Half Marathon Training - Week 1

If you have just tuned in, I've started training for my first half marathon. I'm using the Half Marathon Coach training app, which gave me a 'pre-training week' before hitting me with my first week of actual training.

Which was probably lucky.

While the mileage is not close to half marathon distance (am very glad I started 15 weeks before the event, rather than 10 or 12), there is a big difference between jogging for 20 mins and jogging for 40 mins. 

The program steps up rather a lot with its expected times. For me the hardest part was definitely the mental aspect: you mean I have to just stay here for another 20 minutes? But I've already done 20 minutes! Fine. 20 mins.... 19.5 mins... I really don't like this song very much... 19 mins... Why is there nothing good on the TV?... 18mins... Yah!... 17.95 mins... Seriously? etc. etc.

It also turns out that I am one of the 10% of people that have a slight reaction to the flu shot. Had it Tuesday at work, and by Tuesday night was feeling pretty seedy. It was only the knowledge that it wasn't actually the flu and wasn't going to harm me that pushed me out the door for my first training session of the week. But I basically started Tuesday's training already with breathing difficulty and a stitch, so it sort of just went downhill from there.

Tuesday - 20 mins easy. I managed to stay at 9km/hour, but had to do 15 mins, then walk for 5 minutes while I tried to work the stitch out, but then did jog for my final 5 minutes at the end. So, yah for actually doing it all!

Wednesday - 40 mins pace (20 mins easy, 1 minute 11k/h 1 minute 8k/h x 5, 10 minutes easy). Still wasn't feeling great, but got all the way through my first 20 and most of my intervals without breaking. Just on my last 8k/h jog I turned it into a walk, then got back on track for the last 10minutes. So, all in all I'm calling that a win.

Thursday - Rest. (Thank you God.)

Friday - 30 minutes easy. Did this at 9k/h. It wasn't too bad, just training my mind to keep going. I wasn't in pain, just that general discomfort that makes your body go 'okay, we stop now.' But I didn't, so another win.

Saturday - Rest.

Sunday - 50mins long run. I only did this at 8k/h, so it was possibly a bit easy but I did it, which is the most important thing. Breathing was good all the way through, and I tried to keep a focus on my form.

So, week 1 successfully done. Week 2 ups the times again so I've got a 40min easy to begin with, 50 minute pace, 30 minute easy and then an hour long. Nothing to be too scared of :D

Oh, and my weight? Well, it turns out that eating out several nights in a week,and having a huge family birthday feast the day before weigh in does not help you lose weight.

I was 76.9 pre run. Last time I weighed myself after my Sunday long run, and was 76.3, and today post run I was 76.6. So not a major gain, but not the -0.5kg I was 'trying' for. (Trying being a relative term, interchangeable here with 'hoping' or 'dreaming'.)  I also then made sure I drank another 300ml to make up for the dehydration I obviously incurred.

Will try to be better this week.

Though am feeling slimmer and just generally tighter, which is always nice :D

Any got any good mental tricks to keep sane while jogging for really long amounts of time? Anyone?

Half Marathon Training – Pre Training Week.

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(http://www.cienpies.net)

One week of my half marathon training done. Yah!

I thought I would update you with various aspects of the training and how I go along the way. I'm aiming to update you every Sunday evening or Monday morning/afternoon/evening (depending how busy I am :D).

So, I’m using Half Marathon Coach, which takes a bit to get used to (like I didn’t realise you could actually swap around the training days, which is very useful!) but seems to be really good.

As I had 15 weeks until my half marathon, it gave me a 14 week program with one week ‘pre-training’ as a more gentle introduction to the program.

My pre-training week consisted of:

Tuesday – Rest. (It was a struggle, but I did it :D).

Wednesday – 15 minute easy (1 minute run with 1 minute walk). I was feeling pretty gun-ho after my day of rest, so did 30 minutes at an easy pace, with a few minutes walking in the middle to break it up. Felt pretty awesome afterwards, I have to admit.

Thursday – 1 hour cross training. Did 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer and then 30 minutes on the bike. Wasn’t really going hard, but built up a sweat and stuck out the whole time, so that was something. (was watching Top Gear’s trip across Africa, at one point was laughing so hard I almost fell of the machine. Yeah, I got a few stares. But it was really funny!)

Friday – easy 20minutes. I actually swapped Saturday and this, so I rested today.

Saturday – Rest. Did Friday’s easy 20 minutes. After warming up, did 20minutes straight at an easy pace. Working out what is ‘easy’ what is ‘pace’ and what is ‘long and easy’ is probably the most difficult thing. It’s going to take a bit of trial and error to see what works best.

Sunday – 30 minutes long. Did it at a slightly slower than ‘easy’ pace. It was good to start working up to the longer runs, because while my body is perfectly able to do them, I just don’t have the appropriate mindset just yet to say – get on there and just keep going for an hour. So the 20 then the 30 was a good intro.

So, will need to work on adjusting my pacing for the different types of runs so I can get the most out of them.

I'm also trying to bring my weight down a bit over the training period, so I don't have to lug as much around the course.

I want to drop 0.5kgs per week, which is a reasonably amount (I could probably lose more if I tried, but I'd be happy with losing 7kgs, which would get me just under 70kgs).

I weighed myself after my 'long' run on Sunday (normally I think I'll try to weight myself before the long run so I don't take into account dehydration as the run increases in length).

Pre-week 1 weight: 76.3kgs.

Pre-week 1 Speeds:
'Easy' pace - 9km/h.
'Long' pace - 8km/h.

(I know this is almost walking for some people, but they are a steady plod for me.)

Hoping in a month to have my easy at 10km and my long at 9km.

As you can see, am not a super guru at running. So if I can do it, I'm sure you can work your way towards your goal as well!

Training For Your First Half Marathon

Yup, that's Kate. Lucky we're friends, or I'd have to kill her.

Having decided to finally get serious about training up for a half marathon in now 14 weeks, I turned to friend and kick ass state marathon runner Kate Scarlett for advice on how to do it. In the following interview, Kate answers my naive questions about what it takes to prepare for a half marathon.

Are there any reasons someone should not consider doing a half marathon?

Half-marathon's are great fun when you've put in the training to enable you to handle the distance. When you haven't, they can be horrible. If you haven't done the ground work, it's better to start with a race of a shorter distance and build up to the half-marathon distance gradually.

Of course if you're suffering from an injury, a half-marathon might not be a good idea. In that case, you should have a chat to your sports doc or physio to see what they would suggest. It might be that you can still run it, but need to adjust your goal time. Or it might be a better idea to have a total rest and pick one later in the year.

There are a lot of training programs out there, what are the key features you should look for in a half marathon training program?

It's got to be manageable for your level of running. If you have only been jogging once a week, a program which sees you do three interval sessions, a steady state run, a long run and extra miles on the other days will be too much.

The basic sessions I would expect to do would be intervals at least once a week, some easy runs of about 10-12 kms (build up to this if need be) a couple of times a week, and a long run. Most runners do this on a Sunday, but it doesn't really matter. It just needs to be a time when you can get out and run somewhere between 12 and 18kms at a comfortable pace.

If you've been running a bit, by all means pick a more intensive program.


What is the best way to work out a goal time for a half marathon?

In answering this, I'm assuming that you're doing a fun run, not a race. Or at least, your goal is about personal achievement rather than winning.

There are alot of different formulas and tools out there. I like the McMillan running calculator. You enter a known time e.g. your 10km race time, and it predicts what you would likely run a half marathon in.

I'd suggest that for your first half, don't tie yourself to a time. Just aim to finish it while running within yourself.

After the first one, you've got an idea of what you can do. The next race is time to start picking goal times. So if you ran 1:45, try to get the next one under 1:40. (yeah, if I get near 1:45, I think I'll just be happy with that!)

If you do have a goal time, figuring out your pacing is important. Work out how long you should run a km in to reach your time. Expect that you will slow down. Some people are lucky to be able to run negative splits (the second half quicker than the first), but most people go out too quickly and end up much slower than they started. If you want to run a 90 minute half, you'll need to do your kms in about 4:15. You'll feel fantastic at the start, but try to keep each km to time so that you conserve energy to get you through.


If you can already do a 10km race, how long do you need to train up to doing a half marathon?

As long as you're running consistently and make sure you get in some long runs, with one of at least 17-18kms, you should be able to build up to the half marathon over about 12 weeks.


Does losing excess weight help much when running the longer distances? (Is it worth trying to slim down while training?)

 Yes it does. If you're running competitively, it certainly makes a difference. But you also need to keep your energy levels up. You will probably find that starting a half-marathon program will result in some weight loss anyway. Just eat healthily, train consistently and don't sweat about the weight.
If you want to take your training up a level, talk to a running coach. They can help you with things like ideal race weight. It's easy to lose perspective (especially for women) so having someone you can turn to for advice really helps.


What are some common things newbies stuff up when getting ready for their first half marathon?

 Nutrition - the day before and of the race. Almost everyone has sufficient fat stores to get them through that distance. You don't need a giant meal the day before or the morning of the race. Eat a sensible sized portion of something that is primarily carb based, and not complex. I prefer pasta with a tomato based sauce and some green veggies.

Race day isn't the time to try new things. I have a friend who heard that protein was good for muscle growth, so on the morning of a race decided to eat 6 boiled eggs and drink half a litre of milk. He didn't have a very pleasant run...

Take some energy drinks, gels, lollies etc, but try eating these on your practice long runs.


Any other advice you would like to give?

Find a training group. A lot of big city marathon/half marathons offer organised training sessions. It's much easier to run with other people.

Or join your local running club. Most will offer coaching as well as providing you with the opportunity to do a number of races throughout the season, letting you build up to the half-marathon distance with some race experience under your belt.

Thanks Kate, that's great advice!

Taking her suggestions, I've downloaded a 1/2 marathon training app done by MapMyRun people: Half Marathon Coach.




Great things about it:
1. It's completely free (it appears that it used to be $5.99, as some reviews still say that, but it's now free!)
2. The training program includes long, easy and 'pace' runs (where you do 1 minute fast at pace speed and 1 minute easy. Not quite the intervals Kate recommends, but can be used like that).
3. Is designed by Olympians, so they claim.
4. Is very easy to personalise. You can choose to train to get fit or for an event. You then put in when your event is, how often you want to train and which day will be your long run. It then works out the rest!

Today is actually the first 'rest' day of the program, which is a bit strange, you start a program you sort of expect to start doing it that day. But I'm working with it.
I'll let you know how it goes.

Anyone else got any good training programs or tips? 

Friday Fitness Fun - Walk, Don't Run! Figgy Goodness and The Perfect Body.

I'm starting a new series to keep you motivated and informed. Every Friday I'm going to do a quick round up of interesting fitness news and ideas from around the web, with tips for you to try out on the weekend. 

Hope you enjoy!

Today's Research:
Time Magazine reports on recent research which shows that disease prevention-wise - running and walking have the same benefits. 

"A new study published in the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology found that walkers lowered their risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes as much as runners."

So don't feel discouraged if Couch to 5K leaves you weak at the knees, even just walking for the 30mins 3 times a week will have benefits. 

Suggestion: if you've never done it, buy yourself a cheap pedometer (little clip-on thingy that measures how many steps you take, can probably download app that does it, if you are prepared to carry your phone everywhere) and take the 10,000 steps challenge. During your day try to take 10,000 steps. If you are coming up short, add in a walk to increase your movement.

Weekend Cooking:
Feeling a bit sugared out after Easter?
Women's Health presents 3 great recipes from Michael Moore's new book, Blood Sugar.

Here's just one to get your taste buds buzzing:

My Simple Figs On Toast With Ricotta

Ingredients
4 slices of seeded bread
100g (3½oz) low-fat ricotta
2 ripe black figs (or fresh raspberries or strawberries)
1 teaspoon agave syrup

Toast the bread then mash the ricotta onto it using the back of a fork. Slice the figs and also mash them onto the ricotta.

Drizzle with a little agave syrup and enjoy with coffee or tea.

Serves 4.

Per serve: Kilojoules (kJ) 664 Protein (g) 9 Fat –total (g) 4 Fat – saturated (g) 1.2 Carbohydrate 18 Sodium 187

Photo: Blood Sugar.

Sounds like a great Saturday Brunch. Just add some Jasmine Green Tea and friends!
I also tried a similar recipe with nectarines which was great, if you can't get figs. 
 

Want Something New?
Men's Health.co.uk offers up a four week program to 'the perfect body'. Who doesn't want a perfect body?

"Training like All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams will provide you with the physical

attributes required to excel in any sport. Here’s rugby coach Jan Keller’s workout."

The article has good instructions and pictures to demonstrate the moves. The workout covers all the major muscle groups and mixes up tried and tested moves with some that are a little different. This is a good general workout for those wanting a challenge.

So, that's this weeks Friday Fitness Fun!
Any suggestions on things you would like to hear about?

Primal Blueprint Fitness Program Review

In the last post I looked at the diet plan of the Primal Blueprint, the brain child of Mark Sisson. Today I thought I would look at the fitness aspect of the program.

It is based on the same fundamental principle as the diet aspect: what is best for us is what we were doing for tens of thousands of years.

What makes the best fitness program? Something that mimics the types of movements and activities we needed to do while hunter-gatherers.

He points out we have been walking, lots and lots, sprinting in a few cases, and then lifting heavy things.

Most of that is pretty self-explanatory, but what types of exercise mimic the lifting heavy things?

"Humans have been squatting, horizontal pressing, vertical pressing, climbing, and using their torsos to resist pushing and pulling forces for millions of years."
(See A Fitness Plan So Easy A Caveman Did It.)

How all this should fit together is best summarised by Mark's Primal Blueprint Fitness Pyramid:

He explains this further:

Lift Heavy Things – Resistance training is the cornerstone of fitness. Stronger people live longer, survive hardships better, and are able to enjoy life more fully than weaker people. Two to three Lift Heavy Things workouts of 7-30 minutes each week, employing the Four Essential Movements.

Run Really Fast Every Once in Awhile – Sprinting is the biggest “bang for your buck” exercise. It’s brutally effective and highly efficient, promoting growth hormone release, fat burning, and lean mass building, but you know why I really like sprinting? It’s over in ten to fifteen minutes, and you only gotta do it once a week.

Move Frequently at a Slow Pace – Slow movement is the foundation of fitness. Walking, hiking, gentle cycling… these aren’t about burning calories, they’re about maintaining the movement and the ability to move. Three to five hours a week.


And that's the basics of his method.

The things I like about his fitness program:
1. It's pretty simple, you don't have to know much about exercise to be able to do most of it.
2. It's reasonably balanced with some weights, anaerobic and aerobic exercise.
3. The majority of the exercise being done is aerobic so as a fitness program shouldn't be too stress inducing for a beginner. It would be difficult to over-train following this program.


One thing against it is that it requires a lot more time than most people are prepared to give to exercise when they are first starting out. People find it difficult to exercise for 30mins 3 times a week, which only really covers the weights and the sprinting, and doesn't account for the large amount of time needed for the cardio work.

So optimistically I think it is a great program, but realistically I don't know if many beginners are actually going to spend that much time. Most people have trouble sticking to the couch to 5k program which really is only 30mins 3 times a week.

However, if you can start adding in the longer, slower cardio work as part of your everyday life (walk to work once or twice a week, go for a bike ride on the weekend), and then use your 'exercise' time for the weights and sprinting, then you could see real results.

I don't really see that many other downsides to the program. What do you think? 

Design Your Own Weights Program: Part 2 - The Practicals

In the last post we looked at some of the types of weights training and what they can achieve. Now it is time to put it all together, and create your own program! Yah!

Your Turn:

When putting together a program, there are a number of factors that will determine what type of strength you are building. This has been neatly summarised by the well respected and highly authoritative source: Wikipedia.

 

Across the top we have our four types of strength, while down the side are the different variables. Choose your load, number of reps and sets, rest duration and speed depending on which type of training you are focusing on in that particular workout.

 

 

Variable	Training goal
	Strength	Power	Hypertrophy	Endurance
Load (% of 1RM)	80-90	45-55	60-80	40-60
Reps per set	1-5	1-5	6-12	13-60
Sets per exercise	4-7	3-5	4-8	2-4
Rest between sets (mins)	2-6	2-6	2-5	1-2
Duration (seconds per set)	5-10	4-8	20-60	80-150
Speed per rep (% of max)	60-100	90-100	60-90	60-80
Training sessions per week	3-6	3-6	5-7	8-14
Table reproduced from Siff, 2003[9]

 

Key Terms as described by Buffy: 

Load - the weight you are lifting. Duh. 

% of 1RM - stands for % of 1 rep max. With a training partner to watch you, build up to the maximum amount of weight you can hold for one complete repetition of the exercise. This is your maximum weight, 100%. From there, you do your weight training based on a percentage of that max. Every few cycles you should retest yourself to see how much your maximum has increased and readjust all your training weights from there.

Reps - Repetitions. How many times you do the action before resting.

Sets - the number of groups of repetitions.

 

 

Scheduling Your Sessions: 

 

Obviously, for beginners you are not going to be doing the large number of training sessions suggested. Be sensible! It is best to start with two workouts a week (as mentioned last time, female muscle tone starts to disappear after 4 days, so you need to be doing strength training more often than that). Within each session you need to vary between arms, legs and core.

Therefore, based on the information above and earlier, I suggest the following: 

-  If you are only doing two sessions a week, focusing just on one session dedicated to power and one session to strength is a good way to start out.

 

- As you can see, both power and endurance require very little weight, so can be done as body weight exercise (pushups, squats, crunches etc. that don't require any additional weights). Circuits are a good way to keep up the speed required for power focused workouts.

 

- Strength training will probably require you to use weights, but do a day of testing with a friend to find out what your max is first. Maybe just lifting an empty bar will be enough.

 

Key Exercises For Particular Muscle Groups:

 

These are just some suggestions on exercises you can mix and match for your training.  

Click on each link to see a demo (mostly) from the CrossFit website, where you can find LOTS more exercises. Highly Recommended. Warning, though, they often have loud music so turn your volume down before opening the link. 

 

Legs: 

Squats - this is one of the best exercises to do as you can use it for both strength and body weight training. I know they might seem boring, but once you see how cute your rear end becomes, you'll forgive them. (Also, see a more detailed description of how to perform squats without weights).

 

Lunges - these are good body weight exercises, can be done holding hand weights, and if coordinated can be done with a barbell across your shoulders.(The demon shows walking lunges, but you can also do them stationary). 

Box jumps - these are my favourite killers for power. They have the benefit of a squat, but with added dynamic power. Stand in front of a box or high step that comes up to just below your knee (you can start lower, but try to push yourself a bit, you might be amazed how high you can jump.). You then jump up onto the box both legs together. 

I was taught the key to this exercise only the other day after killing myself for ages. You should lift your feet and knees up so you land on the box in a squat position and then push yourself up. I tried to jump so that I had my legs straight when I landed on the box, which is obviously a lot harder and less effective. 

 

 

Arms:

Chest/Bench Presses - These can be done either with very light weights as a power exercise focusing on speed, or with much heavier weights for strength training. However, if you are using heavier weights, you must always have a spotter on hand to catch it before it crushes your throat. It only takes a second and you really don't recover well. 

 

Pushups - I know, I know, everyone hates pushups, but they are soooooo good for you. They get your back, your arms, your chest, and your abs. What's not to love about that? (they only hurt so much because they are doing so much good!) If you can't yet do a full push-up there are lots of variations out there, so find one at a suitable level.  (This demo is great because it takes you through variations on a full pushup, as well as some bad technique to avoid).

 

Kettlebell Swings: I'm trying to keep it a bit different and not just have 'bicep curls' and 'triceps dips' in there, though they are both good. If you haven't used kettlebells or done swings before, they are great because they use so much more than just your arms, and mimic throwing a baby around rather well.

Core:

Plank: This is a bit of a classic, but is great for building core strength that includes abs and back. There are a lot of variations, up on your hands, on one side, etc., but start with the basic and once you can hold it for a minute, then try out some of the variations.

Knees-to-Elbows: want a bit more of a challenge than straight sit-ups? Try these. Hang from a bar and try to bring your knees up to your elbows. Make sure you stay controlled on the way up and on the way down. Try to get as far as you can when starting out.

 

Back Extensions: You should never forget to keep strengthening your back. All the back injuries people have, a lot of them come from trying to do too much without building up the muscles first. Save yourself the pain, and remember your back every workout.  A lot of gyms will have a place for doing back extensions. If not, you can lie on a mat and just lift your chest off the ground.

 

Action time!

 

1. First decide how many sessions you can actually do. If beginning, just start with two and possibly work up to three. 

 

2. Next, with a friend go to the gym and test out your max reps for your key strength exercise. 

 

3. Sit down and design one body weight/power session and one heavier weights session, calculating how much load you need based on your max strength for that particular exercise, then your reps and sets, etc. 

 

4. Enjoy! 

 

Every few weeks swap some of your exercises around to keep the muscles guessing. But keep in mind the 10% rule, that you should only increase the work of an exercise by 10% at a time. Any more and you risk doing damage. So don't step up your weights too fast.

If anyone knows of other great exercises they would like to share, please feel free.

 

 

Design Your Own Weights Program: Part 1 - The Theory

I don't know why, but I've aimed this post particularly at girls. However, the theory also applies to you guys, so enjoy the information and insight into the feminine psyche... well, mine at least.

So, girls, do you want the good news or the bad news first about weights training?

Well, the good news is that when doing weights training it takes a lot of effort to really bulk up, and takes a dedicated type of training, despite what you hear. When you start doing weights you can appear to bulk up as during and after the exercises the muscles swell while being repaired. However, this is not permanent and won't leave you looking like Arnie for the rest of your life. So that's the good news (unless you want to look like Arnie, that is).

However, the bad news is that unlike the men, we lose our muscle tone really, really quickly. While I was training I was told by my coach that basically without continuing exercise, in four days you beginning to lose it. Four days!

So if you are trying to build up strength so you can take on your work colleagues in arm wrestling, doing weights just once a week is not going to be enough. If you want to maintain and then increase your strength, you need to flex all your major muscles at least twice a week.

Now, this doesn't have to be a separate workout, as will be discussed next time, but can be just three sets of squats and pushups at the end of your jog if that is all you can manage. There is absolutely nothing wrong with body weight exercises.

However, if you secretly want to sidle into the weights room and shove some macho-man out from in front of the mirror, girl power to you.

Here is some of the knowledge you need to develop a safe and effective weights workout.


Disclaimer:

As much as they are loved by female gyms such as Curves, and as easy and stress free as they seem, I do not endorse weights machines. They have one advantage in that often you can't get the movement too wrong, and so can't inadvertently injury yourself.

Having said that: they are aimed at working individual, particular muscles. But your body is not made to have individual muscles built up by themselves. You need to also be building up the stabilizers around those muscles to prevent injury.

Doing free weights adds in a risk of incorrect technique, but also allows your body to naturally build up all the elements required for the movement. As I will have great videos next week on good technique (by people who know what they are talking about, and vetted by me), I therefore recommend that you be brave and go free. 


Where to start:

There are two aspects you need to take into account to design a program:

1. the major muscle groups:

When designing a weights program over the cycle of the week, you want to make sure you have exercised all of the major muscle groups or else you are going to do bad things to your body, as well as eventually looking funny.

As a beginner, it is probably best if you try to include all the major muscles in each strength workout, as you won't be doing enough sessions to split them up.

When starting out, it's perfectly alright to think of your major muscle groups as:

Arms - Legs - Core 

(Core = abs and back... never forget your back, trust me on this.) 

Work those out for a few months, and then you can get into more specialized muscle training.


2. the different types of weights training:

All weights training does not produce the same results, and unless you are specifically specializing for competition, it is generally best to work out across at least two of the types. Now there are probably a thousand different terms and concepts that people have developed for describing the different types of training. However, for simplicity I'm sticking with Wikipedia on this one, who use a table from Siff (2003) which you will see next week. This table focuses on the following 4 types of weights training. 


4 Types of Weights Training:

Strength: While we often refer to all weights training as 'strength training', in particular this means being able to lift heavier things. The more you can lift, the stronger you are. Building up strength is useful for everyday life, such as being able to lift your partner off the ground when they tease you for being weak (it also works well on brothers, just saying.) 

Power: power is work per time. While a strong person might be able to lift 100kgs, a more powerful person can life it in less time. This can also be referred to as dynamic strength. I like to think of it as being bouncy. You know those people that just spring up flights of stairs two at a time? Well, they have serious power in their legs, and it is a great thing to have.

Hypertrophy: This is your 'make big muscles' type training. If your goal is purely to bulk up - this is your baby. It also explains why guys with big muscles tend not to be as useful around the house: none of the power, strength or endurance to actually use it all. Pah. I'm not actually a fan of big but useless muscles, so I would generally leave this one out of my training programs, but that's just me. 

Endurance: this is how long you can go for at a lighter weight. Instead of lifting up your partner, think about lifting up your baby cousin as you play aeroplanes again, and again, and again. That's endurance.

And with these strength powers combine, you too can be Captain Planet! Or at least functionally strong.

Tune in next time for how to practically design your amazing new program!