bgates1654
New Member
Oh... I was talking about normally alternated exercises like squat/deadlift, incl press/ dips, and the like. Not the different exercises to add variety type... I guess I was sligtly off topic LOL.
alternate/don't alternate exercises?
- Thread starter terp
- Start date
I know this thread is about wasted but I just thoguht these were interesting and I'll bold out why.
J Appl Physiol. 2007 Jan;102(1):368-73. Epub 2006 Oct 19.
Early skeletal muscle hypertrophy and architectural changes in response to high-intensity resistance training.
Seynnes OR, de Boer M, Narici MV.
Manchester Metropolitan Univ., Institute for Biophysical and Clinical Research Into Human Movement, Hassall Rd., Alsager ST7 2HL, UK. o.seynnes@mmu.ac.uk).
The onset of whole muscle hypertrophy in response to overloading is poorly documented. The purpose of this study was to assess the early changes in muscle
size and architecture during a 35-day high-intensity resistance training (RT) program. Seven young healthy volunteers performed bilateral leg extension three times per week on a gravity-independent flywheel ergometer. Cross-sectional area (CSA) in the central © and distal (D) regions of the quadriceps femoris (QF), muscle architecture, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and electromyographic (EMG) activity were measured before and after 10, 20, and 35 days of RT. By the end of the training period, MVC and EMG activity increased by 38.9 +/- 5.7 and 34.8% +/- 4.7%, respectively. Significant increase in QF CSA (3.5 and 5.2% in the C and D regions, respectively) was observed after 20 days of training, along with a 2.4 +/- 0.7% increase in fascicle length from the 10th day of training. By the end of the 35-day training period, the total increase in QF CSA for regions C and D was 6.5 +/- 1.1 and 7.4 +/- 0.8%, respectively, and fascicle length and pennation angle increased by 9.9 +/- 1.2 and 7.7 +/- 1.3%, respectively. The results show for the first time that changes in muscle size are detectable after only 3 wk of RT and that remodeling of muscle architecture precedes gains in muscle CSA. Muscle hypertrophy seems to contribute to strength gains earlier than previously reported; flywheel training seems particularly effective for inducing these early structural adaptations.
Muscle Nerve. 2007 Jan;35(1):78-86.
Lack of human muscle architectural adaptation after short-term strength training.
Blazevich AJ, Gill ND, Deans N, Zhou S.
Centre for Sports Medicine and Human Performance, Brunel University, Kingston
Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom.
The mechanisms governing the increases in force production in response to short periods of strength training have yet to be fully elucidated. We examined
whether muscle architectural adaptation was a contributing factor. Ultrasound imaging techniques were used to measure quadriceps muscle architecture at 17
sites in vivo in trained and untrained legs of men and women after 2.5 and 5 weeks of unilateral knee extension training, as well as in a nontraining control
group. Despite increases in knee extensor strength of the trained and untrained (women only) legs, there were no changes in muscle thickness, fascicle angle, or
fascicle length in any of the muscles tested. The moderate correlation between vastus lateralis thickness (middle site) and eccentric (r = 0.55; P < 0.05) and concentric (r = 0.46; P < 0.1) torque after, but not before, training is suggestive of neural rather than architectural adaptations predominating in the early phase of training. Muscle Nerve, 2006.
So why is this interesting?
It points out several things about the learning phenomena associated with training, It points out how hypertrophy plays in strength along with other architetural chamges and how it may not only be muscle specific, training state specific but also mode of contraction specific. So overall intersting, to me at least.
Yeah I know Quad, what does this have to do with someone who is passed this learning curve
J Appl Physiol. 2007 Jan;102(1):368-73. Epub 2006 Oct 19.
Early skeletal muscle hypertrophy and architectural changes in response to high-intensity resistance training.
Seynnes OR, de Boer M, Narici MV.
Manchester Metropolitan Univ., Institute for Biophysical and Clinical Research Into Human Movement, Hassall Rd., Alsager ST7 2HL, UK. o.seynnes@mmu.ac.uk).
The onset of whole muscle hypertrophy in response to overloading is poorly documented. The purpose of this study was to assess the early changes in muscle
size and architecture during a 35-day high-intensity resistance training (RT) program. Seven young healthy volunteers performed bilateral leg extension three times per week on a gravity-independent flywheel ergometer. Cross-sectional area (CSA) in the central © and distal (D) regions of the quadriceps femoris (QF), muscle architecture, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and electromyographic (EMG) activity were measured before and after 10, 20, and 35 days of RT. By the end of the training period, MVC and EMG activity increased by 38.9 +/- 5.7 and 34.8% +/- 4.7%, respectively. Significant increase in QF CSA (3.5 and 5.2% in the C and D regions, respectively) was observed after 20 days of training, along with a 2.4 +/- 0.7% increase in fascicle length from the 10th day of training. By the end of the 35-day training period, the total increase in QF CSA for regions C and D was 6.5 +/- 1.1 and 7.4 +/- 0.8%, respectively, and fascicle length and pennation angle increased by 9.9 +/- 1.2 and 7.7 +/- 1.3%, respectively. The results show for the first time that changes in muscle size are detectable after only 3 wk of RT and that remodeling of muscle architecture precedes gains in muscle CSA. Muscle hypertrophy seems to contribute to strength gains earlier than previously reported; flywheel training seems particularly effective for inducing these early structural adaptations.
Muscle Nerve. 2007 Jan;35(1):78-86.
Lack of human muscle architectural adaptation after short-term strength training.
Blazevich AJ, Gill ND, Deans N, Zhou S.
Centre for Sports Medicine and Human Performance, Brunel University, Kingston
Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, United Kingdom.
The mechanisms governing the increases in force production in response to short periods of strength training have yet to be fully elucidated. We examined
whether muscle architectural adaptation was a contributing factor. Ultrasound imaging techniques were used to measure quadriceps muscle architecture at 17
sites in vivo in trained and untrained legs of men and women after 2.5 and 5 weeks of unilateral knee extension training, as well as in a nontraining control
group. Despite increases in knee extensor strength of the trained and untrained (women only) legs, there were no changes in muscle thickness, fascicle angle, or
fascicle length in any of the muscles tested. The moderate correlation between vastus lateralis thickness (middle site) and eccentric (r = 0.55; P < 0.05) and concentric (r = 0.46; P < 0.1) torque after, but not before, training is suggestive of neural rather than architectural adaptations predominating in the early phase of training. Muscle Nerve, 2006.
So why is this interesting?
It points out several things about the learning phenomena associated with training, It points out how hypertrophy plays in strength along with other architetural chamges and how it may not only be muscle specific, training state specific but also mode of contraction specific. So overall intersting, to me at least.
Yeah I know Quad, what does this have to do with someone who is passed this learning curve
9to5lifter
New Member
I am currently alternating exercises using A/B workouts 3-4 times a week (alternating mainly for major bodyparts, some exercises for smaller bodyparts remain constant, which means there is an overlap between my A/B routines). The reason is quite simple; strength for the second exercise. After 3 heavy sets of weigthed dips (during the 5's) I am not quite ready to go really heavy on incline bench. My strength simply lacks somewhat and this is the reason I am alternating between dips/incline bench. The same applies to all the other major bodyparts.
I have tried a cycle with no alternating but when things get heavy, my performance on the second exercise (for the same bodypart) suffers, so I prefer to choose one exercise each time and use more volume instead.
This is for overall development. I alternate exercises to have all bases covered. Almost everyone will agree that you need both chins AND rows for good back development, but I feel there is no such need for smaller bodyparts like bi's/tri's. For such bodyparts I don't alternate at all; I just pick an exercise and use it throughout the whole cycle. During the post 5's, my routine transforms into something that resembles 5x5 with clustering and Max-Stim, so I drop all iso's at this time. But I am still alternating (e.g. squats/deadlifts).
However, I agree that picking one exercise only will probably favor neural learning. In the end, it's all a matter of what you are trying to achieve.
Regards,
Dimitris
I have tried a cycle with no alternating but when things get heavy, my performance on the second exercise (for the same bodypart) suffers, so I prefer to choose one exercise each time and use more volume instead.
This is for overall development. I alternate exercises to have all bases covered. Almost everyone will agree that you need both chins AND rows for good back development, but I feel there is no such need for smaller bodyparts like bi's/tri's. For such bodyparts I don't alternate at all; I just pick an exercise and use it throughout the whole cycle. During the post 5's, my routine transforms into something that resembles 5x5 with clustering and Max-Stim, so I drop all iso's at this time. But I am still alternating (e.g. squats/deadlifts).
However, I agree that picking one exercise only will probably favor neural learning. In the end, it's all a matter of what you are trying to achieve.
Regards,
Dimitris