Hunger Games fitness challenge: Stamina and endurance

There’s no downtime when you’re running, jumping, swimming and climbing your way to victory in the Hunger Games. Enhance your stamina and endurance with these high-intensity cardio workouts.

Swimming stamina and endurance

Katniss and the other tributes start the Quarter Quell surrounded by water, and those who can’t swim immediately fall prey to those who can. Make it to the shore or the Cornucopia in a flash by taking your training to the pool.

Start your pool workout with an 800-meter swim broken up into 25-meter swim sprints.

• 200-meter front crawl: 4 x 25-meter high-intensity sprint followed by 25 meters at a moderate-intensity pace, for a total of 200 meters
• 200-meter flutter kick: 4 x 25-meter high-intensity kicking sprint (no arms) followed by 25 meters at a moderate-intensity pace, for a total of 200 meters
• 200-meter front crawl (arms only): 4 x 25-meter high-intensity arm-stroke sprint (no legs) followed by 25 meters of moderate-intensity arm strokes, for a total of 200 meters
• 200-meter front crawl: 4 x 25-meter high-intensity sprint followed by 25 meters at a moderate-intensity pace, for a total of 200 meters

After you’ve finished your 800-meter swim, continue your water workout with a 10-minute water jog performed in either the shallow or the deep end of the pool. Finish your workout with five minutes of treading water at the deep end, and after a couple of minutes, remove your hands from the water or hold a weighted object above your head as you tread.

Swim as fast as you can down the length of a 25-meter pool, using a freestyle or front-crawl stroke. When you reach the far end, turn around and swim back to the starting end at a moderate pace. Continue alternating between the two speeds for the full 200 meters.

Supporting your hands with a kickboard and using flippers if they’re available, sprint down the length of a 25-meter pool, kicking as hard as you can with a flutter kick. When you reach the far end, turn around and kick back to the starting end at a moderate pace. Continue alternating between the two speeds for the full 200 meters.

Using a pull buoy to keep your legs together and afloat, sprint down the length of a 25-meter pool, using nothing but your arms to propel you. When you reach the far end, turn around and swim back to the starting end at a moderate pace, still using only your arms. Continue alternating between the two speeds for the full 200 meters.

In either shallow or deep water, jog around the pool, using a form that’s almost identical to the form you use when jogging on land. The difference is that you’ll be working against the resistance of the water in every direction, so to keep moving forward, you’ll have to move your arms and legs powerfully. This is particularly true in deep water, where you may need to lean your torso forward and really drive your arms and legs forward and backward to achieve movement.

If you choose to jog in deep water, consider using a water belt to help with flotation.

Tread water at the deep end of the pool, maintaining a stable position with your body upright and your shoulders and head out of the water. If treading water with your arms and legs is easy, remove your hands from the water and support your body with nothing but kicks. If this is still easy, hold a weighted object above your head with both hands. A medicine ball, dumbbell or swim brick weighing between 2 and 8 pounds are all good options.