase calories burned, and your endurance will increase. Just try not to be that crossfit guy doing kipping pullups. Everyone thinks that guy is strange anyway.
Want To Increase Running Endurance?
I have never been a very good runner, but I did manage to complete my first timed 5k a few months ago. If you want to run longer distances, the only think you can really do is just get out there and run. You can run for a bit, slow down (maybe to a jog or a walk), and when you catch your breath start running again.
One thing I did that helped me was download a running app. If you have been running for a while, just start tracking your workouts with Strava. If you have not ran at all or in a long while, I would suggest a C2k app (couch to 5k) and you can find one of those here.
Here is a short video about endurance running and the science behind it you may find interesting.
Wrapping It Up
If you take what I have written above and start to implement them into your workouts, I can almost guarantee you that if you stick with it, you will see a drastic increase of stamina and endurance. These are essential if you are serious about fitness and on the road to becoming the best athlete you can be.
Let us know in the comments below which one of these tips worked best for you!
Leave a Reply