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Endurance Weight TrainingRegardless of your sport of choice, a weight lifting regimen cannot be absent from your training routine if you expect your body to perform at its very best. Now, that may be a fairly obvious statement when thinking about sports like football, tennis and many others where the need for muscular strength is apparent. But weight training seems to be overlooked by many who engage in endurance sports. For sports like distance running, jogging, swimming, and skiing, it seems pretty straightforward that most of one’s training should be spent on increasing aerobic capacity. But endurance weight training can also help you go longer and go stronger. Lifting weights specifically for endurance can also help stave off an assortment of injuries common to endurance athletes. When we think of weight training, we tend to think of bigger, bulkier muscles. That’s because when you lift heavy weights for a relatively short number of repetitions, or “reps,” you are exercising the “short-twitch” muscles of the body. These muscles are used in sports that involve sprinting or throwing. Lifting heavier and heavier weights results in more mass. This is why sprinters, football players, baseball players and the like have large thigh muscle and obvious bicep development. The method for using weights for endurance is to lift moderate weights for several repetitions. This approach will work out the “long-twitch” muscles called upon in long periods of physical exertion. For example, when working out leg muscles, choose a weight that you can squat at least 15 to 18 times, with the last 2 to 3 reps feeling quite difficult. And likewise, if working your biceps, choose a moderate weight that you can curl for 12 to 15 times. Repeat 3 to 4 sets of around 15 reps. And to squeeze the most out of your weight training program, be sure to lift before engaging in your aerobic exercise. Lifting first will provide an extra endurance boost to your training. Related InformationGrip Strength Training Beginner Weight Training
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