All protocols

Refine movement technique to improve efficiency, since efficiency trumps force for endurance.

Train across the full endurance spectrum rather than choosing only steady-state or only HIIT.

For fat loss, pick any training tactic you can maintain consistently over time; adherence matters more than modality. Choose something challenging that you somewhat enjoy or can at least tolerate, and avoid modalities you hate.

Use endurance training to bring resting heart rate down; the target suggested is sub-60 bpm or close, with over 70 bpm viewed as a sign of poor fitness unless something else is going on.

Include training that gets you up toward maximum heart rate; this should not be avoided.

Perform a standard workout fasted and compare performance, heart rate, perceived exertion, and heart-rate recovery; little drop in performance and normal recovery suggest decent fat utilization, while prolonged recovery may indicate poor fat utilization.

Consume about 50 g of carbohydrate and observe whether you crash about 30 minutes later; a crash suggests poor carbohydrate utilization.

Higher-carbohydrate meals later in the day are described as useful, including for athletes cutting weight or trying to reduce weight; the idea that late carbs inherently increase fat gain is rejected.

Eating fat before a workout biases the body toward using more fat as fuel and can be used to train fat utilization; caveat: this does not necessarily increase fat loss and may reduce peak performance.

Consuming carbohydrate before or right before exercise biases the body toward using carbohydrate as fuel and can help train carbohydrate utilization, especially with higher-intensity training.

Keeping total caloric intake managed is presented as a major practical step for improving fuel use and body composition.

Use appropriate food combinations, especially pairing carbohydrates with fiber and/or protein, to blunt the rise in blood glucose, reduce post-carbohydrate bonking, and improve energy management through the day.

For better energy management throughout the day, keep protein intake stabilized.

To get better at using carbohydrates as fuel, train at higher intensity.

A 20- to 30-minute bout of exercise before an exam is said to improve exam performance, likely in part via lactate-related mechanisms.

Daily morning exercise is endorsed for enhancing learning and memory.

Be cautious with large amounts of fast carbohydrates before exercise because the insulin-glucose 'double whammy' can crash blood sugar in some people.

Rehearse race-day fueling and execution in training to avoid surprises like glucose crashes.

For people who do little physical activity, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate strategy is described as probably effective for weight management and stabilizing energy throughout the day.

Use breathing gears rather than heart-rate zones to gauge effort: gear 1 is nasal in/out at a set cadence of about 2-3 seconds in and 2-3 seconds out; gear 2 is nasal-only breathing at whatever rate is needed; higher gears involve nose-in/mouth-out and then mouth-in/mouth-out at the highest intensities.

Pick movements you are confident with because technique and safety degrade quickly in the pain cave. If you're not comfortable running, don't run; if rowing hurts your low back, don't use the rower; if you're not comfortable with kettlebell swings, don't use them. Also be cautious with heavy eccentric loads.

Generally favor total-body movements with lower eccentric load for anaerobic-capacity work, such as swimming, uphill running, sled pushes, and sled drags. Avoid downhill running and box jumps because of eccentric loading and technical/injury risk.

Protocol: cover as much distance as possible in 2 minutes; rest 2 minutes; cover the same distance again regardless of time; rest 2 minutes; then go for the same time as round 2 and try to beat round-1 distance.

For progression in interval work, increase total work by roughly 5% weekly or add one round per week.

Weight-vested hiking is presented as a practical long-duration endurance option.

For endurance events, accumulate enough mileage to build tissue tolerance, such as feet tolerating the pounding of the event distance.

For an endurance-focused athlete, spend about 10% of training time in short 20- to 30-second bursts to maximize recovery from waste production and top-end capacity.

For endurance support work, do 800-meter runs, rest for double the time, and repeat 2-3 times.

If limited on time, a 4-day endurance structure is workable: use 2 tempo/practice days, 1 day of 20-30 second burst work, and 1 day of true high-intensity VO2 max work. If you have 5 training days, add another volume/practice day.

For women with bone mineral density problems, get blood chemistry assessed to identify contributing physiology/biochemistry.