Boot camp fitness classes are all the rage these days. But, they’re not exactly easy to get through, especially if you’re new to exercising.
If you want to have an easier time getting through your classes, one of the first things you need to do is find ways to increase stamina and endurance.
These seven tips will help you keep up during your boot camp fitness classes and start seeing results more quickly.
1. Make Exercise a Habit
If you want to work on building up your stamina, it’s important to make sure you’re making exercise a regular part of your routine.
Remember, if you only work out once a week, you’re going to have a hard time increasing your endurance in a timely manner.
Working out more frequently will help you build up stamina more quickly. Make sure that you’re at least meeting the guidelines laid out by the Department of Health and Human Services.
HHS recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular exercise) each week, paired with 2-3 strength training sessions.
2. Combine Strength and Cardio
The great thing about boot camp classes is that they combine strength and cardiovascular training. This is great for both building muscle and increasing endurance.
If you want to have an easier time getting through your boot camp classes, you may want to try combining strength and cardio during your other workouts, too.
Don’t just run on the treadmill or lift weights. Create a circuit that involves running with full-body strength training exercises.
In addition to helping build endurance, these types of workouts are also very good for people who don’t have a lot of time to work out.
Since you’re moving straight from one exercise to the next, you’ll keep your heart rate up and get through your workout faster.
3. Rest Less Between Sets
Whether you’re lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises, shortening your rest periods is a great way to keep your heart rate elevated and increase your stamina.
If you’re in the habit of resting 60-90 seconds, try shortening your rest periods to 30 seconds.
Of course, it’s important to avoid shortening your breaks so much that you compromise your form. Make sure you can still do your exercises properly.
It doesn’t matter how long you can go without a break if your form is off. You won’t see results from your training sessions if you’re doing exercises incorrectly, anyways.
4. Change Up Your Routine
If you do the exact same workout every single day, your body will quickly adapt and you’ll stop seeing results.
If you only run, try adding in a couple days of strength training or boot camp. Or, if you always lift weights and never do cardio, try adding in a couple days of running or high-intensity interval training.
Switch things up every few weeks. That will help you avoid adaptation and see maximum results from your workouts.
You’ll also be less likely to get bored while you’re exercising. When you keep boredom at bay, you’ll have an easier time staying motivated and will be able to make working out a lasting habit.
5. Choose Compound Movements and Hybrid Exercises
When it comes to strength training, prioritize compound movements and hybrid exercises.
Compound exercises utilize more than one joint. Good examples include squats, push-ups, and pull-ups.
Single-joint exercises are exercises that–you guessed it–only use one joint. Examples include bicep curls and tricep extensions.
When you use multiple joints at one time, you’ll get your heart rate up faster and will have an easier time building your stamina.
Hybrid exercises do the same thing. Thrusters–squats combined with overhead presses–and lunges with biceps curls are great examples.
When you focus on these types of exercises, you’ll also be able to get through your workouts faster, too.
6. Increase Your Training Gradually
It’s true that increasing the frequency of your workouts is important if you want to build up your endurance. But, it’s important to remember not to ramp things up too soon.
Instead, increase your training sessions gradually. This will help you avoid getting burned out, and you’ll be less likely to injure yourself.
If you’re currently working out twice a week, try adding one extra day. Or, consider adding an extra 10-15 minutes to your workouts.
You can also keep your training schedule the same and work on slowly increasing the weights you lift or the number of reps you’re doing. That way, you’re always progressing and challenging yourself.
By making these changes gradually, you’ll create a lasting habit and will be more likely to see continuous improvements.
7. Get Plenty of Rest
Finally, make sure you’re also getting plenty of rest. You’ll never be able to build up your stamina if you’re not giving your body time to repair and recover.
Get plenty of sleep each night–between seven and nine hours is ideal. Make sure you’re focusing on sleep quality as well as sleep quantity. After all, it doesn’t matter how many hours you spend in bed if you’re not sleeping deeply.
In addition to making it harder for your body to repair itself, bad sleeping habits also increase your chances of developing other problems that can impact your stamina.
For example, poor sleep can cause you to gain weight, get sick more frequently, or develop high blood pressure–none of these are good for gaining stamina.
It’s also important to take days off from training. Most people can benefit from 1-2 full rest days each week.
Try These Tips to Increase Stamina Today
Now that you know what to do to increase stamina, it’s time to get to work!
Start putting these tips into practice today and you’ll find that it’s much easier to keep up during your boot camp fitness classes.
If you live in the Orange County area and are looking for a new fitness class to try, be sure to check out our schedule at Orange County Muay Thai today. We offer Muay Thai, boot camp, personal training, and more!