Exercise Selection Flashcards
For which population is exercise selection very important?
Exercise selection for strength athletes is critical because their sport performance is actually the expression of strength via specific movements.
How does exercise selection matter for strength athletes?
“The inclusion of these competition lifts therefore is a given. Thus, the focus of a discussion on exercise selection for a strength athlete should be centered on how much time is spent training the competition lifts in relation to assistance lifts.”
How does exercise selection matter for hypertrophy?
“For hypertrophy, a wide variety of exercises can be used to stimulate growth.”
What can influence exercise selection?
“Biomechanics, weak points, and technical skill can all influence what exercises you choose to use. However, in a broad sense exercise selection is primarily differentiated based on the goal of your training - whether you’re training for hypertrophy like a bodybuilder or training for strength like a powerlifter.”
What are the exercise recommendations for hypertorphy?
What are the exercise recommendations for strength?
What’s the most efficient way to get stronger in a specific movement? (In terms of exercise selection)
Training that specific movement is the best way to get stronger at it.
For example “…when you do a lot of squats, you will improve your skill with the squat, develop the specific muscle groups that are activated during the squat, and the strength that you gain will be best expressed in the squat itself.”
“In contrast, even if you have developed a lot of muscle mass in the quads, glutes and hamstrings from leg pressing for example, if you are not experienced in the squat, and not used to its motor pattern, you will not be able to exert the same force you could when leg pressing as when squatting. This, in essence, is what movement specificity means.
What is movement specifity?
“…when you do a lot of squats, you will improve your skill with the squat, develop the specific muscle groups that are activated during the squat, and the strength that you gain will be best expressed in the squat itself.”
“In contrast, even if you have developed a lot of muscle mass in the quads, glutes and hamstrings from leg pressing for example, if you are not experienced in the squat, and not used to its motor pattern, you will not be able to exert the same force you could when leg pressing as when squatting. This, in essence, is what movement specificity means.
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What does specifity apply to?
Movement pattern, load, and rep range.
How does specificity apply to intensity?
“If you only train with 10RM loads, your strength gains (measured by 1RM testing) will be less than someone who regularly trains with the same volume, but using 3RM loads [5]. This is because a 3RM is more similar from a neuromuscular perspective to a 1RM than a 10RM.”
How does specificity in exercise selection apply to strength training?
“Your primary approaches to training for strength should be the movements that you want to get stronger in.”
How does specifity relate towards hypertrophy training?
Specifity for hypertrophy is necessary as far as exercise selection. The trainee needs to be familiar with the exercise in order to produce muscle gain.
“Initial strength gains on new exercises, especially complex ones, are primarily due to neuromuscular adaptations. Once the movement skill is developed over time, the lifter can expose the muscle to progressive overload and more effciently produce hypertrophy. Thus, even if your goal is purely hypertrophy, you want to become an expert in the movements that you use to drive muscle growth. So it can be counterproductive to set up your training in such a way that you are never able to become skilled at your movements of choice.”
What did the 1998 study show?
“Back in 1998 a study was conducted where the participants performed the bench press, leg press and bicep curls for 20 weeks. At the mid-point and end point of the study, measurements of hypertrophy and strength (1RM) were taken. Increases in muscle mass in the arms were significant at the mid-point as were increases in strength. But interestingly enough, muscle growth in the trunk and the legs was not yet observed. However, at the 20 week mark, hypertrophy in the limbs and trunk finally became apparent.
Why was there a delay in muscle growth in the trunk and legs and not the arms?
Well, the researchers concluded that movements with a low complexity such as the bicep curl are quickly learned, while the time needed to become proficient in compound movements is longer. Additionally, only once you become proficient with a movement are you able to e ectively overload the movement and to cause muscle growth. Therefore, the easy to learn bicep curl was mastered quickly and began to cause adequate overload to cause growth, while there was a delayed e ect from the leg press and bench press [6].”
