Top 5 Products for Endurance Training

what is endurance training?

Regarding sport and functional exercise, endurance can be defined as “the ability of an individual to exert itself and remain active for a long period, and the ability to resist, withstand and recover from fatigue.” Among the vast majority of physical activities, endurance is a key requirement for most athlete’s physical profiles – both in terms of cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance itself. Here at RPM Power, we love all kinds of training. That’s why we offer a range of specific products designed for building endurance.

what the science says

Ingjer (1979), describes the chemical compound which supplies muscular contraction within the body as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The human body has multiple ways in which it can access and produce this form of energy. These can be described as anaerobic (lack of oxygen) and aerobic (with oxygen). These sources of energy vary based on the intensity and length of the activity or sport that one engages in.

With many sports nowadays reaching new heights due to new findings in sports science, it means you can make your training sessions as specific as possible in relation to the demands your sport will put your body under. At RPM, we have several products available that can create many physiological adaptations in the body. Using these products in specific endurance training can improve our cardiovascular endurance and ability to perform at higher intensity for longer durations of time.

rpm products & endurance training

To make sure that the activity engaged in is specific to your sport, we need our endurance training to match that of a typical endurance activity. Many activities will be sprint-based endurance activities, whereas others will be long, drawn out exercises which will be longer in duration.

In this regard, the training that we will focus on with RPM Products will be interval training – this being periods of hard physical exertion, separated by periods of controlled rest. By doing these types of endurance sessions 2-3 times a week, you should notice a serious boost to your cardiovascular endurance in a short amount of time.

endurance based products

1 . Battle Ropes

Battle Ropes are one of the fastest ways to improve your anaerobic endurance, while also building fantastic muscle strength in your arms, core, legs and shoulders. Battle rope exercises are a low-impact, total-body exercise modality that have been used to improve endurance, from general health and fitness trainees to professional athletes (Chen, et al. 2018).

Repeatedly swinging the ropes in various patterns will elevate your heart rate, while forcing your core to maintain rigidity and stability. The fundamental benefits of battle ropes are that both your cardio and muscles will benefit immensely from such exercises. When using Battle Ropes, there are a number of different interval timings we recommend when training. The aim here is to complete 5-20 sets of exercises in intervals based on your level of fitness. These are:

  • 1 minute on, 1 minute off – Beginner
  • 1 minute on, 45 seconds off – Intermediate
  • 1 minute on 30 seconds off – Advanced
  • 1 minute on 15 seconds off – Expert

The beauty of Battle Ropes is their versatility. They come available in different diameters and lengths which allow you to focus on either muscle endurance, or conditioning and power. Check out some of our battle ropes on offer here.

Battle-rope-fitness-rope-ireland

2. Powerspin

An original RPM Power product, Powerspin is a simple, yet effective device that offers both cardiovascular and muscular endurance benefits. Powerspin offers firm, progressive rotation, which causes a weighted ball to spin inside an infinity tube at 10 rotations per second. Because of this, it generates a unique natural force which combines hand and arms movements to strengthen your arms, shoulders, upper body and core, while also training your cardiovascular endurance.

With Powerspin, the faster you spin, the more intense the workout is. While building muscle with Powerspin, your heart rate can reach heights of 160-180bpm based on the intensity of your spinning. Our goal with Powerspin for endurance training is to maximise intensity for one minute on, then take a rest before repeating the exercise. Based on your level of fitness, we recommend trying to do 5-20 sets of:

  • 1 minute on, 1 minute off – Beginner
  • 1 minute on, 45 seconds off – Intermediate
  • 1 minute on 30 seconds off – Advanced
  • 1 minute on 15 seconds off – Expert

For more information on exercises related to Powerspin, please check out the link here

For more information on Powerspin as a product itself, please check out the link here

 

powerspin-home-workout-fitness-exerciser

3. Weighted vest

Weighted vests allow you to freely carry additional weight when exercising. Wearing one of these vests can burn more calories and increase the muscles in your legs and shoulders than running or walking without one can. Traditionally, weighted vests were used for push ups and squats. However, in recent years there has been an extensive amount of use of vests in training such as running and sprinting.

Hickson et al., (1985) conducted many studies on the effects of adding weight to cardiovascular workouts over a 10-week period. Their results concluded that leg strength increased by 30% and short-term endurance during running increased by 11-13%. So what does this mean for your endurance training? Using a weighted vest for many exercises can produce benefits, but when looking at endurance specifically, all we need is body weight and the vest to work on our endurance training.

We recommend trying the following exercises in 5-20 sets for 1 minute wearing a vest to improve your endurance:

  • Burpees
  • Jumping Lunges
  • Jumping Squats
  • Push Ups
  • Sprints 50-100 metres

We recommend doing this for:

  • 1 minute on, 1 minute off – Beginner
  • 1 minute on, 45 seconds off – Intermediate
  • 1 minute on 30 seconds off – Advanced
  • 1 minute on 15 seconds off – Expert

For more information on our weighted vests, check out the link here

For more information on weighted vest exercises, check out the link here

weighted vest exercises

4. Skipping Rope

Skipping ropes are commonly known as the most convenient, efficient and effective exercises one can do. Despite sometimes recalling the traditional image of children jumping rope and singing songs during break at school, skipping is a fantastic cardio workout which is easily adapted and versatile. With a combination of proper mechanics, skipping is a ready-made workout to boost endurance and increase your aerobic capacity while putting far less stress on your joints than running.

Skipping will primarily work your calves, glutes and quadriceps muscles, however, your shoulders, chests, back and triceps will also be required to work when skipping. Partavi (2013) concluded from studies that training with a skipping rope can significantly improve cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance. So how do we incorporate this into our endurance training?

Much like running, the intensity of a skipping workout will be what you make it. Combining short bursts of higher speed with a steady pace for longer durations is the best way to improve your balance and coordination. Although the technique of skipping is simple, always make sure you use the correct length of rope. The handles of the rope should reach your armpits when you step on the rope with them held up. Staying light on the balls of your feet with brief, soft floor contacts will be important for your joints.

We recommend doing 5-20 “fast paced” sets of:

  • 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off – Beginner
  • 1 minute on, 45 seconds off – Intermediate
  • 1 minute on 30 seconds off – Advanced
  • 1 minute on 15 seconds off – Expert
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Combine this with 5-20 sets at a slow, steady pace of:

  • 2 mins on, 1 minute off – Beginner
  • 2 mins on, 45 seconds off – Intermediate
  • 2 mins on, 30 seconds off – Advanced
  • 2 mins on, 15 seconds off – Expert

 

Combine this with 5-20 sets at a slow, steady pace of:

  • 5 mins on, 2 mins off – Beginner
  • 5 mins on, 90 seconds off – Intermediate
  • 5 mins on, 1 minute off – Advanced
  • 5 mins on, 30 seconds off – Expert

 

For more information on our Adjustable Skipping Rope, check out the link here

Adjustable Skipping Rope

5 . Spin Bikes

There are dozens of different cardio machines available to the average gym goer these days, offering a variety of different durations, intensities and equipment used. One piece of tried and tested equipment that is guaranteed to increase your endurance, however, is spinning.

When done correctly, spinning is usually highly beneficial to any athlete, and for good reason. The focus on high-intensity intervals that spinning offers translates to a fantastic base for anyone looking to improve their endurance. The duration, intensity and structure that many spinning sessions often mirror the peak intensity of most sports. Spinning is a fantastic way to cross-train, allowing you to exert maximum intensity without putting too much pressure on your joints.

The most important thing to focus on when spinning is maintaining correct posture when on your bike. Avoid sagging your lower back and rounding of your shoulders when working at maximum intensity. So, if you are looking for something a little different in your training, get on your bike and get spinning.

We recommend training at high-intensity for short periods, with longer more drawn out spinning being done as recovery periods. Try 5-20 sets of:

  • 1 Minute Max Intensity – 1 Minute Normal Pace – Beginner
  • 1 Minute Max Intensity – 2 Minute Normal Pace – Intermediate
  • 1 Minute Max Intensity – 3 Minute Normal Pace – Advanced
  • 1 Minute Max Intensity – 4 Minute Normal Pace – Expert

For more information on our Spin Bikes, check out the link here

9800 exercise bike, rpm power exercise bike

Want to know more about how our products can be used for your endurance training?

Feel free to get in touch and we will be more than happy to advise you on what products might best suit your training needs.