Q & A: What is the Difference Between Edurance and Strength in Weight Training?

Q. What is the difference between endurance and strength in weight lifting?

A. As the song goes, "you can't have one without the other"; endurance and strength training go hand in hand. The difference is the route you choose to get you there or, in other words, training style.

• For endurance lifting: You can start with light weights (3 -10 lbs), increased repetitions (15-20), and a brief rest between sets (30-50 seconds, maximum).


• For strength lifting: You might try heavier weights (80% of max. on certain lifts), decreased number of repetitions (1-6) and a recovery time of 3 - 5 minutes between sets.

As you increase endurance you are also making gains in strength, and as you are increasing your strength, you are making gains in endurance...they compliment each other.