Demystify Endurance Training: Follow Your Heart
Endurance training is a crucial aspect of fitness for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. Whether you're a runner, cyclist, swimmer, or triathlete, understanding the fundamentals of endurance training can significantly impact your fitness journey. However, in this day and age, there is so much information available that it’s hard to disseminate the core concepts we need to know. We have boiled it down to a simple phrase for you to remember, and it’s not as complex as you might think to get into endurance events. You just need to follow your heart. Literally.
Our hearts are one of the best tools we can use to understand how fit we are, how well we recover, and how to estimate what we can achieve. For the longest time, we couldn’t get much insight beyond a pulse rate, but now, with wearable technology, we have a vast amount of data to show us exactly how our hearts are performing.
Understanding Exercise Strain on the Heart
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Activity
To start, we first need to cover the two types of exercise strain we can put on our hearts: Aerobic and Anaerobic.
Aerobic exercise, often referred to as cardio, involves activities that elevate your heart rate and breathing for an extended period. This type of exercise relies on oxygen to generate energy from carbohydrates and fats. Examples include jogging, cycling, and swimming at a conversational pace, improving cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
Anaerobic exercise consists of short bursts of intense activity that surpass your body's oxygen supply. This type of training utilizes stored energy sources like glycogen (stored sugars) and produces energy without relying on oxygen. Examples of anaerobic exercises include sprints, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and strength training. Anaerobic training focuses on enhancing speed, power, and muscle strength through brief, intense efforts.
Monitor Your Heart’s Performance
Now that we know the types of exercises we can do, how do we know precisely which activity we are doing? It’s easy to say go do an Aerobic workout, but often, we find ourselves over exercising and thus not creating a good endurance base. In comes the Heart.
Use heart rate zones as a guide to adjust your training intensity as needed. For example, during recovery days or easy workouts, aim to stay within Zone 1 or Zone 2 to promote recovery and build aerobic capacity. On high-intensity days or interval sessions, target Zone 3 and Zone 4 to challenge your anaerobic system and improve speed and power. Here are the zones for easy reference.
Zone 1 (Recovery/Easy): Very light activity, often below your aerobic threshold. It should feel slow and easy, almost effortless. Training in this zone helps with recovery, builds an aerobic base, and prepares your body for more intense workouts.
Zone 2 (Aerobic): Moderate intensity where you can sustain longer workouts without feeling overly fatigued. It correlates with aerobic training and helps improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance.
Zone 3 (Threshold): Where you start to push your limits, just below your anaerobic threshold. It's a challenging but sustainable intensity level that improves your lactate threshold and overall performance.
Zone 4+ (Anaerobic): High-intensity efforts that push your body beyond its aerobic capacity. It's where anaerobic training occurs, focusing on speed, power, and muscle strength.
Regularly monitor your heart rate zones and track your training progress over time. Use this data to make informed adjustments to your workouts, such as increasing or decreasing intensity levels, modifying workout durations, or incorporating new training techniques. Consistent monitoring and adaptation are key to achieving optimal results in your endurance training journey.
Balance the Strain on Your Heart
Now that we know the types of exercises and how to measure them, how do we effectively balance out our training weeks between Aerobic and Anaerobic?
An effective endurance training approach involves blending both aerobic and anaerobic elements. The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of your training should be aerobic, emphasizing endurance and cardiovascular health, while the remaining 20% should focus on anaerobic activities to enhance speed, power, and muscle strength. This balanced approach helps prevent burnout, reduces the risk of injury, and promotes long-term progress.
Instead of viewing your training day by day, consider it in weekly increments. For example, if you train five days a week, aim for four lower-intensity days focusing on aerobic exercises and one day of higher-intensity anaerobic training. This flexibility allows for adjustments based on your body's response and ensures a balanced training schedule.
The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of your training should be aerobic (Zone 2), emphasizing endurance and cardiovascular health, while the remaining 20% can focus on anaerobic activities (Zone 3 and Zone 4) to enhance speed, power, and muscle strength. By aligning your workouts with heart rate zones and the 80/20 rule, you can create a balanced and effective training program.
Endurance training doesn't have to be daunting or confusing. By understanding the basics of aerobic and anaerobic training, following the 80/20 rule, prioritizing recovery, and utilizing monitoring methods like heart rate zones and training intensity, you can optimize your training routine and achieve your fitness goals effectively. Consistency, patience, and listening to your body are key elements in your journey toward becoming a successful endurance athlete.
Join the Team RWB Multi-Sport Group in the Team RWB Member App for even more tips like this.
Nathan Foster is an Army Infantry Combat Veteran who is deeply passionate about fitness, and it has significantly transformed his life post-service, benefiting both his physical and mental well-being. He leads the Team RWB Multi-Sport Activity Group, encompassing beginners to Ironman athletes. Nathan actively competes in full-distance Ironman Triathlons. When not engaged in swimming, cycling, or running, he remains active, enjoying pursuits such as playing ice hockey or backcountry camping.
