Boost endurance with the 'blast-off'
By Rob Parr
If you're working out but don't seem to be making any fitness gains, your exercise routine is probably stuck in a rut and it's time to focus on improving your endurance. One of the best ways I've found to do this is a technique I call the "blast-off."
The blast-off involves gradually increasing the intensity of your exercise until you're in an all-out, full-powered mode.
If you're on the treadmill, for instance, start out at an easy level and then with each passing minute raise the intensity of the exercise by either increasing the speed or incline just a notch. If you're on the bike or stairclimber, the same principle applies.
If you're in good shape to begin with, you could start out by doing 10 minutes total, increasing the intensity with each minute until you're really working it by the end. Eventually, you could build up to 20 minutes, and then later try following that 20 minutes with another 20 in the opposite direction -- working your way back down to the easier activity.
Less-advanced exercisers should start with just a few minutes of the blast-off and gradually build up to greater difficulty.
The goal here is to periodically challenge yourself by pushing beyond where your workout normally goes. This gives your heart, quads and other muscles a reason to kick things up a notch. The result is stronger muscles and increased stamina -- not just during your workout but all day long.
