Fitness
Fact-checked

At TheHealthBoard, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is Strength Endurance?

Jacob Queen
Jacob Queen

Strength endurance is a measurement of the body's ability to continually perform repetitive acts that require significant expenditure of strength. Many people work hard on aerobic exercises to build endurance, but these are designed to help in performing relatively light activities for a long time. When individuals are trying to build strength endurance, they are more interested in maintaining their maximum strength level for the longest time possible. Training strength endurance involves combining different elements of traditional endurance training and strength training.

In the area of sports, strength endurance can be a useful attribute. In many cases, athletes have to use maximum physical exertion for a long period of time or repeatedly with very little rest. An example would be a fighter in a boxing match. Every time he throws a punch, he may use a great deal of strength. Over time, the punches may get weaker as his endurance may begin to falter. If he can maintain that strength for a longer period of time, he can still be punching hard enough to threaten his opponent in the later rounds.

Being a boxer requires a great deal of strength endurance, as an athlete must put great force into every punch.
Being a boxer requires a great deal of strength endurance, as an athlete must put great force into every punch.

This can be contrasted to other sports that generally require a greater focus on pure endurance or pure strength. For example, running a marathon is generally a pure endurance sport because it’s much more focused on a person’s ability to maintain a consistent low-level performance over a long period of time. There are also pure strength events, such as certain weight-lifting sports that allow long rest periods between each outburst of exertion. Overall, these kinds of sports are generally less common than sports that require a mix of both attributes.

Training for a marathon requires building strength endurance.
Training for a marathon requires building strength endurance.

A common problem with improving strength endurance is finding a balanced exercise regimen. When people try to develop strength, the traditional approach involves exerting force against the greatest resistance possible for a very short amount of time and then resting. Generally, intense levels of resistance require at least some kind of rest period, and for greater levels of resistance, more rest is often required.

When building up a strength endurance, it's important to rest in between sessions and not become over exerted.
When building up a strength endurance, it's important to rest in between sessions and not become over exerted.

People who are working on strength endurance often balance this out by shortening the rest period so that the heart rate never gets all the way down to a normal level. For example, in a normal workout, a person may do five bench presses followed by a rest time of five minutes or more. Someone working on strength endurance may do the same exercise and then only rest for about 50 seconds or so before doing it again. Another approach to strength-endurance training is to lift less weight, but perform a lot of repetitions. According to experts, this can work to some extent, but it often fails to achieve the ultimate goal of sustaining maximum resistance ability.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Being a boxer requires a great deal of strength endurance, as an athlete must put great force into every punch.
      By: xixinxing
      Being a boxer requires a great deal of strength endurance, as an athlete must put great force into every punch.
    • Training for a marathon requires building strength endurance.
      By: Maridav
      Training for a marathon requires building strength endurance.
    • When building up a strength endurance, it's important to rest in between sessions and not become over exerted.
      By: MaxRiesgo
      When building up a strength endurance, it's important to rest in between sessions and not become over exerted.
    • One approach to strength-endurance training is to lift less weight, but perform a lot of repetitions.
      By: jamirae
      One approach to strength-endurance training is to lift less weight, but perform a lot of repetitions.