The RSF Training Guide - Part 4
Improve Muscle Endurance
Muscle endurance is your muscles’ ability to keep working before they get tired.
Strength is about how much force you can produce.
Muscle endurance is about how long your muscles can keep going.
Think about the difference between lifting one heavy box and carrying several boxes across the room. The first relies more on strength. The second requires your muscles to keep working over time.
Why Does Muscle Endurance Matter?
Muscle endurance comes into play more often than you might realize.
You use it when you:
carry groceries, laundry, or a child
hike, garden, or do yardwork
play sports like pickleball, tennis, or golf
hold a plank or do repeated push-ups or step-ups
work through longer workouts or circuits
keep going through everyday tasks without your muscles tiring as quickly
How Do You Improve Muscle Endurance?
Use a Manageable Weight
Muscle-endurance training generally uses less weight than strength-focused training so your muscles can keep working longer.
That doesn’t mean the weight should feel easy. The last few reps should still feel challenging.
Do More Reps
For many exercises, 12 or more challenging reps is a useful target.
That might mean 12–15 reps for one exercise or 15–20 or more for another.
The goal isn’t just to rack up reps. It’s to teach your muscles to keep working even as they start to get tired.
Take Shorter Rest Periods
Muscle-endurance workouts usually use shorter rest periods than strength-focused workouts. That gives your muscles less time to fully recover before they work again.
You still want enough rest to maintain good form. The goal is to challenge your endurance—not rush through the workout.
Circuits Can Work Well
Circuits are a natural fit for muscle endurance because you move through several exercises with relatively short breaks.
For example, you might work through squats, rows, presses, lunges, and core exercises, then repeat the circuit.
Your heart rate may increase too, but the main goal is still to help your muscles keep working longer.
How Is This Different From Cardio Endurance?
Muscle endurance and cardio endurance often work together, but they’re not the same thing.
Muscle endurance is how long your muscles can keep working.
Cardio endurance is how well your heart and lungs support your body during longer periods of activity.
You may notice the difference on a hike:
If your legs get tired first, muscle endurance may be the limiting factor.
If you’re too out of breath to keep going, cardio endurance may be the bigger limitation.
We’ll talk more about cardio endurance in Part 5.
What This Looks Like at RSF
If improving muscle endurance is your goal, Strong & Fit and Power Hour are both good options.
Strong & Fit includes repeated strength exercises and conditioning, while the conditioning portion of Power Hour can challenge your muscles to keep working as they fatigue.
Dedicated Strength Classes are still important too, I include some endurance work throughout each program. Plus, the stronger you are, the easier many repeated movements and everyday tasks can feel.
A simple week might include:
1–2 Strong & Fit or Power Hour classes
1–2 dedicated Strength Classes
cardio or regular activity on other days
Key Takeaway
If improving muscle endurance is your goal, focus on repeated muscle work, higher reps, and somewhat shorter rest periods.
For many exercises, 12 or more challenging reps is a useful target.
The goal isn’t to lift the most weight. It’s to help your muscles keep working longer before they get tired.
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