Are You Ready, Bey?
World, stop.
“When Beyoncé uttered those two words on “Feeling Myself,” she apparently meant this as an ongoing command. Millions of people stopped in the wee hours of the morning, to watch her take over Coachella. We witnessed a stage full of world-class performers pour out their heart and soul for the culture. The show left one overarching question, “How do you even begin to make it through a non-stop, high-energy, two-hour production?!”
Stamina allows people to sustain a certain level of intensity for an extended amount of time. There are a number of factors that combine to create an athlete's "endurance" and it also takes time. We know that every person on that stage has years of training under his or her belts. But don't worry, we got you covered! Here are three types of workouts that will have you ready to be on your feet and ready to dance along at the On the Run II world tour:
- Hit the trail. Getting into the habit of running is one of the best ways to build endurance. It doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Spread a few short-distance runs throughout your week. Start with one or two miles on a track. Running outdoors is one of the cheapest exercise, and the difference in terrain will also condition your body to use different muscle groups depending on your movement patterns
- Punch it out. It’s no secret we love a challenging kickboxing class. Kickboxing and conditioning classes are a great way to build stamina. Punching combinations, shadow boxing, and mitt drills are fun and effective. Also, we’ve never left a boxing class that didn’t have us feeling as powerful as Beyoncé.
- Embrace the opportunity to rest. We aren’t talking rest days. Although, we love those too. We are talking quick bursts of exercise and short rests. Embrace Tabata. Tabata is a timed interval method of training that alternates between maximum effort drills and short rests. Whether its battle ropes and ball slams or more advanced movement like bench presses and deadlifts, go for 40-seconds of activity and 20-seconds of rest for eight rounds. Remember, you can do anything for 40 seconds.
#FinesseTip:
Take a deep breath. This one may sound obvious, but many do not breathe properly in the midst of a tough workout. The golden rule during strength training is to inhale on relaxation and exhale during exertion. For cardio, you generally breathe in and out through the nose or, when intensity ramps up, through the mouth.