Stamina training and bodyweight exercise

Of the three forms of strength, stamina is the form most frequently utilized during our everyday activities. Rarely in a course of a day is maximal power demanded; nor are there many activities that require significant aerobic fitness. However, stamina is required for the most strenuous daily activities such as yard work. 

The muscle fibers most responsible for stamina strength are the mid-twitch fibers which display moderate contractile power and some resistance to fatigue.

For some individuals whose daily activity requires stamina, such exercise is probably unnecessary. A person who spends eight hours a day handling a jack hammer probably does not need stamina exercise. However, for the office worker who sits in from of a computer all day probably does. 

The benefits of stamina strength and exercise

The most obvious benefit of stamina exercise is that it builds the most useful form of strength. Stamina is what allows you to work all afternoon in a garden or help your best friend move to a new apartment.

The most common form of exercise for stamina training is bodyweight or what was used to be called calisthenics. Bodyweight exercises are the ones that most of us are familiar: pushups, knee bends, etc. Unlike power exercise, these exercises require many repetitions and perhaps multiple sets.  

For those who want to maintain or even lose weight, stamina exercise is an efficient fat burner. The calories that are expended during exercise depend on the intensity of the exercise and the length of exercise. A moderate intensity calisthenics program will burn off about 300 calories an hour, which is more than weight training but less than running.

Stamina training also builds muscle mass--not to the degree of power training, but more than aerobic training. With additional muscle mass, there is an increase of muscle tone, which is the constant muscular tension that maintains posture and allows for a quick, unconscious reaction to any sudden internal or external stimuli. This constant muscle tone utilizes calories and is an important component of weight maintenance.

Often, the term tone is used to refer to muscular definition. We say that person has a "toned body." Toned in this case refers to a body with so little fat that the muscle can be seen. Power exercise builds mass and stamina exercise defines muscle. For many years my exercise concentration was on developing power, but my body showed little definition. It was only after I added stamina exercise did I define my muscles. 

If our goal is to achieve balanced fitness, then stamina exercise is necessary. And, for most of us, the sculptural form of such a body is more pleasing.

The final advantage of stamina training is that aerobic benefit also accrues. The amount of that benefit depends on the amount of rest between exercises and the intensity of the exercise. If there is little rest and great intensity, then the exercise is as much aerobic as it is stamina. For instance, a rowing machine exercise can be power, aerobic or stamina. If we set the resistance very high with only a few repetitions, it is a power exercise. If we set the resistance very low with many repetitions then it becomes an aerobic exercise.  Anything between these extremes is a stamina exercise.