Whether you’re just beginning to learn how to exercise properly and are at the start of your athletic career or have been training hard for years, these not-so-obvious tips may just change the way you approach your workouts.
Here are a few of the key secrets to successful endurance training.
Don’t Over-Train
Believe it or not, the number 1 cause of injury in most athletes comes from overworking their primary muscle groups.
- Runners get shin splints or ankle or knee issues.
- Weightlifters tear their lats.
- Pitchers throw out their shoulders.
Increasingly the science behind exercise is showing that the best performance for endurance athlete actually comes from under-training your muscles.
The best example of this can be seen in marathon training schedules, where “long runs” are often only once every two weeks, with simple short runs in between. That logic can be applied to almost all sports.
Find Complementary Exercises
This one is by no means new, but it’s insanely important.
Regardless of what sport or event you’re training for, you’re going to have a core set of primary exercises and muscle groups you work with.
There are tons of benefits, however, to also working out complementary, or indirect muscles.
Setting a schedule that works your complete body can also help you to have extra rest days for your main areas of focus, without skipping the gym completely.
It’s All In The Diet
Finally, it’s important to remember that your dietary intake is extremely important when it comes to aggressive workout schedules, and having a proper diet can significantly improve your results.
Studies show that what you eat 30-90 minutes after a workout can help to condense the benefits and tone your muscles.
See the video below for a sample workout to implement these tips.