Muscular Strength vs Muscular Endurance

[Longhorn85]

I am 6'1'', 220 lbs and I bench press over 300lbs, but I got absolutely smoked in a step aerobic/sculpt class last night. I took the class with my wife just for fun and couldn't believe how good of a workout it was. I have taken these classes before, as a matter of fact I used to teach them, but it has been at least 5 years.

After about 25 minutes of step cardio the instructor had us pick up these lame weight bars. Most of the women used 9 or 12 lb bars but I grabbed the heaviest one, 15 lbs. We did curls, overhead presses and tricep extensions ad finitum and my shit was burning up!

I never quit but only because as I looked to my right and left I saw housewives and soccer moms keeping right up.

Damn.

 

[Assertive Guy]

I am 6'1'', 220 lbs and I bench press over 300lbs, but I got absolutely smoked in a step aerobic/sculpt class last night. I took the class with my wife just for fun and couldn't believe how good of a workout it was. I have taken these classes before, as a matter of fact I used to teach them, but it has been at least 5 years.

After about 25 minutes of step cardio the instructor had us pick up these lame weight bars. Most of the women used 9 or 12 lb bars but I grabbed the heaviest one, 15 lbs. We did curls, overhead presses and tricep extensions ad finitum and my shit was burning up!

I never quit but only because as I looked to my right and left I saw housewives and soccer moms keeping right up.

Damn.

Yip! If you want fitness, you gotta train for it, no doubt. Although I'm stronger than the other guy's I do some work with, when it came to practical moving strange shaped boxes, piano's etc it was lighter for me, but I was sweating and breathing SO hard. I bet 3,4 months at those classes you'd be right there with them all - some of it's just accustomising to the movements.

 

[eat big]

Train with higher reps on weights and do cardio after your WO's.

 

[Longhorn85]

Eat big, good advice but it is not my desire to train in order to be able to do this class. I was just amazed at how tough it was. As a matter of fact my bi's are still sore today. I think it makes a good complement to heavy workouts.

Assertive Guy thanks for the comments too, you're right, as we all know our bodies learn to adapt to any routine.

My wife and I are taking the class again Thursday, I'm sure it will be easier this time, but if so maybe I need to find a heavier bar or add another step increment. I like it when I'm smoked after a workout.

 

[eat big]

Eat big, good advice but it is not my desire to train in order to be able to do this class. I was just amazed at how tough it was. As a matter of fact my bi's are still sore today. I think it makes a good complement to heavy workouts.

Assertive Guy thanks for the comments too, you're right, as we all know our bodies learn to adapt to any routine.

My wife and I are taking the class again Thursday, I'm sure it will be easier this time, but if so maybe I need to find a heavier bar or add another step increment. I like it when I'm smoked after a workout.

I don't mean you should train so you can do this class. I meant you should train to have good endurance which is very important for over all health. I'd look at this class as a wake up call.

We all know you can out-sprint biteme but I bet he could whup you in a marathon.

 

[Longhorn85]

I don't mean you should train so you can do this class. I meant you should train to have good endurance which is very important for over all health. I'd look at this class as a wake up call.

We all know you can out-sprint biteme but I bet he could whup you in a marathon.

Ah, I see. Wake up call acknowledged and advice accepted. Although I must say as the only male in the class I thought I represented okay.

So you think doing cardio right after weights is a good idea to build endurance? How will this effect size over time? What about cardio first?

 

[eat big]

Ah, I see. Wake up call acknowledged and advice accepted. Although I must say as the only male in the class I thought I represented okay.

So you think doing cardio right after weights is a good idea to build endurance? How will this effect size over time? What about cardio first?

If you have fat to burn it shouldn't affect you too much. Cardio on off days would be key, especially in the early morning before breakfast. I wouldn't do cardio before weights -- I'd save the energy for weights homey. You will lose some strength and muscle once you get into a low BF %.

 

[Longhorn85]

You will lose some strength and muscle once you get into a low BF %.

That's a bridge I'll cross if I ever arrive.

BTW nice av, is that Liston on the ground? I forget.

 

[eat big]

That's a bridge I'll cross if I ever arrive.

BTW nice av, is that Liston on the ground? I forget.

Yeah it is. I think that might have been one of the first punches Muhammad threw. Liston jabbed with his left twice, while he did that, Ali slid to the right and hooked him with his right hand on the temple of Liston and Liston went down. Liston never saw it coming cause his left was extended.

 

[curgeo]

Actuallym there are different types of strength:
speed-strength
strength-endurance
maximum strength

And about a million different types of strength.

I am a powerlifter who trains for absolute strength. My body has adapted to low reps and high weights due to the way I train.
A marathon runner has better speed-endurance than a sprinter. The two of them will not train the same way nor should they. A sprinter will train with fast explosive movements and use weight training to stimulate fast-twitch fibers where a marathon runner will not use weight, but will try and get their muscular endurance better and better. Function dictates form (or is it form dictates function? I forget)

What I am basically saying, is that if you are training to be stronger, you really don't have a need to train for muscular endurance unless it is something that you want to do in everyday life. It does not mean that you are out of shape and the soccer moms are in better shape than you, it just means that they have adapted to training for endurance. I tell the same thing to people that want to do the splits....Why? Do you have something in your everyday life that requires that type of static flexability? If you are not a gymnast or a diver, chances are you don't.

Another thing to consider: IF you train your fast twitch fibers (big, strong, fast fibers) like an enurance athlete, your fast twitch will start taking on characteristics of slow twitch (high mitochondria, not easily tore, very weak, no strength but a lot of endurance). Please remember that one way of training without periodization ( and that is also debatable) will take away from your other types of training.