Exercises To Increase Endurance & Stamina

Muscle Specificity

According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, muscular endurance is muscle-specific. If you develop muscular endurance in your chest but not your legs, you're going to have a hard time running long distances, so train for the sport you want to improve in.

If you want to develop endurance for running or cycling, perform sub-maximal leg exercises like squats and lunges to develop muscular strength and endurance, while pairing that with regular runs.

If you want to develop endurance for swimming, perform full-body weight routines that incorporate exercises like lat pull-downs, chest press, shoulder raises, abdominal work, squats and lunges. Add regular swims to your routine and your overall swimming endurance will improve.

This same information applies to all sports or activities. Train the muscles you use during your sport or activity for endurance by pairing practice of the activity itself with weight-lifting exercises that isolate the muscles you use while playing your sport.