If you’ve been working out, playing sports, or lifting weights for some time, you should easily be able to rattle off your abilities. You’ll know exactly how long you can run for, and how far, or how much weight you can lift. But just because you have strength doesn’t mean you have endurance, and vice versa.
And yet many people don’t realize that there is a big difference between the two. What’s more, to reach your peak performance, you need both. But with these workout strategies for boosting strength and endurance, you’ll be on top of your game in no time.
Use the Right Supplements
There are many health and fitness supplements available on the market today, and a large percentage of them are targeted at athletes and gym enthusiasts. But while almost all of them promise more energy, they don’t all offer a boost to your strength and endurance.
Creatine is a naturally occurring compound that helps muscles produce energy during intensive exercise and heavy lifting. Creatine supplements improve stamina and performance and are thus very popular with athletes.
Increasing muscle mass and bone density is impossible without GH, and for greater strength, you need muscle mass. That’s why MK677 is such a popular supplement for building muscular strength. It’s an orally administrated GH secretagogue, a substance that increases Growth Hormone (GH) release.
Ask your personal trainer or coach for their recommendations. Ideally your personal trainer is qualified at Level 3 at a minimum and also holds an accredited Level 4 nutrition course qualification too. And if you have any medical issues, check with your healthcare provider before using a new supplement.
Consume High-Quality Protein
Even with the best workout essentials, you won’t improve your strength and endurance without good nutrition. You will get more out of your workout by putting the right nutrients into your body. That’s why it’s important to start eating right before you can start seeing improved performance in the gym.
To build strength you need to work on your muscle mass, and for that, you need sources of high-quality protein. A protein-rich meal, with some fresh low-starch vegetables, is the way to go. Animal-based proteins are all complete proteins, offering every essential amino acid your body needs.
But if you eat a heavy meal right before working out, you’ll feel heavier and could struggle with digestive discomfort. Try to eat your meal at least 2-3 hours before a heavy workout. To keep your energy high after that, have a protein shake instead.
Don’t forget to pack a bottle of water or a sports drink to stay hydrated. Muscle fatigue can quickly set in if you’re dehydrated, so keep a beverage on hand before, during, and after a workout.
Adapt Your Workout Regimen
Strength and endurance are not the same thing, but they are each crucial for your workout performance. You simply cannot have one without the other if you wish to succeed in your chosen discipline.
Your strength is what determines how much weight you can lift. Your endurance determines how long you can lift it. You may find that you’re lacking in one but not the other. The problem is that the different exercise types and workout regimens offer different benefits.
Some strength training makes you stronger but does not give endurance. Cardio, on the other hand, may improve your endurance. Ideally, you need both. To improve strength and endurance for weightlifting, you would need to increase the reps and weight while decreasing the rest and recovery times in between.
Discuss your need for more strength and endurance, with your personal trainer or coach, and tailor a workout that allows you to push yourself harder for longer.
Get Enough Rest
One of the mental benefits of sports, and physical exercise in general, is that it improves sleep quality. But it works the other way around, too. Getting enough rest in between heavy workouts is vital to boosting strength and endurance.
While you are asleep, your muscle tissue is healed and repaired after an intense workout during the day. Good quality sleep will help you to grow stronger muscles. A lack of sleep will not. Sleep is essential for endurance, too. Without it, you will lack the energy to go that extra mile or hold that weight longer.
Everyone needs sleep, but the amount may differ. Most athletes need 7 to 9 hours per night, but you may need slightly more or less. Get to know your body’s fatigue signs, and respect them.
Mix Things Up
Switch up your routine and take up personal training courses. Don’t be afraid to mix things up a little, it’s the best way to boost strength and endurance. The approach you take will depend on what you need the most, but here are a few examples.
Choose compound movements over isolated exercises, to work multiple muscle groups at the same time and work on your strength. To improve endurance, systematically reduce your rest periods between sets.
And to improve your endurance and strength simultaneously, combine your strength training days with cardio days. Or do fast-paced, high-intensity strength training.
High-intensity exercise is good for your heart, so you’ll not only be stronger for longer, but you’ll live longer too. But check with your doctor before doing high-intensity exercise — it’s not right for everyone.