The effects of pre-exhaustion, exercise order, and rest intervals in a full-body resistance training intervention

Pre-exhaustion (PreEx) training is advocated on the principle that immediately preceding a compound exercise with an isolation exercise can target stronger muscles to pre-exhaust them to obtain greater adaptations in strength and size. However, research considering PreEx training method is limited. The present study looked to examine the effects of a PreEx training programme. Thirty-nine trained participants (male = 9, female = 30) completed 12 weeks of resistance training in 1 of 3 groups: a group that performed PreEx training (n = 14), a group that performed the same exercise order with a rest interval between exercises (n = 17), and a control group (n = 8) that performed the same exercises in a different order (compound exercises prior to isolation). No significant between-group effects were found for strength in chest press, leg press, or pull-down exercises, or for body composition changes. Magnitude of change was examined for outcomes also using effect size (ES). ESs for strength changes were considered large for each group for every exercise (ranging 1.15 to 1.62). In conclusion, PreEx training offers no greater benefit to performing the same exercises with rest between them compared with exercises performed in an order that prioritises compound movements

Beware the Meta-Analysis: Is Multiple Set Training Really Better than Single-Set Training for Muscle Hypertrophy?

While many individuals perform resistance training with the purpose of increasing the size of their muscles, reviews have not clarified a training prescription for optimizing hypertrophy. A 2010 meta-analysis concluded that multiple set training resulted in greater hypertrophic gains compared to single set training. However, while the use of meta-analysis in exercise physiology is well documented, there is sufficient reason to be cautious when applying a single statistic acquired by combining multiple studies and the relevant effect sizes (ES). This paper reviews the articles included within the 2010 meta-analysis. In particular, the differences in subject training experience, gender, and clinical condition, the training frequency, the intervention duration, the repetition duration used, and the method of measuring hypertrophy, as well as other variables that appear not to have been considered are discussed in this paper. The substantial limitations in comparing or grouping these articles suggest that the meta-analysis cannot be used to support the conclusion that multiple sets produce greater hypertrophic gains than single set training

Attitudes toward and preferences for male and female personal trainers

Previous research has considered the perceptions of athletes towards gender of coach and strength and conditioning coach. However, to date there appears little research considering the perceptions of clients towards gender of personal trainer. The purpose of this study was to investigate male and females perceptions of same- or opposite-gender personal trainers. Four hundred and two (male = 201, female = 201) undergraduate University student participants completed an adapted version of the Attitudes of Athletes toward Male versus Female Coaches Questionnaire (AAMFCQ; 23). A 2 x 2 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that neither males nor females showed any preference for gender of hypothetical personal trainer (p > 0.05) although both males and females reported that a personal trainer of the opposite gender might make it harder to concentrate (p < 0.05). Previous research has reported a preference for male coaches/strength and conditioning coaches from both male and female athletes. However, this study suggests that there is no such gender bias towards personal trainers in this population

The effects of load and effort-matched concentric and eccentric knee extension training in recreational females

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of load and intensity of effort-matched concentric and eccentric knee extension training on isometric strength. Methods. Unilateral isometric torque was measured using a MedX knee extension after which eleven recreationally trained females performed both concentric-only (CONC) and eccentric-only (ECC) unilateral knee extension exercise once per week for 8 weeks. Participants performed a single set of both CONC and ECC exercise load matched at 80% of maximum isometric torque for each condition. All participants exercised to repetition maximum in both CONC and ECC conditions at a pace of ~3 s duration for each muscle action. This ensured that participants exercised to the same intensity of effort for both CONC and ECC training interventions. Results. Analyses revealed significant increases in isometric torque for both CONC (14.8%) and ECC (13.0%) conditions (p 0.05). Effect sizes are reported as 0.60 (CONC) and 0.53 (ECC). In addition, analyses revealed significantly greater mean total training volume for ECC compared with CONC conditions (15903 vs. 8091, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusions. The present findings indicate that, when matched for intensity of effort, both CONC and ECC knee extension exercise can significantly improve strength to the same extent. This supports previous research that load and repetitions are not as important as intensity of effort in resistance exercise

Strength gains as a result of brief, infrequent resistance exercise in older adults

Chronological aging is associated with a decrease in skeletal muscle mass and bone mineral density, an increase in fat mass, frequency of falls and fractures, and the likelihood of obesity, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Resistance exercise has been shown to counter all of these effects of aging and, in turn, reduce the risk of all-cause mortality. However, variables such as volume and frequency have become contentious issues, with recent publications suggesting that similar physiological adaptations are possible with both high- and low-volume approaches. The aim of this research was to consider strength increases as a result of brief, infrequent resistance exercise. The present study offers data from 33 (14 male and 19 female) older adults

Introduction

Occasional Papers in Sociology and Anthropology - Volume 1, 198