Objectives: Recent publications have reported that muscular strength is evidenced to improve longevity and reduce risks of all-cause mortality. The aims of the studies presented was to consider the most efficient methods of increasing muscular strength by manipulating the resistance training (RT) variables; load, type, frequency, rest interval, exercise order and intensity of effort.
Design: All but one of the included studies utilised a randomised controlled trial design with three experimental groups. The remaining study considered a within-participant design where participants performed unilateral exercise and so were compared between limbs.
Method: Muscular performance measurements were assessed using; a calculation of pre-intervention and post-intervention repetitions multiplied by the same absolute load, 1-repetition maximum and isometric torque measured for the lumbar extensors, knee extensors, and leg and back combined. Study duration varied between 6 and 12 weeks.
Results: Analyses revealed that use of high- and low-load and differing exercise order produce equivalent muscle performance results (p>0.05). Specific exercises for the lumbar extensors produced greater increases in isometric lumbar extension torque compared to Romanian deadlift training (p0.05). Resistance training 1.d.wk-1 produced similar strength increases to RT 2.d.wk-1 for the lumbar extensors in chronic low-back pain participants (p>0.05). The use of advanced training techniques in the form of pre-exhaustion training or breakdown set training produced no greater gains in strength than conventional sets of RT to momentary failure (p>0.05). Finally, where volume is equated; knee extensions performed not to failure produce similar increases in isometric knee extensor torque when compared to training to momentary failure (p>0.05).
Conclusions: The studies presented within this thesis show a coherent theme investigating optimal methods of increasing muscular strength by manipulating specific variables. The studies as a collective demonstrate the relative simplicity that can be used to attain considerable strength improvements by the use of uncomplicated resistance training
