Uploaded July 2024 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
Want some help gaining your next 10-to-15 pounds of muscle? Or losing your next 10-to-15 pounds of fat? Or both at the same time?
Here are 5 ways I can assist whenever you’re ready, including free fitness plans, coaching, books, and more: mikematthews.co/yt
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What’s the best way to boost your endurance without overtraining or getting injured?
Should you try to “hack” your physiology with hard intervals, Tabata workouts, and HIIT?
Should you mimic the training methods of famous athletes?
Or something else entirely?
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Stephen Seiler, an exercise physiologist renowned for his work studying and documenting the training practices of elite endurance athletes, including cross-country skiers, cyclists, rowers, swimmers, runners, skaters, and others, and for extracting the key principles from these training programs and adapting them for recreational athletes.
In this episode, you’ll learn . . .
The importance of endurance training for overall health and fitness
How to use optimize your endurance workouts with the “three-zone model”
The best intensity for improving your cardiovascular fitness over time
How to effectively balance the frequency, duration, and intensity of your workouts
Practical tips for setting and achieving fitness goals, such as running a 5k or 10k race
The scientific reasons for rest days
How to set up your training program for long-term enjoyment and success
And more . . .
So, whether you're aiming to enhance your cardiovascular health, set PRs in your endurance sport of choice, or simply get more out of your existing cardio routine, you want to listen to this episode.
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Timestamps:
06:13 - What are the benefits of endurance and cardiovascular training?
11:24 - How to properly balance the frequency, duration, and intensity of your endurance workouts
15:33 - The importance of cardiovascular training for young people
25:01 - What is the 3-zone model?
32:13 - What is polarized training?
40:15 - What does programming for a 5k look like?
45:34 - Is one interval day per week sufficient?
46:25 - What does progression look like after one year of endurance training?
49:14 - What is the sweet spot for marathon training?
54:04 - A scientific argument for rest days
58:56 - What is a suitable timeframe for someone starting endurance training to prepare for a marathon?
01:04:29 - Why is intrinsic motivation important? How can we optimize our training plan for this?
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Mentioned on the Show:
Bigger Leaner Stronger
Thinner Leaner Stronger
Muscle for Life Phoenix
Legion Diet Quiz
Stephen Seiler Google Scholar
Stephen Seiler Youtube
Want some help gaining your next 10-to-15 pounds of muscle? Or losing your next 10-to-15 pounds of fat? Or both at the same time?
Here are 5 ways I can assist whenever you’re ready, including free fitness plans, coaching, books, and more: mikematthews.co/yt
---
What’s the best way to boost your endurance without overtraining or getting injured?
Should you try to “hack” your physiology with hard intervals, Tabata workouts, and HIIT?
Should you mimic the training methods of famous athletes?
Or something else entirely?
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Stephen Seiler, an exercise physiologist renowned for his work studying and documenting the training practices of elite endurance athletes, including cross-country skiers, cyclists, rowers, swimmers, runners, skaters, and others, and for extracting the key principles from these training programs and adapting them for recreational athletes.
In this episode, you’ll learn . . .
The importance of endurance training for overall health and fitness
How to use optimize your endurance workouts with the “three-zone model”
The best intensity for improving your cardiovascular fitness over time
How to effectively balance the frequency, duration, and intensity of your workouts
Practical tips for setting and achieving fitness goals, such as running a 5k or 10k race
The scientific reasons for rest days
How to set up your training program for long-term enjoyment and success
And more . . .
So, whether you're aiming to enhance your cardiovascular health, set PRs in your endurance sport of choice, or simply get more out of your existing cardio routine, you want to listen to this episode.
---
Timestamps:
06:13 - What are the benefits of endurance and cardiovascular training?
11:24 - How to properly balance the frequency, duration, and intensity of your endurance workouts
15:33 - The importance of cardiovascular training for young people
25:01 - What is the 3-zone model?
32:13 - What is polarized training?
40:15 - What does programming for a 5k look like?
45:34 - Is one interval day per week sufficient?
46:25 - What does progression look like after one year of endurance training?
49:14 - What is the sweet spot for marathon training?
54:04 - A scientific argument for rest days
58:56 - What is a suitable timeframe for someone starting endurance training to prepare for a marathon?
01:04:29 - Why is intrinsic motivation important? How can we optimize our training plan for this?
---
Mentioned on the Show:
Bigger Leaner Stronger
Thinner Leaner Stronger
Muscle for Life Phoenix
Legion Diet Quiz
Stephen Seiler Google Scholar
Stephen Seiler Youtube
