If you want to increase your performance in your desired run distance, strength and conditioning workouts will help you get there.
I understand your training runs seem to be challenging exercises enough, but you need diversity, and this can be best found in solid strength training programs.
The best workout routine to increase stamina and endurance is by far, a full body workout, utilizing cross-training, conditioning drills, and weight training. This type of workout is also best workout routines for fat burning and a great beginner workout routine to increase stamina. Along with toning, you will increase speed and agility with strength training.
Continuing to push your body with just one type of workout, i.e. running, you increase the risk of injury with continued pounding of the pavement and straining your run-related muscles. Strength training and conditioning drills allow you to achieve the same level of satisfaction, just doing so with different muscle groups. This allows you to have a great workout without reaching ‘muscle failure’, which helps build density, which is great for endurance athletes.
Full body workout, your best workout routine
If I was to list my best fitness tips, outside of the long run, conditioning and strength workouts would be next in line. this type of training works your entire body through a collection of high intensity and high rep exercises. The core to a full body workout routine is movement and repetition. Hopefully, the below will help you develop a plan of action for you to follow and gain the benefit of weight training and conditioning drills.
The secret behind any strength training routine
The greatest benefit, only attributable to this type of exercise, is increased HGH (human growth hormone) levels. This is why you have heard about steroids and HGH in the sporting news…it’s because the stuff works. Taking supplements is an improper means of increasing the valuable HGH, and is not part of any sports nutrition diet, but the same levels can nearly be gained by strength training and other challenging exercises. The beauty of HGH is it allows your body to burn fat for fuel, and preserve muscle. This cannot be had from a long run, or even all-out interval training.
Intense exercise like working your abs, and familiar increased heart-rate training, will dramatically increase your HGH. This is why the movement aspect, not power lifting, of this training is vital in gaining the true benefits.
Strength and conditioning workouts to increase stamina and endurance
If nothing else, strength workouts breaks up the monotony of run training. there’s something about a grueling segment of conditioning drills that have you yearning for more. Not really, but it is nice to dos something different. It will keep your mind fresh for your main focus of running. You are not required to be mentally and physically strong to complete these workouts, not required to ‘keep up’ with anyone either.
One workout which can increase stamina and endurance include kickboxing, beating-up on a heavy bag. Or, do what I enjoy more…taking a conditioning class which has you utilizing dumbbells of various sizes, ankle weights, and a form of Tae Bo conditioning.
Weights are not required though, as in the form of Plyometrics. It is a great conditioning exercise, and can be incorporated into any cardio routine. You can really work up a good sweat, increase leg strength and conditioning, all without the use of a fitness center membership.
Circuit training and conditioning exercises
Weight training is still the most effective of all the conditioning workouts. Weights may or may not be used, as you can accomplish this through push-ups, burpee’s, squats, pull-ups, or use universal weight systems such as the inverted row, and decline, closed-grip. All these exercises are sure to build muscular endurance, help with runner efficiencies in general, and increase your stamina.
Another option is full circuit training. This type of exercise can be split up into separate days, focusing on various segments of your body. This is not the gym rat approach; these are 40-45 minute sessions, allowing you to get in and do your workout quickly. The idea is to keep your body moving throughout the exercise.
In summary, I find strength and conditioning workouts to be fun and exhilarating, while building a better me. Take some advise herein, find a beginner workout routine, checkout strength training programs, or a class at your fitness center to see what it’s all about. Happy Running, RunCoach Jen.
