Muscular endurance is the ability to contract your muscle against sub-maximal resistance repeatedly over a period of time. In contrast, muscular strength is defined as the ability of the muscle to contract once against a maximal load through a full range of motion. Although both strength and endurance are important for overall fitness, increasing your muscular endurance will be particularly beneficial in performing tasks that are a part of every day life.
The Basics of Muscle Endurance
The muscles in your body are made of long, spindle-shaped cells called fibers. Skeletal muscle has two types of cells -- slow- and fast-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers are targeted during endurance training. They are designed to handle lighter loads for longer periods of time. For instance, long-distance runners and cyclists use their slow-twitch cells to sustain long periods of activity. Fast-twitch cells are for short, intense bursts of activity, like a sudden sprint or jump. Most people have a fairly even distribution of fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers.
Benefits
The benefits of increasing your muscular endurance are considerable. For starters, muscular endurance helps you with balance since slow-twitch fibers are constantly engaged to maintain your stance and posture. Endurance training can help to reduce low-back pain and prevent musculoskeletal injury. Additionally, endurance training increases your overall lean muscle mass which means you will be able to burn more calories while at rest. Finally, endurance training reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis and improves heart health.
Types of Endurance
There are two types of muscular endurance -- dynamic and static endurance. Dynamic endurance is a muscle's ability to contract and relax repeatedly over a period of time. Static endurance is the muscle's ability to maintain a sustained contraction for an extended period of time. Gradually, your body adapts to both a given weight and a certain number of repetitions. Consequently, it is important to challenge your muscles by increasing the amount of weight you are lifting and the number of repetitions you perform to increase muscular endurance.
Endurance Training
The rules of muscle endurance training are simple. Train three days a week with one day of rest between each session. Perform at least one exercise per muscle group and take your time to ensure proper posture and form while exercising. Perform two sets of 12 to 20 repetitions for each exercise, and rest for 30 to 60 seconds between each set. If you cannot perform 12 repetitions, your weights are too heavy and you should decrease your load. Make sure to warm up before beginning and cool down after each session to avoid injury. Consult your physician before beginning an exercise regimen.
References
- The American Sports Medicine Institute: Muscular Endurance and Balance
- Dixie State College of Utah: Muscular Endurance (PDF)
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Muscular Endurance Weight Training Program; July 2005
- British Broadcasting Corporation: Muscles-Fast and Slow Twitch
- James Madison University: Concepts of Fitness: Muscular Strength and Endurance; Judith Flohr; April 2005 (PDF)
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