Muscular endurance is defined as the stamina that our muscles have while performing any kind of exercise. The power of a muscle is determined by the time you use it for an exercise until you aren’t able to maintain the level of power. In simpler words, muscular endurance is the energy your muscles have that relates to the duration you’re able to perform a certain exercise.
Reasons to test Muscular Endurance
In schools, muscular endurance is used to determine the strength of kids by gym teachers. Muscular endurance tests are also taken for particular jobs. For example, employment in the military requires an endurance test. Applying as a firefighter also requires you to test your muscular endurance.
There are several different reasons you might have to give an endurance test. A person’s normal stamina is calculated with the help of an endurance test so that a gym trainer can train the said person accordingly to achieve the goals that have been set.
Picking up a difficult exercise regime before knowing how much stress your muscles can handle can lead to serious injuries. That’s why it’s always a good thing to first test your muscle endurance before starting an intense workout. Such a test will provide you with the information you (and your fitness trainer) require to understand the pace you should work your body to achieve your health goals.
Here are the top 5 ways to test fitness for muscular endurance.
- Plank
Lay flat on your stomach, making sure your legs are being supported by your toes, and your entire upper body is being supported by your forearms. Now, tighten your lower back and elevate your hips off the ground. After getting in this position, hold as long as you can. You can also do this for intervals of 30 to 45 seconds. Perform five sets of your longest possible hold and at the end of the 5th set if your arms have started to shudder then it’s a good sign that you are pushing your muscles to the limits.
- Weight Squats
Body weight squats are also important to test muscular endurance. You can start by standing up on your feet. Place your feet slightly wider than the overall width of your shoulders and point your toes straight forward. Hold any kind of weight that you can comfortably lift. Now, bend your legs and take your buttocks down to your knees’ height. Your knees should be behind your toes when squatting. Now come back up in standing position while holding the weight. Perform five sets of these squats and add more if you think that’s something you’ll be able to do.
- Walking Lunges
Walking lunges is another exercise for fitness and increasing stamina. Stand upright and take a large step forward with your right leg. Now, drop your buttocks down in the way that your left knee is nearly touching the ground. Come back up and do the same with your left leg, this time your right knee nearly touching the ground. You can hold your waist with your hands while doing this to maintain balance. You should perform 5 sets with each set having 30 lunges (15 for each leg in one set).
- Pushups
Pushups are also important in endurance test as they help in knowing the stamina of your shoulders and arms. Start in a resting position, similar to a plank, lying down on your stomach, legs supported by the toes, your hands supporting your chest. Now, start pushing yourself away from the ground in the vertical direction and repeat it until you complete five sets. If this is too much for you, there's no need to worry as you can support your lower body on bent knees if you can't use your toes.
- Sit-ups
Use a yoga mat in order to perform sit-ups as it’ll prevent your tailbone from rubbing on the floor. Lay flat on your back and keep your feet on the ground, your knees bent. Now move your upper body towards your knees and then go back down. You should do five sets with 25 repetitions in each set.
Try these 5 ways to test fitness for muscular endurance and see your current level.
