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Cardio, Cardio, Cardio

May 23, 2007 Print This ArticleShare

Author: Certified HyperStrike Trainer

Lately I have been hearing that phrase a lot from some guys I workout with. So, I’ve asked what they mean. They tell me in order to have the endurance you need for jiu jitsu you have to go for long runs. I don’t know about you, but I can find no similarities between long slow distance (LSD) running and jiu jitsu. Actually, I can't find many similarities between LSD training and any sport except marathon running and triathlon training. There is a better way to build endurance that will actually help you improve.

Cardio and Strength
First, the distinction between strength training and cardio is purely artificial. Have you ever tried to do 500 bodyweight squats? That takes a lot of endurance, but a squat is traditionally a strength exercise. It is really about the combination of intensity and volume (see other article on intensity). High volume and low intensity makes any exercise an endurance exercise, or “cardio”.

Circuit Training
Another way to build your endurance with strength training exercises is circuit training (see circuit training article)). Circuit training will keep your heart rate high and make you breath heavy while still allowing you to exercise at a higher intensity than a purely high volume endurance workout.

Interval Training
Finally, you can use interval training. Interval training is a high intensity period of work followed by a rest period. One of the most popular intervals is the Tabata interval, 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated for 8 rounds.

Can you see how these methods of endurance training are superior to LSD training? Almost every sport involves intense periods of work with short periods of rest. This is a lot closer to interval and circuit training than steady state running.

In addition these workouts take less time than a long run. That means that you will have more time to practice your sport.

Train smart.

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