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Does Performing Different Resistance Exercises for the Same Muscle Group Induce Non-homogeneous Hypertrophy?
Bruna Daniella de Vasconcelos Costa1, Witalo Kassiano1, João Pedro Nunes1
1Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Physical Education and Sport Center, Londrina State University, Londrina, Brazil.
International Journal of Sports Medicine
|January 13, 2021
Summary
Varying resistance exercises (RT) for the same muscle groups promotes muscle hypertrophy across all assessed sites in young men. Performing the same exercises resulted in limited muscle growth at specific muscle locations.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Muscle Hypertrophy
- Sports Science
Background:
- Muscle hypertrophy, the increase in muscle size, is a primary goal of resistance training (RT).
- The distribution of muscle hypertrophy along the muscle's length can vary based on training protocols.
- Understanding how exercise variation impacts hypertrophy at different muscle sites is crucial for optimizing training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of performing identical versus varied exercises for the same muscle groups on resistance training-induced muscle hypertrophy.
- To investigate muscle hypertrophy at proximal, middle, and distal sites along the muscle length.
- To determine if exercise variation influences hypertrophy distribution across different muscle regions.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-two detrained young men participated in a nine-week, three-session-per-week resistance training program.
- Participants were randomized into two groups: one performing the same exercises (N-VAR) and another varying exercises (VAR) for specific muscle groups.
- Muscle thickness was measured using B-mode ultrasound at multiple sites on the thigh and upper arm muscles.
Main Results:
- The group performing varied exercises (VAR) showed significant muscle hypertrophy at all assessed sites.
- The N-VAR group exhibited significant hypertrophy only at the middle site of the lateral thigh and the proximal site of the elbow flexors.
- A greater relative increase in muscle thickness was observed at the proximal lateral thigh compared to the middle site in the VAR group.
Conclusions:
- Performing different resistance exercises for the same muscle groups can stimulate hypertrophy across all measured muscle sites in detrained young men.
- Exercise variation appears to be a more effective strategy for achieving comprehensive muscle hypertrophy compared to using the same exercises repeatedly.
- Training program design, specifically the inclusion of exercise variation, plays a significant role in the regional distribution of muscle hypertrophy.
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