There are multiple ways to take on building your muscle endurance. If it’s your main program, do it three to four times per week for four weeks and complete sprints or other conditioning workouts, mobility, or other accessory work on alternating days. It can serve as your cardio or conditioning workout, in which you’ll add one to three sessions between strength-training days. Or it can replace one or two of your full-body strength training sessions.
Begin in a tall plank with a long neck and hips in line with your shoulders. Round or hollow your back by tucking your hips and crunching the rib cage in and down toward your belly button. Squeeze your glutes and maintain hips in line with shoulders as you walk your feet back to the most challenging extended plank position and hold for 3 seconds. Keep hands planted shoulder-width apart and walk your feet back to tall plank. Drop your hips into a yoga position called the Up Dog. Push your chest through, look up toward the sky, pull your shoulders away from the ears, and squeeze your upper back. Use only your feet to move back and forth between extended plank and Up Dog holding each position for 3 seconds.
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Squat Jump
In an athletic stance and toes facing forward, descend into a deep squat and reach straight arms in front of your face. Jump up as high as you can while swinging straight arms behind your body into a full shoulder extension. Land softly with knees in line with your toes and immediately lower back into a squat.
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Band Row
Grab the band with palms facing each other and roughly 12 inches of band between your hands. Lean forward and position your body perpendicular to the band. With arms fully stretched, walk back to get necessary tension in the band. Maintain a long neck and a slight arch in the lower back while you pull the band into your rib cage.
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Skater Jump
Stand on your left leg, with your right hand in front of your face and left hand reaching for your back pocket. Hinge at the hip as you bend your left knee. Explosively extend the left hip and knee and jump up and to the right side as you switch arms. Land on your right foot and sink into your right hip and knee. Immediately jump off your right leg to return to your left leg and continue switching sides.
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Reverse Pushup
Start in a tall plank with a long neck and hips in line with your shoulders. Bend your arms and descend to the bottom of a traditional pushup. Keep the chin and chest close to the ground as you bend your knees and push back toward your hips. Imagine that you are performing an overhead press with your upper body and descending into a squat with your lower body. Return to the starting position by straightening your legs.
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Pull-Through (or band RDL)
Stand on an outstretched band with feet hip-width apart. Take a wider stance to increase the resistance. Grasp the ends of the band, bend slightly at the knees, and maintain an arch in the lower back. Squeeze your lats and pull your shoulder blades down toward your back pockets. Keep a rigid trunk and explosively extend your hips and straighten the knees to a standing position. Squeeze your glutes at the top, pause for a count of two, and hinge at the hip to start the next rep. Bend your knees as needed to maintain the proper back alignment.
*Use as a backup or substitute for pull-throughs, but do not perform both exercises in the same routine.
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Plank Pulldown
Begin in a tall plank holding the band in your left hand. Walk back till you have desired tension with your left arm completely straight and the right hand stacked under your face. Maintain square hips in line with shoulders and a long neck. Without changing your posture, pull the left hand toward your upper chest as though you were performing a lat pulldown.
Attach your band to something stable about six to 12 inches off the ground. Use a timer to keep you on track. Perform as many full-range and good-quality reps as possible during the work period. Once the form starts breaking down, take a couple of deep breaths and resume. Remember: One solid, full-range repetition is more important than 10 half-ass reps with poor form. If you don’t have a timer, count 10–20 reps for each exercise (per side when applicable).
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
A superband that fits your fitness level
A sturdy anchor point for your band
A stopwatch or timer
WARMUP
Travel 10 yards for each move, unless noted
Primal Squat*
Knee Hug to Forward Lunge
Reverse Lunge with Twist
Inchworm
Walking Straight
Leg Kick
Bear Crawl**
Butt Kick
High Knees
*Stationary for 1 min. **Forward and backward
WORKOUT
Extended Plank to Upward-Facing Dog
Squat Jump
Band Row
Skater Jump
Reverse Pushup
Pull-through (or Band RDL)
Plank Pulldown
Sprint (15 to 20 seconds)
Week 1: 3 rounds; 35 sec. work, 15 sec. rest; 90 sec. between rounds Week 2: 3 rounds; 40 sec. work, 15 sec. rest; 110 sec. between rounds Week 3: 3 rounds; 45 sec. work, 15 sec. rest; 2 min. between rounds Week 4: 3 rounds; 50 sec. work, 10 sec. rest; 2 min. between rounds
