Building stronger muscles that will carry you the distance doesn’t mean you have to lift a lot of heavy weight. Here’s a muscular endurance workout that will allow you to achieve greater strength, endurance and overall conditioning. A muscular endurance workout helps develop the ability to sustain repeated force or contractions against resistance.
This routine is a mix of upper body and lower body movements performed over a specific length of time, while some movements will be done to failure.
Here are five perks that will make you want to get up and get going with muscle endurance workouts:
- Ability to last longer during physical activity
- Reduce injury
- Better muscle shape without bulking
- Increased strength
- Weight control
As a runner, you will benefit from incorporating muscular endurance workouts twice a week.
Warm-Up
15 seconds for each exercise performed as a circuit style warm-up continuously for 5 minutes.
- Lunges
- Butt Kicks
- Side to Side Step Squats
- Glute Bridge
The Workout
Complete four moves as a circuit, aim for 4-5 sets. Pick weight that will be comfortable enough that you will feel resistance throughout the entire workout.
Deadlift
4-5 Sets: 1 minute each
- Start with a barbell or dumbbells on the floor in front of you. Lower back should be neutral and straight.
- When using a bar, the top of your foot should be slightly under the bar, toes facing outwards. Feet should be narrow and arms on the bar just outside your legs.
- Bend your knees and lower your body until your shins touch the bar. Pull the bar up keeping it against your legs, stand up straight squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Once you’ve locked your hip and knees the movement is complete.
- Return to starting position and repeat for one minute!
Bench Pistol Squat
4-5 Sets: 30 seconds each leg
- Sit on a bench with knees bent at 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor, back straight.
- Grab one dumbbell and hold it out in front of your body.
- Raise one leg up off the ground while the other leg is still on the ground and your knee is locked.
- Lift your body straight up from the bench with your weight on the opposite leg that is on the ground.
- Return to the starting position and repeat.
- Alternate legs.
Modification: you can perform this move with no weight, simply keeping your hands out in front of you and follow all the same steps.
Chest Bench Press
(Bar or Dumbbells) 4-5 Sets: to failure
- Sit at the end of the bench and lie down on your back.
- Squeeze shoulder blades and raise your chest, keeping back tight.
- Grab bar, feet flat on the floor shoulder-width apart.
- Remove bar from the rack with arms straight, lower the bar to mid-chest and ensure your elbows are tucked as you lower the weight.
- Push weight up straight above your chest.
- Repeat move to failure.
Modification: If one arm is stronger than the other or the bar is too heavy, use dumbbells to start. As you get stronger and more balanced you can either increase the weight in the dumbbells or use the bar.
Chin-Up (or Seated Row)
4-5 Sets: to failure
- Grab the overhead bar with palms facing your torso, shoulder width apart.
- Keep your torso straight and lift chest toward the bar, then lower your body to the starting position.
- Repeat until you can’t do any more.
Modification: Use an assisted chin-up machine if needed.
Cool Down
Stretch quads, hamstrings, glutes, back, chest, shoulders and arms. Follow with foam rolling for each muscle listed.
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