title: Comparison Between Pre-Exhaustion and Traditional Exercise Order on Muscle Activation and Performance in Trained Men.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to measure the acute effects of pre-exhaustion vs. traditional exercise order on neuromuscular performance and sEMG in trained men. Fourteen young, healthy, resistance trained men (age: 25.5 ± 4.0 years, height: 174.9 ± 4.1 cm, and total body mass: 80.0 ± 11.1 kg) took part of this study. All tests were randomized and counterbalanced for all subjects and experimental conditions. Volunteers attended one session in the laboratory. First, they performed ten repetition maximum (10RM) tests for each exercise (bench press and triceps pushdown) separately. Secondly, they performed all three conditions at 10RM: pre-test (bench press and triceps pushdown, separately), pre-exhaustion (triceps pushdown+bench press, PE) and traditional (bench press+triceps pushdown, TR), and rested 30 minutes between conditions. Results showed that pre-test was significantly greater than PE (p = 0.031) but not different than TR, for total volume load lifted. There was a significant difference between the pre-test and the time-course of lactate measures (p = 0.07). For bench press muscle activity of the pectoralis major, the last repetition was significantly greater than the first repetition (pre-test: p = 0.006, PE: p = 0.016, and TR: p = 0.005). Also, for muscle activity of the triceps brachii, the last repetition was significantly greater than the first repetition (pre-test: p = 0.001, PE: p = 0.005, and TR: p = 0.006). For triceps pushdown, muscle activity of the triceps brachii, the last repetition was significantly greater than the first repetition (pre-test: p = 0.006, PE: p = 0.016, and TR: p = 0.005). For RPE, there were no significant differences between PE and TR (p = 0.15). Our results suggest that exercise order decreases repetitions performed, however, neuromuscular fatigue, lactate, and RPE are not impacted. The lack of difference in total volume load lifted between PE and TR might explain, at least in part, the similar metabolic and perceptual responses. Key pointsThe effects of different exercise order schemes (e.g. PE and TR) on muscle activity and strength performance indicated that similar responses were observed when comparing these schemes.Strength and conditioning coaches should consider these results when prescribing resistance training programs.The primary target (e.g. muscle group) of the training session should trained first, when fatigue level low, in order to maximize training outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Enrico Gori
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Center for Sport Performance, Department of Kinesiology, California State University , Fullerton, USA.
authors.forename: Lee E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Willy Andrade
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Alves
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Corrêa
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Érica Paes
authors.initials: ÉP
authors.lastname: Serpa
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Josinaldo Jarbas
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Guanis de Barros Vilela
authors.initials: Gde B
authors.lastname: Junior
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba , Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Zorzi
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Fioravanti
authors.affiliation: School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo (USP) , São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Saldanha
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil; Faculty Adventist of Hortolândia, Hortolândia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Charles Ricardo
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Science of Human Movement, College of Health Science (FACIS), Methodist University of Piracicaba, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil; Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Henrique
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Marchetti
keywords: Exercise performance; biomechanics; resistance training