One pool. Two depths. Endless ways to train. Aqua Endurance with Melissa Plumeau delivers a balanced, full body water workout. This 54-minute pool workout combines moderate intensity aerobic training with muscle conditioning with a goal of improving cardio and muscular endurance. This water workout can be enjoyed in either deep or shallow water. A pool noodle and the Aqualogix drag bells are used in two of the exercise segments. However, you can skip the bells and just use the water’s resistance.
Interval training is now mostly identified as HIIT
Poolfit subscribers are by now very familiar with interval training which involves alternating a work cycle with a recovery cycle. The past several years has seen an explosion in popularity of high intensity interval training (HIIT) in the pool. Poolfit has dozens of HIIT workouts, and they are the most popular videos on the platform. A HIIT workout consists of short bursts of high intensity exercise followed by brief recovery or complete rest. HIIT is designed to use the anaerobic energy system, with a breathless exercise effort at 8 or 9, on the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale of 10. While HIIT continues to be popular and has its own subset of benefits, the physical demands and potential risks of a HIIT workout should be considered. Higher intensity exercise brings with it an increased risk of injury. This is why I always harp on the need for flexible joints and muscles. A lack of joint or muscular flexibility is how many people incur an injury. HIIT workouts also require longer recovery time compared to other types of exercise. Failure to incorporate complete rest or active recovery can eventually negate the benefits of HIIT. Why? Because it is impossible to go all out if you are not sufficiently recovered. Lastly, HIIT is not recommended for beginners, which is why so many videos on Poolfit are labeled as intermediate and advanced.
HIIT is not the only kind of interval training
However, there are a variety of ways to teach interval training. It doesn’t have to be a high intensity all-out approach. Aerobic interval training also alternates two phases of work and recovery, but the work and recovery phases utilize the aerobic energy system. This means the exercise effort is more like a 6 or 7, on the RPE scale of 10. There is no complete rest in an aerobic interval. The rest is instead lower intensity aerobic activity, compared to moderate. This means the workout is more like non-stop steady-state conditioning.
Aerobic interval training is designed to improve stamina for longer duration activities. HIIT is designed to prepare the body for sudden high energy demands. Moderate intensity aerobic training improves cardiorespiratory fitness and heart health and is more suitable for all fitness levels, including beginners.
Below, Melissa talks more about Aqua Endurance and moderate intensity aerobic training and then read on for a summary of the workout.
Aqua Endurance Workout Summary
This 54-minute water exercise video includes a warm-up, cool down, three aerobic interval segments and two resistance training segments. As mentioned above, this pool workout can be done in either deep or shallow water. A pool noodle and the Aqualogix drag bells are used in the two resistance training segments. But you can skip the bells and just enjoy the water’s resistance.
Aerobic Interval 1: Exercises are performed with 0:20/0:40 progression. 20 seconds moderate, 40 seconds harder and then 15 seconds of active rest.
Resistance Training 1: Upper body and core focus with optional use of the Aqualogix drag bells.
Aerobic Interval 2: Cardio pyramid training with a core focus.
Aerobic Interval 3: Cardio training with hard, harder, hardest approach. 60 seconds at moderate-lighter intensity (RPE 6), 45 seconds at moderate-harder intensity (RPE 7-8) and 30 seconds at hard intensity (RPE 8+).
Resistance Training 2: Core and more using a pool noodle
Poolfit extends gratitude to Melissa for sharing her favorite class formats with subscribers. Check out her full library of Poolfit videos and stay tuned for a kickboard video with her posting next month.
