Now that we have covered some basic principles and physiology contributing to endurance, you probably understand that different energy systems will respond best to different training methods. You must train both if you want to maximize your potential. A workout that is hugely beneficial to your aerobic system won’t benefit your anaerobic system to the same degree, and vice versa.
For example, you could target anaerobic endurance with 1-minute bouts of high intensity – whereas you’d target your aerobic endurance with bouts of several hours. Big difference there… and unfortunately you can’t optimize both in one training session (which is where the concept of “do more in less time” misses the mark). For this reason, you need to really think about the outcome you’re looking for and work backwards to determine what your training needs to look like.
That being said, we must bake our cake in the right order… and the main ingredient here is going to be a large aerobic capacity. This is the gas tank that allows you to get anywhere at all, no matter what speed. Think about it: if your gas tank has a 5-gallon capacity, you might go fast but not for long. Build your base to earn more, harder, faster.
The main goals of aerobic training are 1). increase your capacity for work, and 2). maximally utilize the capacity you already have.
Capacity training improves your long-term potential and is typically the first order of business when building your aerobic base. Higher intensity “utilization training” displays what you’ve already built and models more specifically the demands of whatever you’re training for.
Typically, you’d apply higher intensities progressively once your aerobic capacity is in a good enough spot to handle (more and more of) it. This is why, if the average person tried to go out and replicate the training of an elite athlete (without the years-built capacity they have), it wouldn’t end well.
Aerobic capacity training, as we touched on in previous posts, teaches your body to produce energy via the aerobic pathway (a much more sustainable route for the body to take long term). It takes a long time to build, but the results will be long-lasting and feel like money in the bank. You’ll have a solid foundation to layer on more “utilization” training (harder, faster, & more specific to your sport if you’re not purely a long-distance endurance athlete) and thus be the best version of you! 😊
That being said…Once you’ve finally built yourself a huge gas tank, you still need to maintain it year-round. Not always pushing volume like crazy, but enough to maintain what you’ve built (this amount will be individual).
If you let your aerobic capacity wither away in favor of more and more hard conditioning, that hard conditioning won’t benefit you in the same way. When your capacity is sufficient (and stays sufficient), you fully reap the benefits of more specific, higher intensity training.
So, what does it look like to develop your aerobic base?
Lots of low to moderate intensity/zone 2 cardio (modalities with high cycle rate & low load like running, biking, swimming, even elliptical are ideal). It’s very important that you stay true to the LOW intensity part. Could you carry on a conversation in full sentences? Could you sustain it for a couple hours? Could you basically float into a daydream while doing it? Then you’re probably good.
Start with a volume you can easily manage and recover well from. This will vary greatly between individuals. From there, gradually increase your weekly time/duration/distance (volume) of slow & low training! This training, once again, should be easy enough that we are able to accumulate a LOT of it. Aerobic adaptations respond best to volume! This is how you build your body to be an oxygen-delivering machine.
An important note: intensity and intention – in other words, how it feels – is far more important than how it looks. If you are being honest with yourself, your “aerobic” or “zone 2” pace might look like a grandma shuffle/speed walk. That’s FINE. Ditch the expectations and give yourself permission to go slow & have more in the tank by the end…
…Because you understand the forces at play now, and you’ll be grateful you baked your cake in the right order down the line when it’s a damn good cake. 😊