Which type of exercise increases muscular endurance most effectively?

Choosing low weight with high repetitions is the most effective method for increasing muscular endurance. This approach focuses on the ability of muscles to sustain prolonged activity. When you use lighter weights and perform a higher number of repetitions, you train your muscles to handle workloads over a longer period of time without fatigue. This type of training enhances the muscle fibers' efficiency in utilizing oxygen, improving their endurance capability.

Additionally, this method involves repeated muscle contractions, which can improve the overall stamina of the muscle groups being worked. Muscular endurance is particularly relevant for activities that require sustained muscle contractions, such as running or cycling, where the muscles must perform repetitively without losing performance significantly over time.

In contrast, high weight with low repetitions typically focuses on building maximal strength rather than endurance, as the intensity of the load can cause fatigue quickly. Static holds, while useful for building isometric strength, do not improve endurance in the same way because they do not involve continuous movement or multiple repetitions. Interval training, which alternates between high-intensity and lower-intensity periods, primarily benefits cardiovascular fitness and can improve anaerobic capacity rather than muscle endurance alone.