Muscular endurance is an important component of overall fitness. It refers to the ability of a muscle or muscle group to repeatedly exert force against resistance over a period of time. Developing muscular endurance allows you to perform repetitive tasks for longer periods without getting fatigued. This has many benefits for sports performance, daily activities, injury prevention and more. But how often should you be training for muscular endurance to see results?
What is Muscular Endurance?
Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or muscle group to repeatedly exert force against resistance over an extended period of time. It involves being able to sustain a sub-maximal contraction for as long as possible without fatigue. Some key points about muscular endurance:
- It is different from muscular strength – which refers to the maximum force a muscle can produce with a single effort.
- It enables muscles to continue performing repetitive contractions over a period of time.
- Higher rep ranges with lighter loads develop muscular endurance.
- It is specific to the muscles/motions involved in the activity.
- Important for many sports, daily tasks and injury prevention.
Developing muscular endurance enhances your muscles’ oxidative capacity. This increases the number of mitochondria and capillaries in muscle fibers, allowing them to resist fatigue. As a result, you can perform physical activities for longer without your muscles tiring out.
Benefits of Muscular Endurance
Building muscular endurance provides many benefits:
- Sports performance – Enhances ability to perform skills and movements repetitively during games/events without fading.
- Injury prevention – Fatigued muscles are more prone to strains and tears. Endurance provides resilience.
- Posture & stability – Fatigue leads to poor technique. Endurance allows correct form to be maintained.
- Daily activities – Enables you to complete repetitive physical tasks like yardwork without getting tired as quickly.
- Weight management – Increases calories burned during workouts and post-exercise oxygen consumption.
- Muscle tone – Metabolic demands of endurance training enhance muscle definition and shape.
Given these benefits, developing muscular endurance in the major muscle groups should be a priority for most people.
Determining Your Training Frequency
There are several factors to consider when determining the optimal training frequency for muscular endurance:
1. Muscle Groups Being Targeted
Smaller muscle groups like the arms, shoulders and calves can handle more frequent training than larger groups like legs and back:
- Smaller groups: 3-4x per week
- Larger groups: 2-3x per week
This is because larger muscle groups have more muscle tissue and take longer to recover. Spreading out training allows adequate recovery time.
2. Training Volume & Intensity
The total volume and intensity of your endurance training sessions also impacts recovery time:
- Higher volume/intensity = More rest time needed between sessions
- Lower volume/intensity = Less rest time needed
For example, if performing very high rep sets (50+ reps), additional recovery days may be required than if training with more moderate reps like 20-30.
3. Training Level
Training experience also affects recovery capacity and frequency needs:
- Beginners = More recovery time needed between sessions
- Advanced = Can handle higher training frequencies
Due to less developed conditioning and recovery abilities, beginners should use lower training frequencies than experienced athletes.
4. Individual Factors
Consider your individual recovery rate, schedule and preferences when planning training frequency:
- Faster recovery = More frequent training possible
- Slower recovery = Need more time between sessions
- Busy schedule = May need to limit sessions
- Prefer higher frequency = Can schedule in more sessions
Be sure to listen to your body and adjust frequency based on your specific needs and abilities.
Recommended Frequency Guidelines
Taking into account the factors above, here are general recommendations for muscular endurance training frequency:
| Muscle Group | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legs | 2x per week | 2-3x per week | 3-4x per week |
| Chest | 2x per week | 2-3x per week | 3-4x per week |
| Back | 2x per week | 2-3x per week | 3-4x per week |
| Shoulders | 2-3x per week | 3-4x per week | 3-5x per week |
| Arms | 2-3x per week | 3-4x per week | 4-5x per week |
| Abs | 2-4x per week | 3-5x per week | 4-6x per week |
These recommendations provide a starting point, but should be adjusted based on your specific situation and response to training.
Sample Weekly Split
Here is a sample weekly training split for muscular endurance based on the frequency guidelines:
| Day | Muscle Group(s) |
|---|---|
| Monday | Chest, Triceps |
| Tuesday | Back, Biceps |
| Wednesday | Legs |
| Thursday | Shoulders, Traps |
| Friday | Chest, Triceps, Abs |
| Saturday | Back, Biceps, Abs |
| Sunday | Rest |
Designing Your Muscular Endurance Workouts
When programming your muscular endurance sessions, follow these guidelines:
Exercise Selection
- Choose multi-joint exercises involving large muscle groups
- Use machine-based, bodyweight and free weight exercises
- Select 1-2 exercises per major muscle group
- Emphasize functional movement patterns
Sets & Repetitions
- Perform 2-4 sets per exercise
- Use 15-30 rep range, up to 50+ reps for advanced trainees
- Use 30-60 sec rest between sets
- Maintain proper form and tempo on all reps
Intensity & Progression
- Use 30-60% of 1RM load
- Increase load gradually once 30 reps can be completed for all sets
- Vary intensity periodically with heavy and light days
- Increase volume before intensity to build foundational endurance
Applying these training principles will ensure your program provides an effective muscular endurance stimulus to drive continued progress.
Sample Muscular Endurance Workout
Here is a sample full body workout focused on building muscular endurance:
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 3 | 20-30 |
| Dumbbell Chest Press | 3 | 20-30 |
| Bent Over Row | 3 | 20-30 |
| Shoulder Press Machine | 2 | 15-25 |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curls | 2 | 15-25 |
| Bodyweight Tricep Dips | 2 | Max reps |
| Plank | 3 | 30-60 secs |
Perform this workout 2-3 times per week, with at least 1 day of rest in between sessions. Progress by adding more sets, reducing rest time or increasing reps performed over time.
Additional Tips
Here are some additional tips for optimizing muscular endurance training:
- Warm up properly before training to prepare muscles
- Focus on controlled form – no cheating reps
- Drink water during and after training to stay hydrated
- Use training partners to push intensity on final reps
- Include cardio and mobility work to enhance recovery
- Consider supplementation like creatine and beta-alanine
- Manage fatigue and allow for adequate rest between sessions
- Get sufficient protein to support muscle repair and growth
Conclusion
Muscular endurance provides many performance and health benefits. But it requires discipline and consistency with your programming in order to see results. Use the guidelines provided to help determine your optimal training frequency based on your goals, muscle groups, schedule and individual recovery abilities. Aim to train each major muscle group 2-3 times per week, applying sound training principles to progressively overload the muscles over time. Be sure to listen to your body and adjust as needed to continue building your muscular endurance and fitness.