According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, there are 10 recognized components of fitness of which muscular strength and endurance are two. The other components of fitness include muscular power, flexibility, balance, proprioception, coordination, agility, aerobic fitness and anaerobic fitness. A well-balanced training routine should address all of these components if you want to develop all-round fitness, although some sports may put a significant emphasis on some components and not others.
Strength
The NSCA defines strength as the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert maximal force. It is expressed as your one repetition maximum, or 1RM for short. Your 1RM is the greatest amount of weight you can perform in a single lift. To test your 1RM, you can perform a variety of strength tests, the most common being the bench press, the squat or the dead lift. You can also predict your strength using different mathematical formulae, which can be used to calculate your 1RM based on a weight you lift for up to 10 repetitions.
You can use the link in Resources to estimate 1RM figures based on multiple repetition maximums. For example, if you do a maximum of 10 bicep curls with a 35-lb. weight, the calculator would predict a 1 repetition maximum weight of 47 lbs.
Significance
Strength is an important fitness component in sporting arenas and in everyday life. In sports such as football, rugby and baseball, the stronger the athlete, the better the performance is likely to be. Being strong can also make everyday activities such as carrying groceries, general chores, gardening and do-it-yourself home repair jobs easier.
Training for Strength
To get stronger, you must exercise with progressively heavier weights to challenge your muscles. Your muscles will respond by getting larger and improving their contractile ability, both of which will contribute to your increased levels of strength. To improve your strength, perform exercises using a heavy load for 1 to 5 repetitions per set, taking three- to five-minute breaks between sets.
Endurance
Defined by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as the ability of your muscles to repeat submaximal contractions without fatigue, muscular endurance is assessed by performing high repetition testing. To effectively establish your muscular endurance, there are numerous norm tables available for a variety of execises including push-ups and sit-ups. Muscular endurance testing is localized, that is to say you can have excellent lower body endurance but poor upper body endurance. When performing any test of muscular endurance, you should aim to perform the test exactly per the test protocol and complete as many reps as you can using good form before comparing your score to the appropriate scale. You can find an example of a push-up endurance scale in the Resources section.
Training for Muscular Endurance
To Improve your muscular endurance you must perform sets of higher repetitions using relatively light weights and take only short rests between sets, for example three sets of 20 repetitions resting 30 seconds between sets. Muscular endurance training causes a significant build up of lactic acid, which will make your muscles burn, but this is quite normal and nothing to be concerned about.
References
- "Designing Resistance Training Programs"; Steven Fleck and William Kraemer; 2003
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
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