Methods for How to Train for Muscular Endurance

• Lifting weights increases dynamic muscular endurance. Weights image by Jellie from Fotolia.com

  Muscle efficiency can be grouped into one of two categories: muscle strength and muscle endurance. High muscle strength means that a given muscle can exert a large force. High muscle endurance means that the same muscle, while not necessarily as strong, can exert a sub-maximum force over a longer period of time. You should train to increase dynamic endurance, static endurance and cardiovascular endurance.

Dynamic Muscular Endurance

• Dynamic muscular endurance refers to the ability of muscles to undergo repeated contractions over a prolonged period. Dynamic endurance requires you to have strong slow-twitch muscle fibers. They exert minimum to moderate force and tire out slowly. You can increase your dynamic muscular resistance by performing a high number of repetitions for low-weight exercises. According to Dixie State University of Utah, the minimum effort to get a training benefit is to do eight repetitions of a given exercise at 20 to 30 percent of your maximum lift weight three days a week. You should attempt to work up to lifting 25 repetitions of 40 to 70 percent of your maximum weight every other day.

Static Muscular Endurance

• Static muscular endurance refers to a muscle's ability to exert resistance without changing the length of the muscle fibers, or isometric contraction. To increase static endurance, you should exert a set force for approximately 10 seconds without moving or altering the force you exert, says Donna Sledge, a physical education instructor for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. For example, hold your arm at full extension away from your body with a five-pound weight for 10 seconds. Rest for five seconds, then perform another repetition. Continue to 25 repetitions.

Cardiovascular Endurance

• Cardiovascular endurance is the ability of the heart and lungs to continue supplying fresh blood and oxygen to muscles as they work. When you perform high-intensity workouts, your muscles use more energy and require their oxygen supply to be replenished. Therefore, the heart has to pump blood faster to compensate. Cardiovascular endurance training involves exercises that increase your heart rate for a sustained time frame: running, jogging, biking, swimming and martial arts are all cardiovascular endurance exercises. According to Kayla Olson, a physical fitness counselor for the University of Connecticut, beginners should start out with 15 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise daily, then gradually increase to an hour per day.