Sometimes strength and muscular endurance are concepts that are confused with each other, something that also happens with muscular power. With many similarities to each other, these components of fitness are essential to achieve good physical shape.
The application of muscular force is necessary to master resistance when moving, both components imply muscle contraction or specific muscle groups, and to differentiate these two aspects, here is a complete guide.
What is muscle strength?
Muscle strength is the ability to generate intramuscular tension when faced with resistance, regardless of whether or not the movement is generated. In other words, it is the ability to lift, push or pull a certain weight in one movement with the help of the muscles.
Strength can be measured based on the amount of weight lifted, but we typically differentiate between upper and lower body strength by measuring it separately. Upper muscle strength is measured by bench lifting weights, for example; while the lower one can be done with push-ups or the deadlift.
To measure relative strength, you must look at the ratio between the weight lifted, pushed, or pulled and the body weight. Thus, if two people lift the same weight, the person who weighs less has greater relative strength.
What is muscular endurance?
Muscular strength and endurance are often spoken of as synonyms because endurance muscular strength is the force that allows you to constantly overcome resistance. As a general rule, this resistance is not very high, but constant, as is the case with the force generated by lowering the pedal in cycling.
In this way, we have that muscular endurance is the ability of the muscles to push, lift or pull a certain weight for some time. The key in this concept is in the time during which the physical effort can be made. As a general rule, muscular endurance is measured based on the number of repetitions that can be carried out.
The bar’s chin-ups are a clear example of muscular resistance exercise if we talk about the upper body. Squats or push-ups can also serve as a model.
Muscle strength and endurance training
The training aimed at increasing muscle strength is usually based on progressive resistance exercises, one more way of relating strength and muscular endurance.
In muscle strength sessions it is common to exercise holding more weight and doing fewer repetitions, so it is advisable to do between three and four exercises for each muscle group with three or four series of six to eight repetitions per group. In this type of training, it is important to respect the recovery time between sets and exercises, to return to training with sufficient strength.
In the case of muscular endurance, the key is to perform progressive repetition exercises, where the weight is lower but the number of repetitions is higher.
Through the work of muscular strength and resistance, the organism manages to hypertrophy the muscles, that is, to make them grow. Also, the percentage of body fat is reduced, bones are strengthened, bad body habits are prevented, and general physical performance improves, promotes faster rehabilitation in case of injuries, and improves physical appearance.
The importance of strength training
Strength is a physical condition that, in addition to endurance, speed and flexibility, provides energy as an aspect of sports performance. Even with advancing age, strength training still achieves many positive results. The effectiveness and benefits of strength training with adults have been amply proven by scientific studies. Well-dosed strength training has positive effects on practitioners.
- Improved muscle strength
To begin with, training improves joint play of the muscles. Progressing with the intensity of the training, the muscles also learn to involve an increasing number of muscle fibres. The visible signs are manifested in greater toning and above all an increase in muscle mass. The extent of muscle growth is highly dependent on the hormones produced by the muscles.
- Greater caloric expenditure
The greater the number of “stoves” the higher percentage of muscles, that burn energy. With each more kilo of muscle mass, the consumption of calories is significantly increased 24 hours a day.
- Muscles improve posture
Flabby muscles also give the body a warm appearance, and musculature developed on one side causes an inharmonious posture. Instead, an asymmetrically shaped muscular corset leads to an attractive figure.
- Better body perception
Intensive work with your own body also exercises body perception. During strength training, you have the option of recognizing your body’s signals and assimilating them correctly.
Final Words
If you’ve ever done good strength training before, you’ll know the feeling at the end of the session: The whole body feels pleasantly irrigated, relaxed, yet fully available. The figure becomes more attractive and the walk more upright. If you train more continuously, these brief sensations become a long-lasting effect; you no longer want to do without these positive results.
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