Muscular endurance is the ability of muscles to repeatedly exert force against resistance over multiple repetitions. It can be assessed through dynamic tests using a percentage of maximum strength to perform as many repetitions as possible. Common tests include the bench press and push-up tests. Accurate assessment requires controlling for client, equipment, technician, and environmental factors. A variety of muscle-specific dynamic tests are needed to fully evaluate strength and endurance.

1. MUSCULAR ENDURANCE
What is Muscular Endurance?
Muscular endurance is the ability of a
muscle or group of muscles to repeatedly
exert force against resistance. Performing
multiple repetitions of an exercise is a form of
muscular endurance, as is running or
swimming. If your muscles have to contract in
a similar pattern more than one time you are
using muscular endurance.

2. Dynamic Muscular Endurance
Test
You can assess your client’s dynamic
muscular endurance by having the individual
perform as many repetitions as possible
using a weight that is a set percentage of the
body weight or maximum strength (1-RM).
Pollock, Wilmore and Fox (1978) recommend
using a weight that is 70% of the 1-RM value
for each exercise.

3. The YMCA (Golding, Meyers, and
Sinning 1989) recommends using a bench
press test to assess dynamic muscular
endurance of the upper body.
For this absolute endurance test, use a
flat bench and barbell. The client performs as
many repetitions as possible at a set cadence
of 30 repetitions per minute. Use a
metronome to establish the exercise
cadence. Male clients lift an 80 pound (36.4
kg) barbell, whereas the female clients use a
35 pound (15.9 kg ) barbell.

4. Dynamic Muscular Testing Using
Isokinetic and Omni kinetic Exercise
Modes
Isokinetic dynamometer provide an
accurate assessment to strength
endurance and provide power of muscle
groups. The speed of the limb
movement is kept at a constant
preselected velocity.

5. Any increase in muscular force
produces an increased resistance
rather than increased acceleration of
the limb. Thus the fluctuations in
muscular force throughout the ROM are
matched by an equal counterforce or
accumulating resistance.
Isokinetic dynamometers measure
muscular torque production of speeds
0° to 300°see. from the recorded output
you can evaluate peak torque, total
work, and power. Some less expensive
Isokinetic dynamometers lack this

6. Some less expensive Isokinetic
dynamometers lack this recording
capability but are suitable for training and
rehabilitation exercise.
Omni kinetic exercise dynamometers
provide maximum overload at every joint
angle throughout the ROM at whatever
speed the individuals is capable of
generating. This testing system provides
an accommodating resistance that adjusts
to both the force and velocity output of the
individual and is not limited to a present
velocity of limb movement.

7. Thus, at anyone setting the individual
maximally overloads both the force and
velocity production capabilities of the
contractile elements. The stronger the
individual, the faster the speed of limb
movement at any given setting. Also,
increasing limb velocity results in
increased resistance. Even as the
muscles fatigues, the individual
receives optimal overload with each
repetition because the limb speed and
resistance decrease.

8. Theoretically, movement at slower
speeds will allow recruitment of motor
units that were not contributing to the
total force production in earlier
repetitions performed at faster speeds.
Self accommodating, variables
resistance- variable velocity exercise
devices therefore assess the Isokinetic
strength and endurance of both fast-
twitch and slow-twitch motor units in the
muscles group.

9. Callisthenic – type strength and
Muscular Endurance
In certain field situation, you may not
have access to dynamometers, free
weights, or exercise machines to
assess muscular fitness. As an
alternative, you may use Callisthenic
type strength and endurance test to
assess your clients strength and
muscular endurance.

10. Dynamic Strength Tests
You can measure dynamic strength
using callisthenic type exercise by
determining the maximum weight in
excess of the body weight, that an
individual can lift for one repetition of
the movement.

11. Dynamic Endurance Tests
You can assess dynamic muscular
endurance by measuring the maximum
number of repetitions for each
callisthenic type exercise. Test protocols
and norms for some commonly used
muscular endurance tests ( e.g. pull-
ups, sit-ups and dips)

12. Because many women and children are
unable to perform even one pull-up, the
timed flexed arm hang is commonly
used for these groups. However, the
flexed arm hang measures isometric
endurance. To assess dynamic
endurance of the arm and shoulder
girdle musculature, Baumgartner (1978)
developed a modified pull-up test that
uses an inclined board (30° angle to
floor)with a pull-up bar at the top.

13. The ACSM (1995) recommend using a
push-up test to assess endurance of the
upper body musculature. When you are
testing men have the client assume a
standard push-up position, with the
back straight, head up, and hands
placed shoulder width apart. Place your
fist on the floor beneath the clients
chest and count the repetition only if his
chest contracts your fist during each
repetition.

14. For women, modify the standard push-
up position by having the client assume
a kneeling position with the knees
flexed to 90° and the ankle crossed.
There is no set criterion for determining
how far the body must be lowered
during each repetition. Score the push-
up test for men and women as the
maximum number of consecutive
repetitions performed without rest.

15. Muscular Fitness Testing:
Sources of Measurement Error
The validity and reliability of strength
and muscular endurance measures are
affected by client factors equipment,
technicians skill, and environmental
factors. You must control each of these
factors to ensure the accuracy and
precision of muscular fitness scores.

16. Client Factors
Prior to measuring your clients strength
for muscular endurance, familiarize
them with the equipment and testing
procedures. Clients with limited or no
prior weight lifting experience need time
to practice each lift to control for the
effects of learning on performance.
Even experienced weight lifters should
given time to practice so you can
correct any improper lifting techniques
prior to testing.

17. Muscular fitness tests required each
client to give a maximal effort.
Therefore, adequate sleep is needed,
and you should restrict client’s use of
drugs and medications that may
adversely affect their performance. It is
also important that you motivate your
clients during testing by encouraging
them to do their best and by giving them
positive feedback.

18. Equipment
The design of testing equipment may
also affect your client’s test scores. Most of
the dynamic strength and muscular
endurance protocols and norms in this
chapter where develop using constant-
resistance exercise machines. Therefore,
you should not use free weights and
variable-resistance machines when
administering the tests. It is also important
to calibrate the equipment and make sure
that it is in proper working condition prior to
testing inspection and maintenance of
equipment will increase accuracy and
decrease the risk of accidents.

19. When selecting exercise machines,
make sure that the equipment can be
properly adjusted to accommodate
varying limb lengths and body sizes.
Use equipment specifically design for
smaller individuals when testing
children and smaller adults.

20. Technician Skill
All strength testing should be done by qualified,
trained technicians who are knowledgeable
about proper lifting and spotting techniques and
familiar with standardized testing procedure.
After explaining and demonstrating the proper
lifting technique, give your client ample time to
practice the lift, correcting any performance
errors you see as the client practices. during the
test, client may inadvertently “cheat” by moving
extraneous body parts to help lift the weight.
Carefully observe the client during the test,
focusing on the grip (pronated vs. supinated)
has a substantial effect on performance.

21. For example, using a narrow grip instead of
a wide grip during a latpulldown exercise
increases the amount of weight that can be
lifted. Likewise, the client will be able to
produce more force during an arm curl using
a supinated grip compare to a pronated grip.
The client’s starting position may also affect
strength scores. During the bench press, for
example, eccentric movement (i.e., lowering
the weight) prior to the concentric phase of
the lift will increase the maximal muscular
force due to the stretch reflex and the
tendency for the client to “bounce” the
weight off the chest.

22. Environmental Factors
Factor such as room temperature and
humidity maybe affects the scores. The
room temperature should be 70° to 74°
F (21° to 23° C) to maximize client
comfort during testing.

23. Additional Considerations for
Muscular Fitness Testing
A number of additional factors and
questions need to be addressed when
assessing static and dynamic muscle
strength and endurance of your clients.

24. Can Strength or Muscular
Endurance Be Assessed by a
Single Test?

25. Strength and endurance are specific to
the muscle group, the type of muscular
contraction (static or dynamic) the speed
of muscular contraction (slow or fast),
and the joint angle being tested (static
contraction). There is no single test to
evaluate total body muscle strength or
endurance.

26. Minimally, the strength test battery
should include a measure of abdominal,
lower- extremity, and upper-extremity
strength. In addition, if the individuals
trains dynamically, select a dynamic, not
static, test to assess test to assess
strength or endurance levels before and
after training.

27. Is it Safe to Give 1-RM Test to
Children or Older Adults?

28. It is safe to administer 1-RM test to
clients at all ages if appropriate
procedures are used by (Kraemer and
Fleck1993). The risk injury in older
adults(55 to 80 years) is low with only
2.4% of older adults experiencing an
injury during 1-RM assessments.

29. However, some experts recommend
using 6-RM tests to assess the strength
of children(Kraemer and Fry 1995).
Alternatively, you can estimate the 1-
RM of older clients, children, and
adolescents from submaximal muscle
endurance tests.

30. How is Muscle Balance
Assessed?
Muscle strength is important to joint
stability; however, strength imbalance
between opposing muscle groups ( e.g,
quadriceps femoris and hamstring) may
compromise joints stability and increase
the risk of musculoskeletal injury. For the
reason experts recommend maintaining a
balance in strength between agonist and
antagonist muscle groups.

31. Muscles balance ratios differ among
muscle groups and are affected by the
force velocity of muscle groups at specific
joints. To control limb velocity during
muscle balance testing you will do best to
use isokinetic dynamometers. In field
settings, however you can obtain a crude
index of muscle balance by comparing 1-
RM values to muscle groups.

32. THANK YOU
Prepared By:
JESSA JAN VINSON
APRIL ROSE LOZADA
JANELLE NIEVES
KIRK DOVIE BELIRAN
CHARLENE SEVILLO