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What Is Muscular Endurance and Exercises To Improve It

This document discusses muscular endurance and exercises to improve it. Muscular endurance refers to a muscle's ability to exert force over time through repetitive contractions. Some benefits of muscular endurance include decreased health risks and improved circulation. Exercises recommended to improve muscular endurance include planks, bodyweight squats, walking lunges, pushups, and crunches by performing high repetitions for multiple sets with short rest periods.

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70 views

What Is Muscular Endurance and Exercises To Improve It

This document discusses muscular endurance and exercises to improve it. Muscular endurance refers to a muscle's ability to exert force over time through repetitive contractions. Some benefits of muscular endurance include decreased health risks and improved circulation. Exercises recommended to improve muscular endurance include planks, bodyweight squats, walking lunges, pushups, and crunches by performing high repetitions for multiple sets with short rest periods.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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What is Muscular

Endurance and Exercises


to Improve it
 Benefits

 How to improve

 Exercises

 FAQ

 Takeaway
Muscular endurance refers to a muscle’s ability to
work over a period of time. Some exercises and
tips can help you improve it, such as increasing
the number of reps you perform.
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Muscular endurance refers to the ability of a given muscle to exert force


against a load, consistently and repetitivelyTrusted Source, over a period of time.
Exerting force is also known as a contraction.

Muscular endurance plays a big role in many athletic endeavors. For example,
a runner does the same movement over and over again. To avoid injury or
extreme fatigue, their muscles need to have an advanced level of endurance.
That said, it’s not just athletes that benefit from good muscular endurance.
Many other instances require your muscles to function well for a long time,
such as walking up and down stairs carrying groceries.

Keep reading to learn more about why muscular endurance is important and
five exercises to help improve yours.

Why is muscular endurance


important?
Muscular endurance has been associated with several health benefits. For
example:

 A 2014 studyTrusted Source found that greater levels of muscular


endurance were associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular
disease and blood pressure, as well as lower levels of triglycerides and
serum blood sugar.
 A 2015 reviewTrusted Source suggests that improved muscular
endurance may improve muscle blood circulation and mitochondria,
which helps power your cells.
 A 2016 studyTrusted Source noted that muscular endurance may be a
good indicator of muscle health and your risk of mobility restrictions.
 A 2017 reviewTrusted Source found that higher levels of muscular
endurance were associated with a lower risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) also suggests that muscular endurance
could help improve your:

 ability to maintain a good posture for longer


 aerobic muscle capacity
 ability to perform daily tasks

How to improve muscular


endurance
Improving muscular endurance involves increasing the total time a muscle is
contracted during an exercise.

According to the National Strength and Condition Association (NSCA), the typical
approach is to:

 lower the weight to 70% or less of your 1 rep max


 increase the number of sets to 3 or more
 increase the number of repetitions (reps) to 10–25 per set
 shorten rest periods to 30 seconds or less

So, if you normally bench press for 3 sets of 8–10 reps with 155 pounds (lbs),
then you may change to 4 sets of 15–25 reps at 100 lbs. As your muscular
endurance improves, you can gradually increase the weight while maintaining
the same amount of reps.

Muscular endurance training uses a different approach than strength training,


which may look like:

 6 reps per set


 a load of up to 85% of your 1 rep max
 2–5 minutes rest between sets
It’s important to note that the optimal number of sets, reps, and rest may
widely vary for each individual.

For example, in a 2017 studyTrusted Source that aimed to test and improve the
muscular endurance of cross-country skiers, the participants performed 4 sets
of 30 reps with a 90-second rest between sets. This rest period is longer than
30 seconds. However, after 6 weeks, all participants showed a significant
improvement in their muscle endurance.

Another option is to increase the amount of time you hold a contraction,


known as isometric contractions.

A 2014 study found maximum improvements in abdominal endurance when


holding a plank for as long as possible (or until failure) five or more times per
week.

Isometric contractions may also be a good option to improve your muscle


endurance if you’re recovering from an injury. They put less stressTrusted
Source on the structures surrounding the working muscles.

Exercises for muscular endurance


Below are examples of five exercises that can help you improve your
muscular endurance. They require no equipment, and you can do them at
home.

To see improvement, you’ll want to work on these exercises 2–3 timesTrusted


Source per week, on non-consecutive days.

Remember, the goal is to perform these exercises to failure so that you


improve your muscular endurance over time. That said, be sure to maintain
proper form to reduce the risk of injury.
Plank

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 Kneel on all fours, then place your forearms down on the ground. Step
one leg back at a time until you’re in a straight line from head to heel,
keeping your spine neutral.
 Engage your abs to support the lower back. Imagine lifting your chest
away from your elbows but without a rounded spine.
 Hold for as long as you can, aiming for at least 30–45 seconds, then
relax. That completes one rep.
 Aim to do at least 3 sets with 30–60 seconds of rest between each.

Tips: If you start to lose form (either your hips sag low or your buttocks start
to lift), then it’s a good time to rest before performing another rep.

Body weight squats


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 Stand upright with your feet placed apart in a position slightly wider than
shoulder-width, with your toes pointed straight ahead.
 Bend your legs and sit back until your buttocks reach the height of your
knees. Your thighs should be close to parallel with the floor, and your
knees should track over your toes to prevent injury.
 Push yourself upright, squeezing through your glutes on the way up.
 Perform 2–4 sets of 25 reps. Adjust this rep number if you feel you can
do more squats at the end of each set.

Tips: Maintain good form by keeping your head up, chest lifted, and shoulders
back. Don’t let your torso become parallel with the ground.

There are many squat variations that you can try to help target different parts of
your legs.

Walking lunges
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 Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.


 With your right leg, take a large step forward, then lower your body
down so that your back knee either touches or comes close to touching
the ground.
 Push down through your front foot and stand back up.
 Repeat the same motion with your left leg.
 Perform 2–4 sets of 30 walking lunges (15 on each leg, per set).

Tips: Keep your trunk upright as you perform this. As you lower your body,
your lead knee should track in line with your shoelaces and your shoulders
should be behind your toes.

Pushups
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Share on Pinterest 991_Top5-Endurance-Exercises

 Begin in a full plank position with your hands slightly outside shoulder
width and directly under your shoulders. Hold your body up with your
toes and with your hands (not your forearms, as with the plank
described above). Keep your spine in neutral, and try not to let your hips
sag.
 Lower yourself down by bending your elbows at a 45-degree angle,
aiming your chest to the ground.
 Promptly push down on your palms, and raise your body back to a plank
position.
 Perform 5 sets of 15 reps (adjust as needed).

Tip: If this movement is too advanced for you, start with your weight on your
knees instead of your toes, or begin with a wall pushup.

Crunches
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Share on Pinterest 991_Top5-Endurance-Exercises
 Lie flat on your back, with your legs bent and your feet flat on the
ground. Place your hands lightly behind your head to support your neck,
with your elbows out to the sides.
 Engage your abs and curl your torso up, lifting your upper back and
shoulders off the ground. Keep your elbows out to the sides rather than
curling them around your head. Resist the urge to use momentum,
rather than your muscles, to bring your body up. Keep a golf ball-sized
space between your chin and chest.
 Guide your body down in a controlled motion to maximize your muscle
use.
 Perform 5 sets of 25 reps.

Tips: Don’t pull your neck or head with your hands. The work should come
from your abs.

Talk with a doctor


It’s always a good idea to talk with a doctor before starting any exercise
program, especially if you haven’t exercised in a while.

You may also want to consult a physical therapist or certified personal trainer
if you’re new to working out. They can give you guidance on other exercises that
might work well for you and make suggestions for ways to prevent injury while
working out.
Was this helpful?

Frequently asked questions


What are examples of muscular endurance?
Muscular endurance includes increasing the amount of sets and reps while
decreasing rest periods. If you usually squat for 3 sets of 6–8 reps with 150
lbs and a 120-second rest, then you could change to 4 sets of 15–25 reps at
90 lbs with a 45-second rest.

Why do you do muscular endurance?

There are many benefits to muscular endurance training, including:

 decreasing your risk of some health conditions


 improving blood circulation
 increasing mobility and posture
 decreasing your risk of injuries

Takeaway
Muscular endurance is an important part of general health. It’s important for
function and for decreasing your risk of injury and certain chronic conditions.

Muscular endurance training involves increasing the amount of time a muscle


is under contraction. This can be done with increased reps or isometric hold
times.

If it’s a departure from your typical exercise routine, give muscular endurance
training a try and see what the increased challenge can do for you.

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