Forget About Strength, Here Is How To Increase Stamina

Besides building strength, any fitness enthusiast needs to also increase stamina, endurance, and motivation. Here’s how to build your stamina.

There comes a point in every fitness buff’s training in which they hit a plateau. Usually, the focus then gets put on building up muscle mass and increasing strength. While these are worthy goals, not enough focus gets put on building stamina.

There is a lot to be said for building stamina and then taking your workout to the next level. The ability to withstand prolonged physical effort will eventually bleed into other areas of your life and give you a mental boost to get through tough times as well.

It’s one of the core tenets of Crossfit and why so many people love it.

In this article, we will go over how to build stamina so you can take your life much further than you thought.

How To Increase Stamina

Here are the best tips to help you increase stamina and the ability to handle stress:

1. Mix Things Up

One of the reasons that Crossfit is so effective is that it not only builds muscle and burns fat, but it builds stamina. And the reason for it is the fact that it mixes up many different workouts.

There is a concept called the SAID principle. It is actually something that anybody who has been working out for some time has encountered and just didn’t know what it was called. This is when you hit a plateau when doing a certain workout.

It stands for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands and is when you start getting diminishing returns on a workout routine. Your body has adapted to it.

What you have to do is mix up your routine and go from one machine or workout to another to keep the muscles from adapting.

For instance, one day work out with a jump rope and then hit the rowing machine. Luckily, you can find rowing machines for sale that fit various budgets.

This is going to keep the muscles working harder and they don’t have a chance to adapt to a certain type of workout and you can increase stamina as a result.

2. The Overload Principle

Building stamina is not the same as making yourself suffer until you get used to it. This is a good way to injure yourself or get burnt out in your fitness journey.

Instead, the idea is to go with the overload principle in which you hit your max and then go just a little bit further.

If you feel like you can’t do another rep, do two more. Then the next day hit that limit and do two more again. By the end of the week, you are doing 10 more reps per day and it is now your new limit.

3. Do Some Yoga And Meditation

Part of adding stamina is to tune your body with your mind. Mental stamina is as important as physical stamina when you feel like you have to push your limits.

Doing some yoga mixed with some meditation is a great way to build up your mental stamina to be able to push through to the next level. It’s a great way to destress and give yourself the mental energy it takes to get through the day.

4. Listen To Music When Working Out

You can increase stamina and cardiac efficiency by listening to music during your exercise sessions. That’s because music makes you push harder, and in some cases, you even forget that you’re working out.

That’s the secret of Zumba and other workout programs that combine music and dance with full-body exercises.

So make sure to load your phone with energizing songs and don’t forget about getting your headphones when going to the gym.

5. Drink A Coffee Before Your Workout

It is scientifically proven that caffeine can help you increase stamina without rising your heart rate.

So if you feel down or tired to perform your workout, get a cup of coffee and boost your energy level instantly. Just make sure to drink plain coffee, without added sugars or whip creams. I’m talking to you, Starbucks lovers!

Also, try not to rely on caffeine too much. Drink it only on your worst days when you feel lethargic, tired, and sad, maybe.

It isn’t recommended to drink coffee before every workout since you can build up a tolerance to caffeine and its effect on your stamina can fade away.

6. Embrace Those Circuit Workouts

A great tip to improve stamina is to do circuit workouts that have a recovery time of less than a minute between sets.

Lowering your weights along with reducing recovery time between sets to 30 to 60 seconds is a sure way to build muscle endurance.

So remember, less rest, lighter weights, and more repetitions are key to boosting your endurance and stamina.

The Takeaway

When you hit a plateau as a fitness enthusiast, you should know it’s time to increase your stamina. This will help you sustain prolonged workout sessions and fitness classes.

So how can you build stamina? By mixing different types of exercise, doing circuit training, pushing your limits, getting caffeine, meditating, or listening to your favorite tracks while working out.

As you can see, there are ways to increase stamina and boost your workout motivation. Just follow these tips!