An endurance workout should help to increase the body’s overall fitness as well as improve how long it can function at peak performance. For this reason endurance exercises are commonly used by athletes as well as people looking to get fit. When choosing an endurance workout you should keep in mind that there are two types of endurance — cardiovascular and muscle endurance. You should also think about whether your goal is to lose weight, build muscle or just increase your overall health. Your current state of fitness will also be a major factor in deciding on the best endurance program for you.
A cardiovascular endurance workout will focus on improving the body’s overall ability to supply the muscles during exercise. To increase cardiovascular endurance you should include exercises such as swimming, jogging and bike riding as these work a number of different muscles while increasing heart rate. When trying to improve cardiovascular endurance, the time devoted to a particular exercise is important. For example, long distance running at a slower speed may be more effective at increasing endurance than short and fast bursts.
Muscle endurance refers to a particular muscle’s ability to function under load for a period of time. Increasing muscle endurance will usually increase the muscle’s mass. Before you begin planning a workout you should consider which muscles you want to work on. For example, for bigger thighs you should concentrate on leg endurance exercises such as squats, straight leg lifts and lunges.
The biggest factor affecting your endurance workout will be your overall goal. Not only will this affect the number of repetitions you should perform but also the weight or resistance used for each exercise. For example, when performing an endurance workout to lose weight there is little to be gained from using a weight or resistance that is too heavy for your current level of fitness. Doing so will decrease the number of repetitions you can perform, which will reduce the number of calories burned during an exercise session.
On the other hand, when endurance training to build muscle it’s important to get to a point where a specific muscle becomes fatigued. This will help you to build muscle in a quick and efficient manner. In most cases, high repetitions with increasing weight will serve you best. As you’ll be using weights which are on the limit of your physical capabilities it’s essential to have a “spotter” for some of the more dangerous exercises.
