Training strategies
1. Repetition schemes
Moderate repetition schemes rely heavily on
anaerobic glycolysis (1,2). This results in a significant buildup of
metabolites. Buildup of these metabolites has been shown to have a
significant impact on anabolic processes (1,3). There may be a maximum
threshold for tension-induced hypertrophy, above which metabolic factors become
more important than additional increases in load (1).
Moderate repetition ranges also maximize acute cellular
hydration. During moderate rep training, the veins taking blood out of
working muscles are compressed while arteries continue to deliver blood into
the working muscles. This creates an increased concentration of intramuscular
blood plasma. The buildup of fluid in the interstitial spaces causes an extracellular
pressure gradient, known as the ‘‘pump’’ (1). This is augmented by the
accumulation of metabolic byproducts, which function as osmolytes, drawing
fluid into the cell (1,4).
2. Muscular failure
Training to failure is hypothesized to
activate a greater number of MUs (5).
Henneman’s size principle (of motor unit
activation) states that motor units are recruited in an orderly fashion from
smallest to largest with increasing requirement for force generation (6,7).
If a submaximal (below 1RM), contraction is sustained motor units that were initially
recruited fatigue, thus producing less force or cease firing completely, and
need the recruitment of additional motor units (8). This provides
an additional stimulus for hypertrophy (9).
It follows that as the repetitions are repeated
or as the set progresses to the point of failure, near maximal motor
unit recruitment to sustain muscle tension is achieved (10).
3. Intensity
Lower loads (30% RM) lifted to failure
result in similar hypertrophy as heavy loads (80% RM) lifted to
failure (at least in recreationally active subjects) (11). Lifting
lighter loads, so long as fatigue is induced, leads to roughly equivalent
hypertrophy and strength gains (11,12,13,14,15).
Also, lighter loads lifted to the point of failure
result in a similar amount of muscle fiber activation compared with
heavier loads, and both fiber types are stimulated to a roughly equivalent extent (11,16).
4. Time under tension
Time under tension has been shown to stimulate
optimal growth (17). The time under tension during lower repetition sets
appears to be suboptimal for hypertrophy.
Increased time under tension may enhance the
potential for microtrauma and fatigueability. This would seem to have greatest
applicability for hypertrophy of slow-twitch fibers, which have greater
endurance capacity than fast-twitch fibers and thus would benefit by increased
time under tension (1).
5. Rest Interval
Short rest intervals (30s) tend to generate
significant metabolic stress leading to metabolite buildup, which enhance
anabolic processes (1,18), however this compromises mechanical tension. Moderate
rest intervals (60s) appear to provide a satisfactory compromise between long
and short rest periods for maximizing the muscle hypertrophy (1).
Moderate rest (60s) induces greater hypoxia,
heightening the potential for increased muscular growth (1,19). Moderate rest
also is associated with a greater metabolic buildup, spiking anabolic hormonal
concentrations after exercise (1,20).
Training techniques
1. Drop sets
Drop sets involve performing a set to muscular
failure and then immediately reducing the load for another set (21).
Multiple drops can be done in this fashion. The more multiple drops the greater
the fatigue for the whole muscle will be (22) and the greater the metabolic
stress for slow twitch fibers. Note that fast twitch fibers (for a
giving load) are all involved when failure is reached. Drops sets allow
for an increased time under tension, more metabolic stress and ischemia.
2. Ascending sets
This is sort of the opposite of drop sets.
Rather than dropping the weight each time, the weight is increased every
time as the repetitions decrease (12+10+8+6 reps).
Ascending sets might be beneficial to delay
their fatigue response (rapid with low reps) and allow them to build up lactate
until muscular failure where they are maximally recruited (size-principle).
Slow-twitch fibers will get optimally stimulated as well anyway with long
periods under tension.
3. Supersets
Supersets are 2 exercises or more performed in
succession without rest (21,27). Supersets can performed for the same muscle,
or for opposing muscles such as in an agonist-antagonist paired set (APS)
training. Because there’s practically no rest between sets, this may
increase muscular fatigue and metabolic stress (28), the same as with drop sets
with moderate to high repetitions. Supersets should have be done to
failure (every exercise).
4. Blood flow restriction
Occlusion training causes blood flow restriction
and involves obstructing blood flow to the veins, but not the arteries so that
they continue to deliver blood to the limb (25,26). In other words, blood gets
in but struggles to get out. This is done using knee wraps for the legs, and
wrist wraps for the arms (25).
Blood flow should not be completely
restricted, it should be restricted at about 50-70%. A scale of perceived
pressure should be used, for example from 1-10 (10-100%). During BFR, muscle
cells reach become so full of fluid that they have to grow or die (29). BFR
increase muscle cell swelling, the low oxygen level and accumulation of blood
increase fast-twitch muscle fiber recruitment (26,29,30,31) and increase blood
lactic acid levels 2 which stimulate protein synthesis (32).
Shorter rest periods (30 seconds) are optimal (32).
Interestingly, the concentric action is more important than the eccentric
action (33), which is the opposite of traditional training where the eccentric
causes more damage and increased protein synthesis. This is because
high forces can be generated at a relatively low metabolic cost in eccentric
contractions compared to either isometric or concentric contractions (34).
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References:
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