Muscular fitness is the combination of muscular strength and muscular endurance. Strength relates to the ability of a muscle to generate maximal force while endurance relates to the ability to perform repeated movements for an extended time period. Training programs traditionally focus on either muscular endurance or strength, but improving muscular endurance results in organic changes in the body that can also cause an increase in muscular strength.
Physiologic Response
Muscular endurance training has several benefits resulting from the various physiologic adaptations to the exercises. Multiple body systems, including the muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, work together to maximize muscular endurance through transporting oxygen or nutrients and increasing the strength of muscle contractions. Through training, your body adapts by improving the efficiency of how oxygen and other essential nutrients are delivered to the working muscles. The exercises used for muscular endurance improves the force of muscular contractions that can ultimately result in increased strength.
Program Design
Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, suggests combining different training principles for maximizing muscular endurance and muscular strength. These different training principles include using heavy weights for low repetitions and low weights or bodyweight exercises for a high number of repetitions. This combination of training principles allows your body to increase muscular endurance while you increase muscular strength. The improvements of both endurance and strength complement one another for improved muscular fitness.
Exercises
Proper exercise selection is essential to increasing strength with muscular endurance. Bodyweight exercises such as lunges, pullups, pushups and situps are the fundamental exercises used to improve muscular endurance. Barbell exercises such as deadlifts, presses and squats can improve strength and power endurance by performing high-intensity repeated movements. Additional metabolic conditioning exercises such as running, biking, swimming and rowing can completes a well-rounded training program that allows muscular endurance to increase strength.
Time Frame
Workouts for muscular endurance that increase strength should be short and intense for about 20 to 30 minutes. Beginners can see muscular endurance and strength improvements with workouts two to three days per week while athletes and experienced fitness enthusiasts can follow a schedule of five to six days per week. Glassman recommends combining all of the different training elements for a varied workout routine.
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