Strength Training for Endurance: Part 1
Strength Training for Endurance: Part 1 Just like the Hatfields versus the McCoys, the Montagues versus the Capulets, and Snow Miser versus Heat Miser, Endurance training and Strength training will always be fighting for supremacy from the opposite sides of the street. As Rudyard Kipling said, “never the twain shall meet.” However, to refresh everyone’s memory, they all worked better when they worked together! (Well, Romeo and Juliet didn’t really get the chance, but when they were together, it was pretty good.) Obviously, given our topic, you know that I’m going to tell you that STRENGTH TRAINING IS GOOD FOR…
Proper Running Warm Up… and Cool Down
Warm up? C’mon! Let’s just get to the workout already! I know this sounds silly, but I also know that’s what most of us do on a regular basis, if not all the time. In this time crunched era where no one has a moment to spare, who has time to warm up? Our bodies will warm up as we go! The truth is that most injuries happen within the first 6 minutes of a workout. Yes, this is not always the case, but I didn’t say “always”, I said “most,” and it depends on the intensity of the activity*.…
Strength Training for Endurance: Part 2
Ok, so just because it took me this long to hopefully prove something that you probably already knew, doesn’t mean you can just start pumping iron and reap the benefits of better performances. Not all strength training programs are created equal, but there are a couple of training principles that are the same regardless. #1 is the overload principle. Overload states that for any training adaptation (increase in strength, endurance, etc.) to occur, you must train at a level beyond what you are already accustomed. The one story always used to reflect this principle is the story of Milo of…
VO2 Max, Lactate Threshold, and the Body’s Energy Systems
For the beginner in multi-sport, or any endurance sport, the terms VO2 max and lactate threshold will inevitably become a part of his or her vocabulary. For most, it easy to be confused about what exactly each one is, and how they relate to training. Although it will involve a certain amount of scientific terminology, I will try to give you a better understanding of what these two terms mean, how they are important to you, and how the body creates energy for you to perform at your best. Vo2 max is of particular importance for endurance athletes. It is…
In my previous article on Training Intensity Zones I talked a little about how to determine your Lactate Threshold heart rate. As I mentioned, if you have access to a sports center or university lab, you can get a maximum aerobic capacity test which analyzes your carbon dioxide to oxygen gas exchange difference to help determine your LT, or you can take a different max test in which blood samples are taken, usually from your finger, to determine your blood lactate level at different intensities. You must be willing to let someone take blood samples. Most people do not have…
