Muscle endurance refers to how long a muscle group can perform repeated contractions before getting fatigued.1 For example, it may be measured by how long you can do push-ups or lift weights.
If you want to increase your strength, you'll need to perform muscle endurance exercises. There are a variety to choose from based on your goals. Read on to learn more about muscle endurance and how to safely perform exercises to build it.
FATCAMERA / GETTY IMAGES
What Is Muscular Endurance?
Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert force over a prolonged period of time.1 In other words, it asks the question, "How long can you contract that muscle?"
Thomas Swensen, Ph.D., professor of exercise science and athletic training at Ithaca College, put it this way: Having muscular endurance means your muscles can work for a long time.
You need muscular endurance to complete many athletic feats and everyday tasks. Running a 10K requires the muscular endurance of the legs. Swimming long distances demands muscular endurance of the shoulders. Hauling groceries home from the store necessitates muscular endurance in the arms and back.
How to Save Money on Your Workouts—Online & IRL
Muscular Endurance vs. Muscular Strength
Muscular endurance isn't the same as muscular strength. Strength is "your maximum ability to exert force," said DeAnne Davis Brooks, EdD, CSCS, certified exercise physiologist, associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and USATF-Level 1 track coach. This can happen in one quick burst. Squatting 100 pounds one time, for example, requires strength.2
Muscular endurance is all about sustained efforts over a longer amount of time.1 Doing 100 bodyweight squats in a row, for instance, requires muscular endurance. "A person can be very strong and not have high endurance," Brooks told Health. And vice-versa.
Muscular Endurance vs. Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular endurance, Brooks explained, is "the ability of your heart, blood vessels, and lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to the body over an extended period of time."3 With cardiovascular endurance, you can move multiple large muscle groups at a moderate or high intensity for longer.
Muscular endurance tends to target specific muscle groups at a time and can involve lower-intensity activities.
Still, muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance are linked. Improving your cardiovascular endurance can boost your muscular endurance.
Should You Exercise After a Vaccine? It Depends
Benefits of Muscular Endurance
Improving your muscular endurance can have several health benefits. These benefits can include:Better athletic performance: If you improve your muscular endurance in a targeted way, you'll perform better in your sport or favorite workout, Noam Tamir, CSCS, founder and CEO of TS Fitness, told Health.
Ability to exercise or do everyday tasks for longer: This could mean walking for longer on the treadmill or around your neighborhood, or not needing to sit down as frequently when completing a long list of chores around the house.
Opportunity to improve cardiovascular endurance: When you exercise for longer or at a higher intensity, you can improve your aerobic health, which can boost mood, reduce the risk of conditions including type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, improve heart and lung functioning, and more.4
Ability to comfortably partake in more activities: Maybe you can now go on an all-day hike, a multi-hour walking tour, or stay on the dance floor until closing time.
How To Measure Your Muscular Endurance
When testing your muscular endurance, pick a muscle or muscle group you want to evaluate. For example, if you want to test the muscular endurance of your calves, choose heel raises. If you're curious about the endurance of your core, opt for planks.
From there, you have two options for measuring your muscular endurance, according to Brooks:Count how many reps you can perform with a set load until failure. For example, try doing as many push-ups as you can before your form falters.
See how many times your muscles can exert force in a set length of time. For example, see how many sit-ups you can do in three minutes or how many tricep dips you can do during your favorite song. As Brooks explained, "A person who can do more in a set amount of time has a higher level of endurance because they're able to contract the muscles more quickly as they get fatigued."
How To Improve Muscular Endurance
To improve muscle endurance, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notes that three components are important: overload, progression, and specificity.5Get specific. Pick a specific muscle or muscle group you want to work on, like your glutes, core, or shoulders.
Overload. Push that muscle group to work harder than it's used to in your day-to-day life.
Progress. See how many reps of a movement you can do in a certain time, or do as many reps as you can until failure. Record your results, and try to beat them next time.
You may have to be patient to see these changes—it can take about four weeks of consistent efforts before you see substantial results, Tamir said.
Tips for Improving Muscular Endurance
Improving muscular endurance is not always easy or quick. Here are a few tips to get you startedTake rest days. Muscular endurance training falls into the category of muscular strength training. The general recommendation is to rest 48-72 hours before working the same muscle group again.6
Alternate your workouts. Target different areas of the body on different days. Maybe you work your upper body muscular endurance on Mondays and Wednesdays and your lower body muscular endurance on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
5 Exercises To Improve Muscular Endurance
Depending on which muscles you want to use for longer, various muscular endurance exercises exist to choose from, such as:
1. Plank
Planks can improve your core muscles' endurance. You can do a low-plank, where you hold the position from your forearms, or a high-plank, where you hold the position from your hands as if you were about to do a push-up. Improve endurance by increasing the time you hold your plank.
2. Squat
Squats can improve your lower body muscles' endurance. You can do squats with or without weights. Improve your muscle endurance by increasing how many squats you can do in a set amount of time, or steadily increasing how much weight you squat with.
3. Push-Ups
Push-ups can improve your upper body, back, and core muscles' endurance. You can do pushups from your toes or knees. Increase the number of push-ups you can do until your muscles "fail," or cannot do anymore in the proper form, and try to gradually increase this number.
4. Lunges
Lunges can improve your lower body muscles' endurance. You can do forward, backward, or lateral lunges. Improve your endurance by doing as many lunges as you can until your muscles hit their "fail" point. Then, work to get more and more lunges each time.
5. Sit-Ups
Sit-ups can improve your core muscles' endurance. Improve your endurance by doing as many sit-ups as you cannot do anymore. Try to gradually increase this number.
The '12-3-30' Treadmill Routine— Is It Actually a Good Workout?
Tips on Preventing Injury
It's important to be safe when you're trying to improve your muscular endurance. The following tips can help you prevent injury:Have a well-rounded physical fitness routine: Muscular endurance is just a subset of musculoskeletal fitness alongside muscle strength and muscle power.5 You should also nurture your cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, balance, and speed (moving your body quickly).
Know your limits: Pay attention to how your body is handling the physical stress.
Go slowly: Take your time as you increase your repetitions and weight.
Properly warm up and cool down: A 5- to 10-minute warm-up improves blood flow, getting your muscles warm and flexible. You can go for a short walk, jog, or cycle. A cool-down lets your heart rate gradually slow. Walk for 5 more minutes, then stretch the muscles you work (holding each stretch for 10-30 seconds).7
Talk to a healthcare provider to determine what types of exercises you might be limited to doing. If you find that you're experiencing pain, discomfort, or other difficulties while engaging in exercise, contact a healthcare provider to rule out any serious issues that could be going on.