Define Tests to Measure Muscular Strength and Endurance?
It is important to first understand the difference between muscular strength and endurance. To know the muscular strength, how much load a person can lift or resist is measured but it does not take time or repetitions into consideration. While when the person is able to sustain certain degree of tension over the period of maximum time or repeats identical muscular movements for maximal number of times, this is called as muscular endurance. The different test for muscular strength includes Isokinetic strength tests, Hand-grip strength test and abdominal strength test. The different tests that are used for evaluating muscular endurance include pull-up, push-up test, and Bent-knee curl up test and Bench-press test.
Thus, as strength is the force exerted by a muscle or muscle groups during a single contraction, it can be measured for specific muscle groups. For this purpose, equipment called dynamometer is used. 'Handgrip' and 'Back & Leg' dynamometers are most commonly used. A dynamometer measures the amount of force that particular muscles groups can exert with very little movement. The best of three attempts is recorded and the highest of these reading is taken as a score. When the subject is asked to repeat his possible maximum grip strength for as many times as possible or say in one minute, it will test his muscular endurance.