Your endurance sucks. You’re huffing and puffing during your rec league basketball games. This never happened in your 20s and 30s.
The Solution:
First, don’t blame your age, says Carwyn Sharp, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., chief science officer of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). “Yes, aging can play a role in declining performance,” says Sharp. “But your body will only adapt to the stresses you place on it.”
In other words, your low-intensity workouts are the bigger problem. A slow jog on the treadmill doesn’t prepare you for a start-and-stop, change-of-direction sport. Instead, work on your multisprint endurance: the ability to sprint a short distance at high intensity, rest briefly, sprint again, and so on. Sharp recommends workouts with agility drills, plyometrics, sprints, and lower-body strength work.
Try this routine once or twice a week.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Z Drill
1
1-2
505 Cone Drill
1
1-2
Deceleration
1
1-2
Box Jump
2
5-8
Drop Landing
2
5-8
Bound
2
5-8 per side
Lateral Hop
2
5-8 per side
15-meter Sprint
3
1
20-meter Sprint
4
1
Lunge*
2
10-12
*Perform 2 sets each of front, side, and reverse lunges—for both legs.
