what's a good way to build muscle endurance?

[all_hail_islam]

what's a good way to build muscle endurance?

[Jneves]

endurance for what?

[all_hail_islam]

you mean what sport? no sport in particular, just endurace in general

[B3yondBrawn]

lift weights

[akaMarko]

you mean what sport? no sport in particular, just endurace in general

High reps.

[all_hail_islam]

lift weights

stfu. obviously i lift weights. and thats not even a proper answer.

[all_hail_islam]

High reps.

thanks, thats what i initially thought, but i just wanted to make sure

[RavensFan2k3]

could someone give me an example of "muscle endurance"? I mean if you have muscle strength, dont you have muscle endurance?

[DrVonNostrand]

Strength-Chin with 90lbs on the dip belt
Endurance-25 deadhang bodyweight chins

[RavensFan2k3]

Strength-Chin with 90lbs on the dip belt
Endurance-25 deadhang bodyweight chins

ok if high reps build muscle endurance, what are high reps? 20+ reps per set? 45+ reps per exercise/body part?

[The Real Deal]

anything above 15 is generally high reps.

[Andrew Smith]

what's a good way to build muscle endurance?

Generally to build muscular endurance via resistance training the classic answer is 20-40% of 1 RM for 2-4 Sets of 15+ Repetitions with 30 seconds to 90 seconds rest intervals. You are preparing the body to tolerate and remove lactic acid from the muscles.

Hope that helps!

-Andrew

Checkout my site and sign up for the FREE newsletter!
http://www.Modern-Athlete.com

[RavensFan2k3]

Generally to build muscular endurance via resistance training the classic answer is 20-40% of 1 RM for 2-4 Sets of 15+ Repetitions with 30 seconds to 90 seconds rest intervals. You are preparing the body to tolerate and remove lactic acid from the muscles.

Hope that helps!

-Andrew

Checkout my site and sign up for the FREE newsletter!
http://www.Modern-Athlete.com

if i was doing 15+ reps per sets for endurance, how many sets should I be doing?

[Andrew Smith]

if i was doing 15+ reps per sets for endurance, how many sets should I be doing?

2-4 sets.

[RavensFan2k3]

2-4 sets.

Ok here is what I've been thinking. I was thinking of increasing the amount of reps I do for my legs to increase muscle endurance. I progressively increase the weight and lower the reps for each set for all exercises. Now If I wanted to increase the reps to increase muscle endurance, should I not progressively increase the weight then for each set for my legs? Or should I still increase the weight for each set but just not lower the amount of reps per set?

[Andrew Smith]

Ok here is what I've been thinking. I was thinking of increasing the amount of reps I do for my legs to increase muscle endurance. I progressively increase the weight and lower the reps for each set for all exercises. Now If I wanted to increase the reps to increase muscle endurance, should I not progressively increase the weight then for each set for my legs? Or should I still increase the weight for each set but just not lower the amount of reps per set?

Don't bother working on endurance unless your sport requires it. I don't use endurance methods with many of my athletes because endurance training makes a trainee WEAK. Who the heck wants to be weak (and SLOW at that)?
Work in the 5-8 Rep range RavensFan2k3. Ripstone, I believe has already given you some outstanding programs to follow, endurance work would compromise maximal strength gains, something you cannot afford in most sports.

-Andrew
http://www.Modern-Athlete.com

[RavensFan2k3]

Don't bother working on endurance unless your sport requires it. I don't use endurance methods with many of my athletes because endurance training makes a trainee WEAK. Who the heck wants to be weak (and SLOW at that)?
Work in the 5-8 Rep range RavensFan2k3. Ripstone, I believe has already given you some outstanding programs to follow, endurance work would compromise maximal strength gains, something you cannot afford in most sports.

-Andrew
http://www.Modern-Athlete.com

Oh ok, yes you and Ripstone have helped me out so much and I greatly appreciate it. What sports would require muscle endurance?

[all_hail_islam]

guys, my problem is that when im running on a treadmill, my legs give out WAY before my lungs. so i have to get off and have a rest because of my legs. especially my calves.

[Mr Lee]

what's a good way to build muscle endurance?

Greasing the groove is a good way to build endurance. It basically involves doing your selected exercise multiple times a day, everyday. The goal is to maximise frequency while minimising fatigue.

[Iron7]

Short Rest Periods <30secs

[RavensFan2k3]

maybe your legs just arent strong

[Iron7]

You could also lift light weights for long periods of time without resting like 10 mins and getting a good sweat going, just switching exericses

[Andrew Smith]

Oh ok, yes you and Ripstone have helped me out so much and I greatly appreciate it. What sports would require muscle endurance?

Marathon runners, rowers, distance bikers, etc.

Distance type activities.

-Andrew
http://www.Modern-Athlete.com

[Charged]

I thought some of you would atleast have some scientific knowledge but obviously not...

Basicly im guessing you want muscle endurance so people say high reps... WRONG!
If we're looking for increased strength endurance, then we want to be as strong as possible for as long as possible. So, instead of giving it your all for one quick burst and then crapping out, you want to be able to keep exerting yourself for extended periods of time.

Do you think you can attain this strength-endurance by pumping out countless reps with a lighter weight? No way. That would be like telling a 400-pound bench presser that he’ll increase his strength endurance by doing countless pushups. An increase in endurance, maybe. An increase in strength-endurance, no way.

So how do we increase it?

To increase strength-endurance, you need a program that accomplishes three things: uses heavy (near limit) weight, requires rest periods that grow progressively shorter, and utilizes volume.

Heavy Weight

This is pretty much a "no brainer." If you want to get strong, you’re going to have to lift heavy. Cycling's good and is needed for proper muscular recovery, but you have to get to the point that you’re lifting as heavy as possible.

Shortened Rest Periods

The idea behind training to increase strength-endurance is that you want your body to be able to exert maximum strength when not fully recovered aerobically. You also want to train your body to recover faster. Or, in other words, when you're under maximum strain, you want to recover quicker from that strain. Also, you want to either sustain said strain longer or sustain it multiple times in quick succession.

Volume

If you’re not doing a fair amount of reps overall, you won’t increase any kind of endurance — strength or otherwise. It's doing a large volume of work (coupled with shortened rest periods) that will give you endurance. When that's coupled with heavy weights, then you develop strength-endurance. Think of it like an equation:

Strength-Endurance = Heavy Weights + Short Rest + Volume


Putting It All Together

Now that we know what we want to do, how do we do it? We've already figured out that light sets of many reps (say 3-4 sets x 12-15 reps) aren’t the answer, as we need to lift heavy. However, if we lift heavy, then we can’t use higher reps.

The answer is to use heavy weights for a lot of sets of low reps (say 10-20 sets x 1-4 reps). Rest periods are then shortened to roughly 20-40 seconds, but never more than 60 seconds.

A routine such as this allows us to:

• Use heavy weights (as we’re doing low reps)

• Still use large volume (because we’re doing more sets)

• Shorten rest periods (it doesn’t take nearly as long to recover from a couple reps as it does 12-15, so you can get to your next set more quickly)

When you start a routine such as this, either pick a shorter rest time (say 30 seconds) and start with a lighter weight (say 65-70% of 1RM), or choose a longer rest time (say 60 seconds) and start with a heavier weight (say 80-85% of 1RM). If you start with the lighter weight, strive to add weight each workout. If you start with the longer rest time, strive to decrease it each workout. Make your progressions small (only add 5-10 lbs. or decrease rest by 5-10 seconds per workout). Perform any given exercise two to three times per week.


For example:

Day 1:

Clean and Press: 15 sets x 2 reps

Curl Grip Chin: 15 x 2

Medium Grip Bench Press: 10 x 1

Deadlift: 20 x1

Abdominal Work

Day 2:

Dips: 12 sets x 3 reps

Clean and Front Squat: 20 x 2

Bent Rows: 12 x 2

Barbell Curl and Press: 6 x 4

Abdominal Work


performed every workout

Clean and Press: 20 sets x 1 rep

Bench Press: 8 x 2

Barbell Curls: 6 x 3

Chin: 15 x 2

Squat: 20 x 1

Abdominal Work

[Flex500]

could someone give me an example of "muscle endurance"? I mean if you have muscle strength, dont you have muscle endurance?

Muscular Strength = the ability to generate force at a given speed (velocity) of movement. It is basically how much force you can generate at one time at a given speed

Muscular Endurance = the ability to persist in physical activity or resist muscular fatigue. It is basically how long you can generate force.

Generally, strength is developed with more resistance and fewer repetitions, while muscular endurance requires low-to-moderate resistance and more repetitions

[ATrainer]

I thought some of you would atleast have some scientific knowledge but obviously not...

Basicly im guessing you want muscle endurance so people say high reps... WRONG!
If we're looking for increased strength endurance, then we want to be as strong as possible for as long as possible. So, instead of giving it your all for one quick burst and then crapping out, you want to be able to keep exerting yourself for extended periods of time.

Do you think you can attain this strength-endurance by pumping out countless reps with a lighter weight? No way. That would be like telling a 400-pound bench presser that he’ll increase his strength endurance by doing countless pushups. An increase in endurance, maybe. An increase in strength-endurance, no way.

So how do we increase it?

To increase strength-endurance, you need a program that accomplishes three things: uses heavy (near limit) weight, requires rest periods that grow progressively shorter, and utilizes volume.

Heavy Weight

This is pretty much a "no brainer." If you want to get strong, you’re going to have to lift heavy. Cycling's good and is needed for proper muscular recovery, but you have to get to the point that you’re lifting as heavy as possible.

Shortened Rest Periods

The idea behind training to increase strength-endurance is that you want your body to be able to exert maximum strength when not fully recovered aerobically. You also want to train your body to recover faster. Or, in other words, when you're under maximum strain, you want to recover quicker from that strain. Also, you want to either sustain said strain longer or sustain it multiple times in quick succession.

Volume

If you’re not doing a fair amount of reps overall, you won’t increase any kind of endurance — strength or otherwise. It's doing a large volume of work (coupled with shortened rest periods) that will give you endurance. When that's coupled with heavy weights, then you develop strength-endurance. Think of it like an equation:

Strength-Endurance = Heavy Weights + Short Rest + Volume

Hey, I like this guy.

Anyway, as I've said countless times before, the ultimate answer to great fitness without compromising strength or mass is to superset. Read strength and endurance.

[Andrew Smith]

I thought some of you would atleast have some scientific knowledge but obviously not...

Basicly im guessing you want muscle endurance so people say high reps... WRONG!
If we're looking for increased strength endurance, then we want to be as strong as possible for as long as possible. So, instead of giving it your all for one quick burst and then crapping out, you want to be able to keep exerting yourself for extended periods of time.

Do you think you can attain this strength-endurance by pumping out countless reps with a lighter weight? No way. That would be like telling a 400-pound bench presser that he’ll increase his strength endurance by doing countless pushups. An increase in endurance, maybe. An increase in strength-endurance, no way.

So how do we increase it?

To increase strength-endurance, you need a program that accomplishes three things: uses heavy (near limit) weight, requires rest periods that grow progressively shorter, and utilizes volume.

Heavy Weight

This is pretty much a "no brainer." If you want to get strong, you’re going to have to lift heavy. Cycling's good and is needed for proper muscular recovery, but you have to get to the point that you’re lifting as heavy as possible.

Shortened Rest Periods

The idea behind training to increase strength-endurance is that you want your body to be able to exert maximum strength when not fully recovered aerobically. You also want to train your body to recover faster. Or, in other words, when you're under maximum strain, you want to recover quicker from that strain. Also, you want to either sustain said strain longer or sustain it multiple times in quick succession.

Volume

If you’re not doing a fair amount of reps overall, you won’t increase any kind of endurance — strength or otherwise. It's doing a large volume of work (coupled with shortened rest periods) that will give you endurance. When that's coupled with heavy weights, then you develop strength-endurance. Think of it like an equation:

Strength-Endurance = Heavy Weights + Short Rest + Volume


Putting It All Together

Now that we know what we want to do, how do we do it? We've already figured out that light sets of many reps (say 3-4 sets x 12-15 reps) aren’t the answer, as we need to lift heavy. However, if we lift heavy, then we can’t use higher reps.

The answer is to use heavy weights for a lot of sets of low reps (say 10-20 sets x 1-4 reps). Rest periods are then shortened to roughly 20-40 seconds, but never more than 60 seconds.

A routine such as this allows us to:

• Use heavy weights (as we’re doing low reps)

• Still use large volume (because we’re doing more sets)

• Shorten rest periods (it doesn’t take nearly as long to recover from a couple reps as it does 12-15, so you can get to your next set more quickly)

There are many ways to stick the proverbial cat, especially in weight training. Sure Lactic Acid Tolerance training (the type you described) has its place within a training cycle. However, in efforts to make things more simple and for the sake of experience (in this case with RavensFan2k3) he has no well of maximal strength for which to draw from. So for a simple question, he go a simple answer, not some holy than thou spiel. LA training has its place, as does "classic" endurance training.

It was an excellent post, by the way, just clarifying some points.

-Andrew
http://www.Modern-Athlete.com

[W8isGR8]

I prefer the shorter rest periods as opposed to lowering weight or increasing reps. You're basically increasing Mitochondrial density in the muscles. More mitochodria=more ATP=endurance

[RavensFan2k3]

Muscular Strength = the ability to generate force at a given speed (velocity) of movement. It is basically how much force you can generate at one time at a given speed

Muscular Endurance = the ability to persist in physical activity or resist muscular fatigue. It is basically how long you can generate force.

Generally, strength is developed with more resistance and fewer repetitions, while muscular endurance requires low-to-moderate resistance and more repetitions

so if someone stays in the 8-12 rep range for lets say 3 sets, would that person be gaining muscle strength and muscle endurance?

[all_hail_islam]

so if someone stays in the 8-12 rep range for lets say 3 sets, would that person be gaining muscle strength and muscle endurance?

you would be gaining both, but more muscle than anything. train 3-5 reps usually for strength, 6-12 for muscle, and 15+ for endurance