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“Muscular endurance refers to the ability to perform a specific muscular action (of sub-maximal force) for a prolonged period of time,” explains fitness instructor Philip Durity, returning once more to give us an expert look. “Muscular strength is a muscle’s capacity to exert a maximum amount of force in a single effort.”

A muscle is a muscle, right? What can one do to increase a muscle’s endurance over its strength, or vice-versa? Well, it turns our different muscle fibers in the body are better suited for one over the other.

“People have generally two types of skeletal muscle fibers,” explains Phil. “Slow-twitch (also known as Type I) and fast-twitch (Type II). Slow-twitch muscle fibers are suited for long endurance feats such as distance running, while fast-twitch muscles fatigue quicker but are used in powerful burst of movements such as sprinting.”

He also adds that knowing your goals – muscular conditioning or brute strength – is crucial when planning a workout regimen. To increase endurance, Phil recommends body-weight exercises such as push-ups, body squats, sit-ups, pull-ups and aerobic exercises like swimming or jogging. For strength building, weighted exercises like barbell deadlifts, barbell & dumbbell squats, bent-over barbell low rows and power cleans are useful. Of course, proper posture and safe execution become more and more important as you stack on weight. The Slayer has it all when it comes to strength and endurance, but he also has good posture and an intact spine!

DISCLAIMER: Always consult your physician before making changes to your diet or beginning any physical fitness regimen and/or rigorous activity. Stop immediately if you feel faint, dizzy, pain or shortness of breath while exercising. This series is intended for entertainment purposes and does not replace the advice of healthcare professionals. ZeniMax Media and its partners are not responsible for any injuries that may occur from attempting exercises shown on this website.