06 Aug Simpler Resistance Exercise Program Brings Big Gains in Strength

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
James Fisher  BSc (Hons)  MSc  PGCLT(HE)
Senior Lecturer Sports Conditioning and Fitness
IFBB Certified Weight Training Prescription Specialist
Centre for Health, Exercise and Sport Science
Faculty of Business, Sport and Enterprise
Southampton Solent University, Southampton

Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study?

Answer: The study reports that pre-conceived ideas about exercise order, and rest intervals are not substantiated by evidence, and that advanced training routines such as pre-exhaustion appear to induce no greater strength adaptations than simpler training methods. Ultimately, that a single set of each exercise performed at a repetition duration which maintains muscular tension is all that is necessary to induce significant increases in strength in even trained persons.

Medical Research: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Answer: Whilst the results of the paper might appear surprising to some persons, they weren’t unexpected by the researchers involved. Three of the authors have previously published considerable reviews of resistance exercise  (Evidence-Based Resistance Training Recommendations. Medicina Sportiva  2011; 15(3); 147-162 and Evidence-Based Resistance Training Recommendations for Muscular Hypertrophy. Medicina Sportiva, 2013; 17(4); 217-235) reporting that the current body of literature appears to support these simple guidelines. There was previous no research considering pre-exhaustion training but the researchers approached this area open minded.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Answer: In my opinion resistance exercise guidelines are generally over complicated, the present evidence supports that it is intensity of effort which is the most significant variable to determine our adaptations to exercise. Participants in the present study exercised for less than 30 minutes only 2 x / week and made incredible gains in strength. This is notable, especially in trained participants as in this research. Resistance exercise holds a plethora of health benefits, most of which also appear associated to exercise effort not volume or load, as such clinicians and patients should be considering this type of exercise to improve their overall quality of life.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Answer: There are other advanced techniques which we are currently investigating and require further research. We would also like to consider how significant these gains are as a result of supervised training and whether similar results can be obtained with group or without supervision.

Citation:

James Peter Fisher, Luke Carlson, James Steele, Dave Smith. The effects of pre-exhaustion, exercise order, and rest intervals in a full-body resistance training intervention. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2014; 1 DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2014-0162

Last Updated on August 6, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD