Identification

• Muscular strength is the ability to lift a heavy load. Muscular endurance is the ability to lift a load for a sustained period of time, according to "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training."
  
  

Benefits

• There are two types of muscle fibers in the body, slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Muscular strength is associated with the fast-twitch muscle fibers, and endurance is associated with the slow-twitch fibers. Strength training has the added benefit of improving bone density.
  
  

Considerations

• There are different ways to train with weights for strength and endurance. Weight training for strength involves smaller loads that are heavier --- 60 percent to 90 percent of your one-repetition maximum --- for seven to 12 reps. Weight training for muscular endurance involves lifting lighter loads --- 40 percent or less of your one-rep max --- for up to 15 repetitions.