The researchers in the chest study also found similar results. In the leg study, they reported that the muscle activity of the quadriceps muscle fibers when subjects did the leg press after the leg extensions (pre-exhaust) was significantly less than when they did the leg press first. In the chest study, Brazilian researchers had subjects do the bench press either before or after doing the single joint exercise the pec deck. In the leg study, Swedish researchers had subjects do the multi-joint exercise the leg press either before doing the single joint exercise the leg extension or after. Two studies from two different labs have investigated the benefits of pre-exhaust, one looking at pre-exhaust in the quads and the other looking at pre-exhaust in the pecs. This can help to increase muscle growth in that muscle. This can limit the muscle growth you get in that muscle.īy doing pre-exhaust you exhaust the target muscle group-in this case, the pecs-so it is the weak link on the multi-joint exercise, and you truly end the set when the target muscle group is fatigued. Often you reach muscle failure on a multi-joint exercise when one of the smaller and weaker assistance muscle groups is fatigued and not when the target muscle group is truly fatigued. Since multi-joint exercises involve the help from other muscle groups-for the bench press the shoulders and triceps are also major players-the target muscle group often doesn't get adequately stressed. The purpose of pre-exhaust is to ensure that the target muscle receives the maximum muscle growth stimulus during the multi-joint exercise. Then you follow with multi-joint exercises, such as barbell or dumbbell bench presses. For example, with chest you first do flyes or cable crossovers. Pre-exhaust is a technique where you do single joint (isolation) exercises before multi-joint exercises. This method was shown in a 1996 study to build more muscle than the standard training protocol where multi-joint exercises are performed first.ĭespite this study, however, there are some out there-even among experts!-who doubt the usefulness of this technique. Not only is misinformation rampant among many so-called fitness "experts," but some training techniques are simply misunderstood. In this article, I'll be pitting published science against broscience when it comes to training. In fact, as you'll soon learn, sometimes results in the gym prove results from the lab wrong. That isn't to say that gym-goers are wrong 100% of the time. Despite this belief-commonly held by many-published science (by that I mean the research that is published in peer-reviewed scientific journals or presented at scientific meetings) has shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the best form of cardio to burn fat and maintain (or even build) muscle, and the anecdotal reports support this. An example of broscience would be that doing slow and steady cardio for 30-60 minutes (such as walking on a treadmill) is the best way to burn fat and keep muscle with cardio. By broscience, I mean common beliefs that go around gyms and among bodybuilding circles. There is a LOT of broscience going around the gym these days. I'm also dedicated to putting info out there in a way that makes science less boring. Broscience: Supplements, I am dedicated to bringing the truth about training, supplementation, and nutrition to consumers. As I explained in the first part of this two-part series, Real Science vs.
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