exercise training

Question 1

Why might it be difficult to test a ‘true’ 1RM in an untrained person?

Answer 1

Because untrained can see quick improvements with form and technique that that don’t mean they’re getting stronger. You can also see neural adaptations that increase nueral firing or neurotransmitter levels that increase strength quickly but don’t mean that more muscle was built.

Question 2

What structures within explain increases in whole muscle size?

Answer 2

• in response to resistance training muscle undergoes stress and damage
• ribosomes then take amino acids and bind together during rest to add myofibrils in the sarcomere (myofibrillar hypertrophy)
• More sarcoplasmic fluid can also be added to the sarcomere as a result of resistance training (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy)
• Sarcomeres can also be added in parallel in the muscle

Question 3

What type of exercise program would target each for the potential
mechanisms for hypertrophy? Which mechanism is the least likely to
regulate hypertrophy?

Answer 3

Mechanical tension: Lifting heavy weights (maybe 80-100% of max) with adequate rest between would target this mechanism of hypertrophy.

Muscle damage: focussing on doing controlled eccentrics to failure would target this, want to get sore

Metabolic stress: doing low weight (30%) to failure and a lot of volume in workouts would target this, want to get fatigued

Question 4

How do exercise and feeding interact to induce hypertrophy?

Answer 4

• signal to increase protein synthesis comes from eating protein. (fro about 2-3 hours)
• with resistance training, signal to synthesize protein is stronger and protein breakdown is less strong
• when you eat, amino acids can be taken and assembled by ribosomes to increase protein synthesis and muscle mass in the body

Question 5

Why might two people respond differently to the same RT program?

Answer 5

What high responders have:
- increased androgen receptors (stimulate more protein synthesis)
- increased ribosomes (help build musc from amino acids)
- increased satellite cells (help repair musc)

Non responders may need more VOLUME to see same results as high responders

What it’s not:
- not necessarily need to work harder
- not sex differences
- fiber type not matter
- diet not huge (as long as generally okay)

Question 6

Explain how low load RT can induce type II fiber hypertrophy

Answer 6

Just have to go to or close to failure (within a couple e.g. 2 reps in reserve)

By doing this, you start easy but it gets more challenging until your smaller motor units can’t keep up, you then use larger motor units thus hypertrophying type II’s

Question 7

What mechanisms are most responsible for gains in strength, what
type of program best targets these mechanisms?

Answer 7

For gains in strength, load matters (must lift heavy).

Low volume and high weight is best.

For gains in hypertrophy, volume and intensity (get close to failure) matters.

High volume and reps close to failure

Question 8

Firefighting gear weighs 35 kg. Would you recommend HL or LL RET to
a 100 kg firefighter who wants to improve their ability to climb stairs
with their gear? What about a 50 kg firefighter?

Answer 8

For 100kg firefighter, recommend low load to increase muscle endurance as pack is less percent of their body weight, easier for them to lift and they want to lift it for a while.

For 50kg fighter, lift high load for strength as it will still increase their muscular endurance for other weights, but not as much for super light weights. The goal for them is just to lift the pack.