Muscle endurance is essentially the ability to do work under tension. The tension, intensity and load, and volume will depend on the athlete’s abilities. What gets challenged here is motor control: Can the client maintain motor control while performing volume under load/tension?
For a general population type of client, it could be something like:
A1. Goblet Squat, @3131, 6-8 reps x 4 sets; Rest 2 minutes
A2. Bent-Over Barbell Row, @3131, 6-8 reps x 4 sets; rest 2 minutes
For the higher functional fitness level athlete, it could be something like:
5 Sets:
15 Touch and Go Deadlifts @65%
Rest 90 seconds
12 Strict Handstand Push-Up
Rest 90 seconds
9 Hang Power Cleans + Shoulder to Overhead @60%
Rest 2 minutes
STRENGTH ENDURANCE
Strength endurance is similar to muscle endurance, only now the tension or load increases, while volume decreases. However, when training strength endurance, motor control is no longer the limiting factor. Instead, overcoming external load becomes the limiting factor. In this sense, you’re still training muscle endurance when you’re training strength endurance, but now we’re adding another contraction: strength endurance.
For the general population client, an example of training strength endurance could be:
A1. Back Squats, @31×1, 6-8 reps x 4 sets; rest 2 minutes
A2. Barbell Prone Row, @31×1, 6-8 reps x 4 sets; rest 2 minutes
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The movement has changed from a goblet squat to a back squat, which allows them to increase the load/intensity. Second, the tempo is less controlled as it was during muscle endurance training and now requires the athlete to have an explosive intent in each movement.
For the more experienced functional fitness athlete, it could be:
5 sets:
12 Touch and Go Deadlift @75%
Rest 90 seconds
9 Strict Deficit Handstand Push-up
Rest 90 seconds
6 Touch and Go Power Clean @70 percent
Rest 2 minutes
MAXIMAL CONTRACTIONS
Maximal contractions are at the highest level of fatigue, the highest level of tension, such as a one-rep max lift. To train this, the client must now have the ability to express both muscle endurance and strength endurance. If they cannot do that, there’s no point in trying to have them train a maximal contraction.
Training a maximal contraction can look the exact same for the general population client as the high-level functional fitness athlete. An example would be:
A1. Back Squat, @20X1, build to a 1 rep max
A2. Strict Weighted Pull-Up, @30X1, build to a one-rep max
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