Summary

Here are the 4 types of endurance training and how to work them:

You can do all of these exercises in as little as one hour per week, and get crazy benefits:

• Have more energy
• Feel better
• Look better
• Live longer
• Be fitter

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Ray's take

We often simplify exercise into strength, cardio (zone 2), and high intensity (zone 5).

However, there are actually multiple forms of strength, and multiple forms of endurance.

The four types of endurance training are:

• muscular endurance
• anaerobic capacity (high intensity, short duration)
• aerobic capacity (high intensity, longer duration)
• long distance endurance (low/moderate intensity, longest duration)

Each has unique benefits, and training protocols. The best part is, you don't need any special equipment and all of these forms of exercise are very effective.

Let's walk through exactly:

• what each type of exercise is
• where you get energy to perform
• metabolic benefits
• how to train

I recommend you add notes at the end of each section to your program, specifying anything you learn, or want to add to your exercise routine this week.

Muscular endurance

• What it is: how long a muscle can keep doing work at sub-maximimal effort for for extended periods.
• Where you get energy: ATP-CP (creatine phosphate) system and glycolysis.
• Nerd note: The ATP-CP system provides immediate energy for short, high-intensity bursts, while glycolysis supports sustained efforts by breaking down glucose, anaerobically (without oxygen).
• Exercise examples: Push-ups, pull-ups, air squats, lunges, wall sits, planks.
• Benefits: Your muscles have more endurance! This is a win in itself for many movements in every day life - you'll feel less fatigued and more functional. Can gain muscle hypertrophy from the 6-30 rep range.
• What your body needs to improve: Increase ability to remove waste. Increase ability to buffer acid buildup.
• How it does this: Increasing capillaries to muscles being worked, locally.
• How to train: Do the exercise you care about, as many times per week as you want. These are low strain low injury risk so there is no limit to volume
• How to progress: Do one more set, one more rep, less time in between, variations in exercise, every week.
• Training examples: 5 sets of max push-ups, 2 times a week. Add any other exercises you like.

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Anaerobic capacity

• What it is: how hard can you go from 20 sec to a minute. This is high intensity bc you will reach your max heart rate when you train it.
• Where you get energy: ATP-CP system and glycolysis.
• Exercise examples: Sprints, bike, swim, rower, cycle.
• Benefits: Your body is able to do the highest intensity work, harder and faster. Increasing fast-twitch muscle fibers enhances not only endurance but also improves your power and speed, making you quicker in explosive activities.
• What your body needs to improve: Increase ability to remove waste. Increase ability to buffer acid. Increase fast twitch muscle fibers (which are usually bigger than slow twitch).
• Nerd note: To improve, it's crucial to enhance the body's ability to efficiently manage and utilize byproducts of exercise, like lactate, which is produced during glycolysis in high-intensity or prolonged activities. As a note, lactate serves as an important fuel source for muscles and the heart (and is not waste or negative as many people think). Additionally, improving the removal of carbon dioxide and optimizing the acid-base balance in muscles can lead to better performance and faster recovery.
• How it does this: Increase capillaries to muscles being worked. Increase fast twitch muscle fibers.
• How to train: Do the exercise, and then take a break. Repeat. Ensure full recovery between sets to maximize the effectiveness of anaerobic training, allowing your body to prepare for the next high-intensity effort.
• How to progress: Go faster, do more work, do more sets, take less break in between sets.
• Training example: Pick an exercise you like, and do it for 6 total minutes a week. IE if you like sprinting at the beach (me), do six 30 second sprints, 2x a week.

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Max aerobic capacity

• What it is: how hard can you go for 4 min to 10 min. This is high intensity bc you will reach your max heart rate when you train it. VO2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during incremental exercise, offering a benchmark for your aerobic endurance and overall cardiovascular fitness.
• Where you get energy: Glycolysis, muscle glycogen. This is the first form of endurance that is more "aerobic" meaning you need oxygen to generate energy (ATP). As you train at VO2 max intensities, your body becomes more efficient at using oxygen for energy, enhancing endurance and performance.
• Exercise examples: Running, biking, swimming, rowing, cycle. Circuit of 50% 1RM also works for this.
• Benefits: This is your peak oxygen consumption AKA VO2 max.
• Nerd note: VO2 max is strongly correlated with longevity.
• What your body needs to improve: Increase muscle glycogen reserves. Increase oxygen delivery. Improve ability to remove waste systemically.
  
• How it does this: Increasing capillaries to muscles being worked.
• How to train: Pick an exercise you like. Do it as hard as you can one time for 4-10 min every week.
• How to progress: Go faster, do more work, do it more times.
• Training example: Run one mile as fast as you can, every week. Done.

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Long distance endurance ("Cardio" )

• What it is: performing an exercise for 30 min or longer.
• Where you get energy: Muscle glycogen, and fat.
• Nerd note: Over time, long-distance endurance training shifts your body's energy reliance from glycogen to increased fat oxidation, improving your endurance, fuel efficiency (ability to use fat for energy through more efficient mitochondria).
• Exercise examples: Running, biking, swimming, rowing, cycling.
• Benefits: This is what we typically think of as cardio or endurance work. You are increasing the quality of your mitochondria (only way to use fat for energy), as well as increasing capillaries (vasculature) all over your body. Both of these are highly correlated with disease prevention, longevity, and general health. Beyond physical health, long-distance endurance training significantly benefits mental health, reducing stress and enhancing mood through the release of endorphins.
• What your body needs to improve: Increase muscle glycogen reserves.Improve breathing. Improve ability to use fat for energy.
• How it does this: Increases physiology of muscles, mitochondria efficiency, size, and quality.
• How to train: Pick an exercise you like. Do it for 30-60 min zone 3 or 60 min or longer zone 2 every week.
• How to progress: See if you can do more work or go further during every week.
• Training example: Choose an exercise you like, and do it for however long you want, at the intensity you want. This could be jogging or biking at zone 2, 2x a week for an hour.

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Putting it all together

If you want to do it all, it really doesn't take all that much time. Here is an example protocol:

Adjust this example protocol based on your personal goals, fitness levels, and recovery, listening to your body to optimize gains and prevent overtraining.

You can do all of these exercises in as little as one hour per week, and get crazy benefits:

• Have more energy
• Feel better
• Look better
• Live longer
• Be fitter

The best part is, you can decide which kind you like best.

It's worth it. Truly amazing for your health.

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