Quantitative EMG changes during 12-week DeLorme's axiom strength training

Strength training is one of the most common exercises practiced in the field of physical therapy or sports training. However, limited methodology is available to evaluate its effect on the target muscle. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that surface electromyographic (EMG) data from both isometric and isotonic exercise can express changes within the muscle during a 12-week strength training program. Ten healthy male volunteer students (5 for training, 5 for controls) from Yonsei University were recruited for evaluation in this study. DeLorme's axiom was practiced for 12 weeks in the dominant elbow flexors and knee extensors of the training group. Tension for 1 repetition maximum and maximal voluntary isometric contraction, and surface EMG information such as the integrated EMG and three variables from the regression line of median frequency (MDF) data were measured at weeks 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12. The limb circumference was measured at weeks 0 and 12. During the strength training, which was enough for the increment of muscle strength and limb circumference, the rectified-integrated EMG and initial MDF increased with a significant linear pattern in both types of contraction. The two surface EMG variables were able to monitor the physiologic muscle changes during the training. Based on these results, we propose that these two surface EMG variables can be used for monitoring electrophysiological changes in the specific muscle that is undergoing the training program, under conditions where the contraction mode for EMG data collection is either static or dynamic.