Building muscle is great in and of itself, but if those same muscles are not able to gradually endure more resistance, it can be difficult to improve your overall physique. To improve your muscular endurance, what are some different exercises that will be effective?

Muscular endurance exercises include push ups, battle ropes, dips, kettlebell swings, thrusters, supermans, calf raises, wall ball squats, squat throws, and tuck jumps. 

Building muscular endurance is a process that takes time, but one that pays off greatly when it comes to the long-term effects. There is a slew of different muscular endurance exercises, but some individuals can be left feeling a bit lost within all of the options. Continue reading to find out what the benefits of muscular endurance exercises are and discover a list of great exercises that will aid in developing your muscular endurance.

What are the Benefits of Muscular Endurance Exercises?

Be sure to not mistake muscular endurance for strength. Strength is how much force you can either exert or how much weight you can lift, which is very important! However, Muscular endurance is the ability to sustain oneself during repetitive actions when resistance is applied over an extended period of time. This is what gives individuals the ability to “endure” periods of exertion better than if they were not to have solid muscular endurance.

Overall Strength is Improved

Remember that strength and endurance are two different things, however, these two components feed off of one another. When your muscular endurance is improved, you are better able to perform tasks that require your strength. This can be big tasks like being able to move furniture, or it can be as small as taking in your groceries from your car, up the walkway, and into your home. You are better able to endure moments that require strength.

Heart Health is Maintained

Participating in muscular endurance exercises requires at least a moderately intense activity. Many times, these types of exercises are those that embody High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which consists of quick, intense moments of exercise between moments of rest. This increases your heart rate, which leads to better blood flow throughout your heart and arteries, which leads to the maintenance of your heart health and even its improvement over time.

Weight Loss Can Occur

Diet is an essential component of anyone’s weight loss journey, but exercise is also key to being able to maintain that weight loss while also building muscle along the way. Through muscle endurance exercises, you will expend calories which will aid in weight loss. These exercises will also help to kick in your metabolism not only while you are working out, but after the exercise is completed, thus, burning calories hours after you are done.

Sleep and Mood Can be Improved

This may be at the very bottom of some peoples’ list, but there are huge gains when it comes to how muscle endurance exercise affects your sleep and overall mood. By completing intense exercises that push your body, chemicals in your immune system that can lead to sulky dispositions or depression are reduced. Even more, endorphins are released during these moments which leads to a better mood and aids in the balancing of sleep patterns.

Muscular Endurance Exercises

Knowing the benefits of muscular endurance exercises, it’s now time to take a look at the different exercises that not only build the strength of your muscles, but aid in their ability to help you endure repetition for longer. No one exercise is perfect for every person, so go through this list and find what suits your needs best as well as your muscular goals. Once you have found a few, put together your own workout and start building your muscular endurance.

Push Ups

Push ups are a classic method of building muscular endurance for those who are just starting out, but even for those who are weathered in the workout world. This exercise can be completed by leveling your body on the floor with your hands flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Your feet will be placed hip-width apart and you will push yourself up off of the ground. Slowly lower yourself back down, about 5 inches from the floor, and repeat.

Battle Ropes

Battle ropes will require the actual equipment, but are great for those of you who have these either in your home gym or with the gym that you are using. To do battle ropes, grab a rope in each hand with your feet hip-width apart. Get your body into a squatting position and then bring the ropes up with each hand as quickly and as controlled as you can. Keep a speed that is maintainable for you, but one that will also cause you to push your own endurance.

Dips

Dips are great for your tricep, but they also force your body to engage your core, making this a great endurance exercise that targets multiple muscle groups. To complete a dip, you will place your hands at the end of a weight bench or secured chair with your fingers pointed towards your body. Extend your legs and place your heels on the ground as you lower yourself down by bending your elbows. Repeat once your arms are parallel to the floor.

Kettlebell Swing

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart with a kettlebell directly in front of you. You will then bend at the waist and grab the kettlebell with both hands with your palms facing your body. Pull your shoulders down and back engage your core as you lift the kettlebell from the ground, swing it between your legs, and drive your hips forward to propel the kettlebell into the air (no higher than your shoulders) while keeping your knees slightly bent.

Control the descent of the kettlebell as you lower it back down by keeping your core engaged. Once you are back in the starting position, keep the kettlebell in your hands as you repeat the same action.

Thrusters

To complete a thruster, find a bar weight that is somewhere between comfortable and challenging. Stand with the bar in the front squat rack position with your hands held slightly wider than your shoulders. Lower down into a squat position as you hold the bar and once your thighs are parallel with the ground, drive your body up using your hells, quads, and glutes.

Once you are at the top of the squat, thrust the bar over your head until your arms are in a locked position. Then, lower the bard back down to your chest and you will have completed one rep.

Supermans

Supermans are great for those who want to build the endurance of their back muscles. To complete a superman, get into a facedown position on the floor and extend your arms in front of your body with your legs straight. Raise your arms and legs together by contracting your back muscles and briefly hold them in this position. Slowly lower your arms and legs back down to the ground and repeat.

Calf Raises

Calf raises target exactly as their name implies: your calves. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your arms to your side. LIfe up onto your tiptoes by using the contraction of your calf muscle to cause the action. Hold this position and then repeat. You can increase the difficulty of this exercises by adding hand weights that you hold to put more resistance on those calf muscles and build better endurance.

Wall Ball Squats

© Bodybuilding.com

Wall ball squats are an incredible way to get a full-body workout without having to think too much about the difficulty of the exercise. For this, you will need a wall ball as you stand about two feet in front of any wall with your feet hip-width apart. Hold the ball at chest height and go down into a squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Then, explode upwards as you throw the ball up on the wall and catch it as it comes back down. Once you have caught the ball, re-engage your core and go back into the same squat position and repeat this for a number of reps.

Squat Throws

This exercise also requires a weighted ball, but instead of a wall ball, you will need a medicine ball. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while you hold the ball in front of you at your chest as firmly as possible. Take your time and lower yourself into a squat, but then explode into the air and throw the ball as high into the air as you can. Instead of catching it, allow it to land, quickly pick it back up, then reposition yourself to start another rep.

Tuck Jumps

© Les Mills

To complete a tuck jump, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while you keep your arms either at your side or cross them in front of your chest. Do a slight squat and then forcefully jump into the air and bring your knees to your chest, tucking them as tightly as possible. Go down into a soft landing and then immediately jump back into the air to complete multiple repetitions.

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