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MUSCULAR STRENGTH

Muscular strength refers to muscle’s potential to apply to lift a maximal amount of

weight for one repetition, whereas muscular endurance can is the potential to execute a
specific muscular action for an extended period. This quiz has been designed to test your
knowledge and make you aware of the need for muscular strength and endurance. Read the
questions carefully and answer. Let's take this quiz and learn more. All the best!

Types of muscular strength

Muscle exists as 3 types: cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, and skeletal muscle. Skeletal
muscle is the target of strength and conditioning training. Smooth muscle makes up blood
vessels and certain organs. Skeletal muscle makes up approximately 45% of total body weight.
Skeletal muscle attaches to two bones and crosses a joint between them

Types of strength exercises

A physical therapist can design a strength training program that you can do two to three
times a week at a gym, at home, or at work. It will likely include body weight exercises like
squats, push-ups, and lunges, and exercises involving resistance from a weight, a band, or a
weight machine

Benefits of Muscular Strength

1. Increases energy. Additional muscle mass leads to an enhanced energy level...
2. Provides useful strength. When you have more muscles, then you should be capable of
doing more.
3. Improves health. New research shows that muscular strength can improve your overall
health...
4. Enhances posture. Muscular strength, especially in...

Activities to Improve Your Muscular Strength 

There are several reasons to perform activities to improve your muscular strength. Some
people have jobs or hobbies that require them to lift heavy objects. Others seek strength
because they compete in exercise or weight lifting competitions. Sometimes there is no specific
reason other than wanting the benefits of better health, less stress and a faster metabolism. No
matter the motive, muscular strength activities can be done by almost anyone and can be
incorporated into almost any lifestyle.

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Best Activities to Improve Your Muscular Strength

1. Weightlifting
Weightlifting is a type of muscular strength activity that encompasses strength training
through means of different types of weights. These weights can include barbells, dumbbells,
kettle bells, and weight machines. The way you train will determine the type of muscle you will
develop – lean or heavy muscle. In either case, when you lift weights, you make tiny
microscopic tears in your muscles. When these tears repair themselves, they make your
muscles even stronger. As you get stronger, you will have to add more weight to keep making
progress. However, you need to allow your muscles time to repair themselves or you run the
chance of injury.

2. Calisthenics
This form of exercise uses your body’s own weight as a form of resistance and precise
movement as a way to build muscle and strength. Minimal or no equipment is involved.
Examples of calisthenics exercise include lunges, pushups, calf raises, squats and pull-ups. You
can incorporate these exercise with other types of muscular strength activities to create a
balanced workout.

3. Isometric Contraction Exercises

Isometric contraction exercises are comprised of activities in which the length of the
muscle involved in the exercise does not change or move during the workout. In other words,
the muscle contraction is static. This type of exercise works to strengthen your body by using
your own weight, gravity and your muscles to create resistance without the use of outside
elements or force. Examples of this type of exercise would be holding a squatting position
against a wall.

4. Plyometrics
These exercises are energetic and involve quick and explosive moves to increase your
strength. They can also improve your speed. Examples of plyometric include single leg hops,
burpees with squat down, jump up onto box, and jump legs out to a plank. Because of the
intense movements involved, you should use caution and pay close attention when performing
these exercises to reduce your chances of injury.

5. Aerobic Movement
There are several types of aerobic exercise. Besides structured aerobic classes, there are
cycling, walking, running and jogging. An aerobic exercise is an activity that involves the use of
the large muscles in your body. They are designed to increase strength and improve your heart
health. When you add an incline like a hill, you boost your workout.

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6. Partner Dancing
Dancing already provides a great cardio workout, but when you add a partner you take
it to a whole new level. You have now made it one of the best and most fun muscular strength
activities out there. When you dance with another person, you hold, twirl, spin and lift that
other person. That means you are moving their weight around. So that you do not lose control
and hurt your partner, you have to tense up your muscles and hold your positions. This builds
muscle and strength.
7. Stair Climbing
Stair climbing builds strength and muscle by improving your endurance, cardiovascular
health and muscle tone. Instead of taking the elevator, climb the stairs instead. When using a
treadmill, set it with an incline. When jogging, take the route with more hills and valleys.
8. Rowing
Not everyone has access to a boat, but a rowing machine can provide the same
workout.  It provides an effective cardio workout while toning your muscles. Use caution when
increasing resistance as you do not want to risk injury to your back. Make changes slowly and
calculated.

5 Exercises to Improve Muscular Endurance

1. Planks
Lie flat, facing down with your chin up and your upper body held up by your forearms.
Your legs should be flat, with your hips touching the floor. As you tighten your shoulders and
lower back muscles, lift your hips off the floor. Hold for 30-40 seconds. Relax and rest for 5-10
seconds. Repeat 5 times. You know you have pushed yourself to best if your arms are shaking at
completion of final rep.

2. Body Weight Squats

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your feet facing straight forward. Bend at
your knees and lower yourself into a squatting position. Imagine you are trying to sit on a very
low stool. Stop when your thighs are parallel with the floor and your knees are at a 90-degree
angle. With your heels and using your glute muscles, push yourself back into your original
standing position. Repeat 10 times for 2 reps. Remember to keep your abdomen tight and
shoulders back. To make this one of the more difficult muscular strength activities, move your
feet further apart.

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3. Walking Lunges
Stand with your feet apart about shoulder width. Using your left leg, step forward and
then lower your body so that your right back leg touches the floor. Push through with your
front heel so you can stand back up. Do the same thing with the opposite side. Repeat 15 times
on each leg. Keep your abdomen tight and shoulders straight.

4. Push-Ups
Lie flat on the floor with your stomach facing down. Push your body up into a plank and
hold yourself up by your hands and toes. Lower your body back down, but only let your chest
touch the floor. Immediately, push back up with the palms of your hands and lift yourself back
into a plank. Repeat 15 times. If needed, you can start by supporting your lower body with your
knees in lieu of your toes. Increase reps as you gain strength.

5. Sit-Ups
Lie on your back, flat on the floor. Your legs should be bent at the knee and your feet
flat on the floor. Your hands should be behind the nape of your neck. Hold your elbows out to
both sides. Using your abdomen muscles, pull your core torso up so that it almost touches your
upper legs and thighs. Use your muscles, not momentum, to pull your body into position. Lower
your body back to its original position in a controlled manner. Repeat 20 times for 3 reps.
Consider using an exercise mat to keep your back from rubbing on the floor.

Muscular Strength and Endurance

Muscular strength and endurance are two important parts of your body’s ability to
move, lift things and do day-to-day activities. Muscular strength is the amount of force you can
put out or the amount of weight you can lift. Muscular endurance is how many times you can
move that weight without getting exhausted (very tired).

Benefits of Muscular Strength and Endurance

Muscular strength and endurance are important for many reasons:

 1. Increase your ability to do activities like opening doors, lifting boxes or chopping wood
without getting tired.
 2. Reduce the risk of injury.
 3. Help you keep a healthy body weight.
 4. Lead to healthier, stronger muscles and bones.
 5. Improve confidence and how you feel about yourself.
 6. Give you a sense of accomplishment.
 7. Allow you to add new and different activities to your exercise program.

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Improving Muscular Strength and Endurance

There are many ways to improve muscular strength and endurance. A gym or fitness
Centre is a good place to go if you’re interested in doing resistance training (also called strength
training, weight training or weight lifting). This involves working a muscle or group of muscles
against resistance to increase strength and power.
Resistance training can include using:

 1. Equipment like medicine balls or weight machines.

 2. Resistance tubes or bands during exercises.
 3. Your own body as a weight, as you would do during push-ups or sit-ups.

Of course, you don’t have to go to a gym or buy exercise equipment to improve

muscular strength and endurance. Doing normal daily activities like lifting groceries or walking
up and down stairs can also help. You can also do many exercises at home that don’t need
equipment, such as push-ups and sit-ups. All you have to do is challenge your muscles to work
harder or longer than they usually do.
Remember, if you’re going to do strengthening exercises that involve lifting, it’s
important to use the correct techniques.

Muscular Strength Endurance

Some tests have a whole body workout, like the burpee test, though others focus on a
section of the body or particular muscle groups.

Upper Body Strength Endurance Tests

 Pull-Up Test (also PFT Pull Up and NAPFA Pull Up)

 Horizontal Pull-Up Test and Modified Pull-Up - with the body horizontal or at an incline,
grasp and pull up towards a bar.
 Bench Pull
 Bench Press Max Reps
 Bench Press (%BW)
 Bench Press Beep
 Bench Press Max Power
 Bench Press (Brockport)
 Bench Press Cadence Test
 Push Up (general)
 Push-up (cadence)
 Push Up Beep (NHL)
 Push-up Test (at home)
 Push Up with a Chair
 Modified push-up test
 Push Ups (APFT)

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 Push Ups (PRT)

 Push Up (maximum)
 Seated Dumbbell Press (Brockport)
 Arm Curl Test
 Bicep Curl Max Reps
 Dips
 Flexed Arm Hang
 Flexed Arm Hang (PFT)
 Flexed Arm Hang (IPFT)
 Bent Arm Hang (Eurofit)
 Extended (Straight) Arm Hang Test - hanging from an overhead bar with straight arms
for as long as possible, part of the Brockport assessment.

Core Strength Endurance Tests

 Abdominal Endurance Tests

 Curl Ups (Pres Challenge)
 Curl Ups (partial) (Pres Challenge)
 Curl Up Beep (NHL)
 Partial Curl Ups
 Fitness Gram Curl Up
 NCF Abdominal Curl Test
 Sit-up Test (test at home)
 Sit Ups (APFT)
 Sit Ups (PRT)
 30sec Sit-Up Test (Eurofit)
 Crunches (sit-ups) (PFT)
 Side Ramp
 Plank Test
 Leg Raises
 Leg Tuck
 Ins and Outs
 Back Extensions — number of back extensions performed in 20 seconds.

Lower Body Strength Endurance Tests

 Squat Test (test at home) — perform as many squats as you can.

 Single Leg Squat
 Wall Sit (Single Leg)
 Wall Squat
 30 Second Endurance Jump — jump across a hurdle as many times as possible in 30
seconds.
 Multistage Hurdle Jump Test
 Hurdle Agility Jump

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 Chair Stand Test

 Ruffier Squat Test — measure heart rate before and after performing 30 squats in 45
seconds.

Description of Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle to lift weight repeatedly over time.
Muscular endurance differs from muscular strength which is a measure of how much force
you can exert in one repetition such as maximum weight, one-repetition bench press. You
exhibit muscular endurance when you lift a light weight for dozens of repetitions, run for
miles, row a kayak or carry a small child through the store.

Training Implications

If your intention is to become strong and larger in size, you should train muscular
strength by lifting heavy weights for six to 10 repetitions. If you are an athlete who requires
agility and stamina, opt for lighter weights and 20 or more repetitions to build muscular
endurance. Training for muscular endurance doesn’t noticeably change the size of your
muscles or the amount of weight you can heave. If your focus is to improve your health,
ability to do daily activities and ward off osteoporosis, go for eight to 12 repetitions of a
weight that fatigues you in the last couple of repetitions, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.

Measuring Endurance
While a one-rep maximal test is an effective way to measure muscular strength,
testing for muscular endurance is trickier. One way to test endurance is through exercises
that ask you to lift a certain percentage of your body weight. For example, the pushup test, in
which you see how many pushups you can complete in a set amount of time, is a common
test of muscular endurance. Another way is to lift a fixed percentage of your one repetition
max for a certain exercise – such as measuring how many weighted squats or bench presses
you can complete in 60 seconds.

Considerations
You can’t totally isolate muscular strength from muscular endurance. A person’s
strength affects the measure of their endurance. For example, if you can barely perform one
pushup because you are weak in the upper body – you can’t adequately measure your
endurance because you cannot complete multiple repetitions. Building strength can help you
develop better endurance.

Muscle Type
Your muscles have two types of muscle fibers: Short twitch and fast twitch. Short-
twitch muscle fibers contribute to muscular endurance. Fast twitch fibers come in types A and
B. Type A fast twitch fibers exhibit some endurance characteristics and help you with long,
anaerobic activity such as a long sprint or carrying heavy kettle bells across the gym floor.

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Type B fast twitch fibers activate during short, power activities such as jumping, short sprints
or your one-rep max lift. Your genetics determine your composition of fibers – athletes that
excel at anaerobic sprinting and power lifting are likely to have a greater preponderance of
fast-twitch fibers. Marathon runners and other endurance athletes are likely to have a greater
amount of slow-twitch fibers.