I have always trained for hypertrophy because hey! who wouldn’t want to see those big muscles ripping through the shirt.
But recently, I started endurance training - which basically means engaging in (moderate to high intensity) bouts of exercise for a longer period of time.
Running for about 45 mins every morning- trust me this is as exhausting as it gets for a guy who trained hypertrophy all life.
And so I studied endurance and it’s benefits , which is what I’m going to break down for you in easy language.
You see all these marathon runners- how do they look?
My guess is- Skinny, Lean and you probably cannot make out- if they train or not.
Reason being they do not posses those huge muscles.
There is a stark difference between hypertrophy and endurance training.
I will attempt to formulate an easy to follow protocol and by the end of this blog you should be able to use this protocol as a foundation - to enhance your endurance workout - if that’s what your aim is.
Disclaimer - All the information shared as been drawn from the podcast of huberman lab and Dr. Andy Galpin- who I consider my mentors and these are long 4hr+ mulitple episodes - so I take the pain of gathering this info and make it easier to digest for my audience.
ENDURANCE
When we talk about endurance we focus on two aspects
Waste production in the body
Waste management in the body
Q: What is this waste?
When you run for a long period - you will notice fatigue sets in.
Q: Why do we fatigue?
It is because of the accumulation of waste products like lactate and carbon dioxide in the body.
So what endurance athletes are really good at is this-
They can manage these waste product accumulation in efficient ways like-
More blood capillaries to supply oxygen - formed in the fatigued muscle because of the constant oxygen depletion the muscle is exposed to.
Astute breathing framework - for CO2 outflow.
So how is this lactate causing a problem?
Lactate is basically the acid build up in the body when we exercise.
Which is why you feel the BURN
Next up
Carbon dioxide build up activates certain brain centres- that tells your body
“we need to breathe faster, we are short on oxygen” and as a result you hyperventilate and ultimately fatigue.
Right , We brushed upon endurance physiology and now let’s plan to practise
PLAN
This could be running on flat surfaces for starters for a period of about 20-45 min and taking a break until you start breathing from your nose.
This is important - we call this nasal recovery.
Endurance does not have to be about running , it could be any activity if done for long intervals.
Running is a zero cost protocol hence easier to abide to. But go on - explore other kind of endurance activity eg swimming, circuit training, etc
You could do this about 2-3 times a week and as you hit your targets - slowly progress by increasing the time or by adding another round in the week.
This would go a long way in building endurance.
But hey , why should i build endurance?
Improved cardiovascular health
Better weight management
Increased muscle endurance
Improved mental health
Better sleep
Increased bone density
Not to forget the longevity benefits and probably some time later in your life you would remember this blog as starting point for building endurance, which will rightfully serve the purpose of this blog.
Again the link of the podcast is shared below- so you can explore more concepts about endurance.
I want to end this blog with a quote from Jordan Peterson that inspires me
“Pick your damn suffering and bear it. Try to be a good person so that you don’t make things worse”
As always keep hustling and pushing.
Anshul Sadhale.