MUSCLE & RESISTANCE TRAINING Flashcards
What are the learning objectives of muscle and resistance training?
Differentiate between neural and local skeletal muscle fiber alterations, overview sex differences in adaptations, define factors causing muscle growth, apply exercise training principles, discuss importance of reps, sets, rest, and progressive overload, describe utility of plyometric training, and define key terms.
What are the goals of resistance training?
Muscle growth, muscle endurance, muscle strength, muscle power, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and health maintenance.
What is the difference between neural and muscular adaptations to resistance training?
Neural adaptations occur early in training, while muscular adaptations (hypertrophy) occur later, leading to increased strength.
What are the main neural adaptations that increase strength?
Greater efficiency in neural recruitment, increased motor neuron excitability, increased CNS activation, improved motor unit synchronization, and reduced inhibitory functions.
What are the growth mechanisms of muscle fiber hypertrophy?
Increased contractile proteins, possibly increased myofibrils, increased connective tissues, and increased enzymes and stored nutrients.
How do ligaments, tendons, and bones adapt to resistance training?
They strengthen alongside muscle increases, protecting joints and supporting rehabilitation strategies.
What are the sex differences in muscle strength?
Little difference when normalized for cross-sectional area; males generally have more muscle mass and tend to be stronger.
What are the three main stimuli that drive resistance training-induced adaptations?
Mechanical tension, exercise-induced muscle damage, and metabolic stimuli.
What is DOMS?
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, caused by factors like muscle tissue tears, osmotic pressure changes, and inflammation.
What activities are likely to cause muscle damage?
Acute downhill running, eccentric contractions, heavy resistance exercise, and ultra-endurance events.
What is the significance of signal transduction and gene expression in muscle adaptation?
Signaling proteins transmit mechanical stress, activating pathways that promote muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy.
How can muscle growth be maximized?
By stimulating mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress, with appropriate frequency and nutrition.
What is the overload principle?
Regularly applying exercise overload enhances physiological function, requiring progressive increases in training load.
What is the specificity principle?
Muscles adapt specifically to the overload applied; training should mimic the desired activity.
What is the reversibility principle?
Gains are reversible; strength loss occurs rapidly at the neural level and slowly due to atrophy.
What is plyometric training?
Exercises involving rapid stretching followed by immediate shortening of muscles, enhancing strength and power.
What is the anabolic window?
The idea that post-workout, the body is sensitive to protein for maximal muscle protein synthesis.
What are the best ways to promote skeletal muscle hypertrophy?
Volume of at least 10 sets per muscle group per week, varying loads, and reaching fatigue with frequency of 1-3 times per week.
What are the three causes of resistance training-induced muscle growth?
Mechanical tension, muscle damage, and metabolic stress.
Define muscular strength.
The maximal force a muscle or muscle group can generate.
Define muscular hypertrophy.
An increase in muscle fiber cross-sectional area due to increased size and number of myofibrils and contractile proteins.
Define muscular endurance.
The ability of a muscle to sustain repeated contractions or maintain force over time.
Define muscular power.
The rate at which work is performed; the combination of strength and speed.
How do reps, sets, rest, and tempo affect resistance training adaptations?
High reps and short rest promote endurance and metabolic stress; moderate reps with moderate rest promote hypertrophy; low reps with long rest promote strength and power; tempo affects time under tension and training stimulus.
