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Performance Lab | Endurance

Performance Lab | Endurance

 

A 12-Week Heart Rate Guided Endurance Program

Train Smarter. Measure Progress. Build Your Engine.

 

Performance Lab | Endurance is Gravity Laboratory's evidence-based program designed to improve cardiovascular fitness, body composition and long-term health through intelligent, heart rate guided training.

 

Using the latest exercise science, every workout is designed with a specific physiological purpose. Rather than simply working harder, you'll learn how to train the right energy systems at the right intensity to produce measurable improvements.

 

Most sessions are delivered on the rowing ergometer - a low-impact, full-body training modality that develops exceptional cardiovascular fitness while minimizing stress on the joints.

Whether your goal is better health, improved athletic performance, increased energy, or simply feeling fitter for everyday life, Performance Lab provides a structured pathway to building a stronger aerobic engine.

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Who Is It For?

Performance Lab | Endurance is suitable for anyone looking to improve their cardiovascular fitness, regardless of experience. Whether your goals include:

  • Better health and longevity

  • Increased daily energy

  • Improved cardiovascular fitness

  • Healthier body composition

  • Greater fat utilization during exercise

  • Better rowing performance

  • Enhanced recovery between strength sessions

  • Increased work capacity for lifting, calisthenics and sport

  • Improved endurance for hiking, skiing, cycling and recreational activities

 

Performance Lab provides a progressive, structured and measurable approach to improving your fitness.

 

No rowing experience is required.

 

Why Heart Rate Guided Training?

Many people unknowingly train at the wrong intensity.  Some spend every workout pushing as hard as possible. Others never train hard enough to create meaningful adaptation. Heart rate guided training removes the guesswork.

 

Using your individual heart rate zones - determined either through laboratory testing or sub-optimal VOâ‚‚Max testing - we target specific physiological adaptations during every session.

Each workout has a purpose. Together, they develop the complete aerobic system.

 

Over time, participants experience improvements in:

  • VOâ‚‚Max (maximum aerobic capacity)

  • Cardiovascular fitness

  • Aerobic endurance

  • Fat oxidation and metabolic efficiency

  • Stroke volume and cardiac efficiency

  • Mitochondrial density

  • Recovery between training sessions

  • Resting heart rate

  • Overall healthspan and longevity

 

The Three Weekly Sessions

Performance Lab follows a simple but highly effective weekly structure.  Each session develops a different component of cardiovascular fitness. Together they create a complete endurance training system.

 

Session 1 – Engine Builder (Zone 2)

Build the foundation of lifelong cardiovascular fitness through steady, low-to-moderate intensity training in your personalized Zone 2 heart rate range.

 

Often described as the "sweet spot" for aerobic development, Zone 2 training improves your body's ability to efficiently use oxygen and fat as fuel while building the cardiovascular foundation upon which all other fitness qualities depend.

 

Regular Engine Builder sessions help:

  • Improve cardiovascular health

  • Increase aerobic endurance

  • Enhance fat oxidation

  • Support healthy body composition alongside good nutrition

  • Improve metabolic efficiency

  • Increase mitochondrial density

  • Enhance recovery between strength and higher-intensity training

  • Reduce fatigue during everyday life

 

This is the cornerstone of long-term fitness, health and longevity.

 

Session 2 – Sustainable Power (Threshold Training)

Increase the pace and intensity you can comfortably sustain by training around your personalized ventilatory (lactate) threshold. Threshold training teaches your body to work harder for longer before fatigue begins to accumulate, improving your ability to perform challenging physical activity with greater efficiency.

 

Regular Sustainable Power sessions help:

  • Increase sustainable endurance

  • Improve exercise efficiency

  • Raise the pace you can comfortably maintain

  • Improve rowing performance

  • Enhance recovery between repeated efforts

  • Build confidence performing moderate-to-high intensity exercise

 

This session bridges the gap between steady aerobic training and high-intensity intervals.

 

Session 3 – Peak Performance (VOâ‚‚Max Training)

Expand your cardiovascular ceiling through carefully programmed high-intensity interval training.

 

VOâ‚‚Max represents your body's maximum ability to deliver and utilize oxygen during exercise. Improving this capacity enhances every other aspect of aerobic performance.

 

Peak Performance sessions help:

  • Increase maximum cardiovascular fitness

  • Improve heart and lung function

  • Enhance exercise capacity

  • Increase power during demanding activities

  • Improve recovery from intense exercise

  • Complement strength, mobility and athletic performance

 

These are the most demanding sessions within the program, carefully balanced with appropriate recovery to maximize adaptation while minimizing unnecessary fatigue.

 

Individualized Coaching

Every participant receives coaching based on their own physiology - but performs training as part of our group classes. Participants completing VOâ‚‚Max testing will train using laboratory-derived heart rate zones based on their personal ventilatory thresholds. Those who have not yet completed laboratory testing can still participate using estimated heart rate zones following a sub-optimal VOâ‚‚Max test and may choose to complete lab testing at any point during the program.

 

Measure. Train. Re-Test.

Performance Lab is built around measurable progress. Participants completing physiological testing begin with an objective baseline using:

  • VOâ‚‚Max

  • Ventilatory Thresholds

  • DEXA Body Composition

  • Resting Metabolic Rate (optional)

 

Throughout the 12-week program we'll monitor:

  • Heart rate response

  • Rowing pace and power

  • Recovery

  • Training consistency

  • Perceived effort

 

At the end of the program, participants are encouraged to repeat their assessments to objectively measure improvements in cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health and body composition.

 

Why Rowing?

Rowing is one of the most effective cardiovascular training methods available. It develops exceptional fitness while remaining accessible to almost everyone.

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Benefits include:

  • Whole-body muscular engagement

  • High cardiovascular stimulus

  • Low impact on knees, hips and ankles

  • Excellent transfer to other sports

  • Suitable for beginners through to experienced athletes

  • Minimal injury risk compared with many other endurance activities

 

For adults of all ages - and particularly those over 40 - it provides [at least] the cardiovascular benefits of running while placing substantially less stress on the joints [no impact].

 

The Gravity Difference

Most gyms prescribe cardio based on time, distance or calories. At Gravity, we prescribe training based on physiology. 

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Performance Lab combines objective assessment, individualized coaching and evidence-based programming to improve cardiovascular fitness while complementing - not compromising - strength, mobility, calisthenics and overall athletic performance.  Because at Gravity Laboratory, longevity isn't simply about adding years to life, it's about adding life to your years - and building a body capable of performing at its best for decades to come.

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