Phil Maffetone April. The proper anaerobic workouts for strength. This three-step program of endurance plus strength can help avoid excess stress. Installing Garageband Jam Packs On Lion. Do not exceed 3 anaerobic workouts per week. And of course maybe it’s time to stick in some speed – anaerobic; hills/intervals/strength endurance.

Developing both endurance and strength is essential for human fitness. Those who posses it are less injured, have more energy, reduced body fat, have a higher quality of life, and a lower risk for illness and disease. In addition, the much sought after balance of endurance and strength can lead to great competitive performance in the mile, ultra-marathon, Tour de France, swimming the English Channel, trekking to the North Pole, and everything in between. Endurance and strength are often discussed as mutually exclusive conditions, which have resulted in separate workout plans and philosophies. In this article I want to emphasize how one could combine both successfully into a single session, once, twice or more weekly. The Question of Balance Throughout my career I have emphasized the importance of aerobic conditioning when training for endurance, the proper anaerobic workouts for strength, and, most importantly, finding the balance of both.

Too much aerobic training often leads to diminished strength, and too many anaerobic workouts can impair endurance. Carefully planned, both can be incorporated into a fitness program without negative consequences. The response of one person’s training session is uniquely different from that of another’s.

This is because the brain can decipher each workout enabling the body to benefit, recover, and be ready for the next one. While this is how it should work, it is a question of balance. Exceeding the body’s capabilities can result in harm. The brain regulates this balancing act, and the details of response and recovery have much to do with hormones. When we workout, the brain, through its pituitary gland, oversees changes in specific hormones, which take place depending on many physical, chemical and mental factors. For example, the anabolic steroid testosterone increases during a workout, although after two hours of running or cycling it may begin diminishing. The catabolic steroid hormone cortisol changes little during an aerobic session, while it can increase significantly with anaerobic training.