The Study
Repeated Bouts of Advanced Strength Training Techniques: Effects on Volume Load, Metabolic Responses, and Muscle Activation in Trained Individuals
This study is like taking a quick snapshot of how different exercises made people feel and perform in one session. It shows what happened right then, but it can't tell us if these exercises cause long-term changes or work for everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested workout methods on trained men to see which ones let you lift more and work muscles harder, and if doing them again soon is okay.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 533 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Supersets might not be best for max effort, but repeating other tricks is safe and feels easier over time.
- 2Supersets made people lift 10-18% less weight and muscles worked 12-21% less hard.
- 3Lactate went up to 9.8, muscles swelled 13.5%, and second workouts felt 34% easier.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Sports
Year
2019
Authors
W. Wallace, C. Ugrinowitsch, Matthew W Stefan, Jacob T. Rauch, Christopher Barakat, Kevin A. Shields, Andrew Barninger, R. Barroso, E. D. De Souza
Related Content
Claims (7)
When you do a special workout called pre-exhaustion, you get tired faster and end up lifting less total weight compared to regular workouts.
When trained men do strength exercises, their muscles get about 13.5% bigger right after because they fill with fluid. Certain workout styles make this happen more than others.
When trained men do superset workouts for chest exercises, they lift less total weight compared to other workout styles, meaning they might do less overall work.
When trained men do different types of strength exercises, their muscles produce more lactate (a sign of effort), and it peaks at similar high levels after ten sets, showing their bodies respond the same way to all the workouts.
When trained men do superset workouts, their chest muscles work less hard compared to other workout styles, showing lower muscle activity.
When experienced male athletes repeated certain tough workouts within two days, it didn't really hurt their training progress because they lifted about the same amount each time.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.