Building stamina can be difficult on its own but trying to build muscle at the same time can is virtually unheard of. This is because we typically think of muscle building exercises as needing low reps and heavy weights but is this entirely true. Is it possible to build muscle yet build stamina at the same time? I think so, in fact I know so and here I will describe some great ways that have worked for me and will undoubtedly work for you as well.

What I’ve found to be a viable solution is not to lift extremely heavy weights so that you can only do a few reps but to lift a moderate weight so that the muscle gets extremely fatigued but is not brought totally to failure. A great example of this can be demonstrated using push-ups. Push-ups are an exercise that quickly loses its effectiveness, but if you put on a back pack with weights then you can easily make it difficult again. A great way to go about this is to always keep your reps somewhere in the range of 18-22, even if it means adding 30 pounds of weight into the back pack. Anymore than this and you’re going to have difficulty building muscle because you’re going to be targeting mainly slow twitch muscle fibres. Any less and it’s likely that you’ll only build muscle. As soon as you go to exert yourself for an extended period of time you’ll find that your muscles may be strong for the first little while but once you step into uncharted territory your muscles will be seriously lacking. The 18-22 rep principal can be applied to just about any weightlifting exercise and you’ll quickly find that if applied properly you’re sure to gain muscle and increase your stamina.

You don’t have to stop there either. If you thought running was just a stamina builder then think again because it’s also a great muscle builder as well. Of course you can’t go for a mile run on flat ground each day and expect to get some massive quads. If you’re looking to increase the muscle mass in your legs and your stamina then the best place to start is at the base of a large hill. If you’ve yet to do a hill workout then brace yourself because it takes a lot of mental fortitude. If you’ve got the heart to get through it though I can guarantee that it will quickly become an integral part of your leg training routine. You can construct the workout however you want but just make sure to keep the principal mentioned above in mind. Too hard and you’ll only see muscle growth, too easy and you’re just going to be working on stamina, it’s all about balance.

Of course there’s far more workouts where these came from that can be done on the bike, in the pool or even in the sand. If you’re looking to gain muscle and stamina then get creative and I’m sure you’ll be seeing the desired gains in no time at all.