Share and Follow
For those who are into sports or physical activities, developing and keeping up with both functional and physical strength is crucial. Why is it so essential? Well, having stronger muscles allows you to push against resistance, which reflects your muscle endurance. The higher your endurance levels, the more you can sustain your performance during exercise sessions. To enhance your endurance capacity, we consulted with fitness specialist Amanda Grimm, a certified running coach and personal trainer at We Run, who presents an intense leg-focused workout that will be greatly beneficial for your lower body.
Cue the theme song from Rocky for some serious inspo, because the boxing champion was constantly building endurance. He ran long distances on varied terrain and pavement, stair climbed, jumped rope, and did lots of heavy lifting. All the extreme steps he took was to build strength and stamina, with an end game of holding up longer in the boxing ring.
“Building leg endurance can dramatically improve athletic performance and running efficiency by maintaining good form and boosting running economy. It can also help to reduce the risk of injury through better supported joints and imbalance corrections,” Amanda tells us.
And that’s not all—it will also improve your daily movement when it comes to activities like walking longer distances and even climbing stairs.
Leg Challenge vs. Leg Workout
Today, we’re discussing a leg challenge, which is not the same as a simple leg workout.
Amanda explains, “There is a difference between a leg workout and a leg endurance challenge. It’s not just lifting heavier weights. It’s the relentlessness of pushing your muscles to resist fatigue over extended periods. Traditional leg workouts build strength and muscle. Endurance challenges are all about testing your mental resilience and your body’s ability to keep going while every fibre is burning.”
It’s easy to tell if you are approaching muscle failure, but still have a bit of energy.
“Expect a deep muscle burn, shaky legs, a slowing pace and a struggle to maintain good form,” Amanda says. “But importantly, you can still keep going if you dig deep. That’s how to build endurance.”
Matt Fox’s 300-Rep Leg Destroying Challenge
If you’re on board and ready to try a leg endurance challenge, grab a kettlebell and let’s get started. Amanda is a fan of Matt Fox’s 300-Rep Leg Destroying Challenge. It’s made up of five exercises that are to be performed in sequential order.
For this challenge, you will move continuously while never putting the kettlebell down, and rest as little as possible. Complete 20 reps of each exercise, performing the whole circuit three times with a kettlebell.
Amanda shares, “Expect burning muscles and a racing heart!”
These five exercises are to be done in sequential (20 reps each):
- Goblet Squats
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Cossack Squats
- Reverse Lunges
- Russian Kettlebell Swings
Alexa Mellardo
