You only need these six simple exercises to improve your muscular endurance (Fit&Well)

Posted: Sep 08, 2023 in In the News

This article originally appeared in Fit&Well on September 8, 2023.

 

You only need these six simple exercises to improve your muscular endurance

By Alice Porter

Plenty of us are guilty of going to the gym, picking the heaviest weight we can find and lifting it for a small number of repetitions. While this might help us build bigger muscles, it doesn’t improve one important element of our health: muscular endurance.

"Muscular endurance is defined as our muscle's ability to contract under force for extended periods of time," explains Alasdair Nicholl, personal trainer at The Fitness Group. Translation: muscular endurance is measured by how long you can hold a position or exercise, rather than by how heavy you can lift.

If you want to improve your muscular endurance, you need to lighten the load of the weight you're lifting and focus on increasing your repetitions (reps). Nicholl suggests aiming for between 15 and 30 reps of your usual movements. 

Need some guidance on what weight to use? Nicholls says a good rule is to aim for around 60 percent of your one rep maximum, which is the heaviest weight you can physically lift.

Below, Nicholl has provided six exercises you can try to improve your muscular endurance. Complete three rounds of this workout for a comprehensive, endurance-boosting session.

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Why is muscular endurance important?

According to the American Council on Exercise, improving your muscular endurance could help you maintain a good posture, improve the aerobic capacity of your muscles and enhance your functional strength. 

It's also vital for sporting performance. Long-distance runners and anyone who plays lengthy matches of basketball, soccer or other sports need their muscles to keep working for long stretches of time. 

As Nicholls explains, endurance training "teaches the muscle to continue to contract under low to moderate loading, while under higher levels of fatigue," so you can keep going for longer.

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Read the full article here.