descriptive

Whether you do just compound lifts or add arm isolation moves, both ways help reduce arm fat a little bit — and neither is better than the other.

Scientific Claim

Eight weeks of resistance training, whether with multijoint exercises alone or combined with single-joint exercises, leads to similar small reductions in biceps and triceps skinfold thickness in untrained young women, with no significant difference between groups.

Original Statement

“Both groups significantly decreased biceps (-3.60% for MJ and -3.55% for MJ + SJ) and triceps skinfold (-3.05% for MJ and -2.98% for MJ + SJ), with no significant difference between them.”

From study:Influence of Adding Single-Joint Exercise to a Multijoint Resistance Training Program in Untrained Young Women.

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

overstated

Study Design Support

Design cannot support claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The abstract reports no significant difference, but without confirmed randomization, this cannot be interpreted as proof of equivalence. Causal language is inappropriate.

More Accurate Statement

“Eight weeks of resistance training, whether with multijoint exercises alone or combined with single-joint exercises, is associated with similar small reductions in biceps and triceps skinfold thickness in untrained young women.”

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Influence of Adding Single-Joint Exercise to a Multijoint Resistance Training Program in Untrained Young Women.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2020 Aug

Both groups of women lost almost the same tiny amount of fat around their upper arms after 8 weeks of lifting weights, no matter if they did only big compound exercises or added isolated ones too.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Influence of Adding Single-Joint Exercise to a Multijoint Resistance Training Program in Untrained Young Women.

DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002624

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