10/26/2023
Training for muscular endurance
When training to improve muscular endurance, what matters most is not the type of exercise, but how people design their workout.
People should take into consideration the following when tailoring a workout to boost muscular endurance:
the number of reps
the weight or resistant force on the muscles
the number of sets
length or rest periods
According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, individuals training for muscular endurance should aim to complete three or more sets of 15 or more exercise reps with a load that is 50% or less of their one rep max (RM).
A person’s one rep max is the maximum load with which a person can complete one repetition of an exercise.
For example, a person may wish to use the leg press machine at the gym to build endurance in the legs.
If they have an RM of 300 pounds (lbs), they should aim to perform 2–4 sets of 15 or more reps with a load of 150lbs or less, with brief rest periods between sets.
As their muscular endurance for this exercise increases, they may wish to make the exercise more challenging by reducing rest times between sets, or increasing the reps per set, rather than increasing the load weight.
A person can apply the same principle of high rep and set volume, low–moderate load, and short rest periods to any exercise, such as bench presses, dumbbell curls, pushups, or squats.
People can choose exercises that suit their preferences and are challenging yet enjoyable enough to sustain training.