Loaded Inter-set Stretching for Muscular Adaptations in Trained Males: Is the Hype Real?

Abstract

The study examined the effects of adding a loaded stretch in the inter-set rest period (ISS) compared to traditional resistance training (TR) on muscular adaptations in resistance-trained males. Twenty-six subjects were randomly assigned into two groups (ISS: n=12; TR: n=14) and underwent an 8-week training regimen. Subjects in ISS underwent an additional loaded stretch for 30 s at 15% of their working load from the prior set during the inter-set rest periods. Muscle thickness of the pectoralis major at the belly (BMT) and lateral (LMT) portions, One-repetition maximum (1RM) and repetitions-to-failure (RTF) on the bench press exercise were measured at baseline and post 8 weeks of training. Additionally, volume load and perceptual parameters for exertion and recovery were measured. Both groups had similar total volume load and average perceptual parameters (p>0.05). There was a main time effect (p<0.01) for all but one dependent variable indicating that both groups responded similarly across time [(∆BMT: ISS=2.7±1.7 mm; TR = 3.0±2.2 mm), (∆LMT: ISS=3.2±1.6 mm; TR=2.8±1.7 mm, (∆1RM: ISS=6.6±3.8 kg; TR=7.5±5.7 kg). Repetitions-to-failure did not change in either group (∆RTF: ISS=0.0±2.1 repetitions; TR=0.0±2.3 repetitions, p>0.05). Our results suggest that addition of a loaded ISS does not affect muscular adaptations either positively or negatively in resistance-trained males.

Key words

muscle hypertrophy - strength - ISS - stretching - resistance training - training technique

Publication History

Received: 29 January 2021

Accepted: 04 June 2021

Article published online:
10 August 2021

• References

• 1 Barakat C, Pearson J, Escalante G. et al. Body recomposition. Strength Cond J 2020; 42: 7-21 Publish Ah. doi:10.1519/SSC.0000000000000584
• 2 Haff GG, Triplett NT. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 4. Edition. Champaign: IL; 2016
• 3 Wallace W, Ugrinowitsch C, Stefan M. et al. Repeated bouts of advanced strength training techniques: Effects on volume load, metabolic responses, and muscle activation in trained individuals. Sports (Basel) 2019; 7: 14 doi:10.3390/sports7010014
• 4 Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Contreras B. et al. To flex or rest: Does adding no-load isometric actions to the inter-set rest period in resistance training enhance muscular adaptations? A randomized-controlled trial. Front Physiol 2020; 10: 1571 doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.01571
• 5 Mohamad NI, Nosaka K, Cronin J. Maximizing hypertrophy: Possible contribution of stretching in the interset rest period. Strength Cond J 2011; 33: 81-87 doi:10.1519/SSC.0b013e3181fe7164
• 6 Nunes JP, Schoenfeld BJ, Nakamura M. et al. Does stretch training induce muscle hypertrophy in humans? A review of the literature. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2020; 40: 148-156 doi:10.1111/cpf.12622
• 7 Souza AC, Melibeu Bentes C, Freitas de Salles B. et al. Influence of inter-set stretching on strength, flexibility and hormonal adaptations. J Hum Kinet 2013; 36: 127-135 doi:10.2478/hukin-2013-0013
• 8 Padilha UC, Vieira A, Vieira DCL. et al. Could inter-set stretching increase acute neuromuscular and metabolic responses during resistance exercise?. Eur J Transl Myol 2019; 29: 293-301 doi:10.4081/ejtm.2019.8579
• 9 Silva J, Lowery R, Antonio J. et al. Weighted Post-Set Stretching Increases Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy. In: NSCA 2014 Annual Meeting. 2014. Im Internet: https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2014/12001/nsca_2014_annual_meeting.1.aspx
• 10 Evangelista AL, De Souza EO, Moreira DCB. et al. Interset stretching vs. traditional strength training. J Strength Cond Res 2019; 33: S159-S166 doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003036
• 11 Ahtiainen JP, Pakarinen A, Alen M. et al. Muscle hypertrophy, hormonal adaptations and strength development during strength training in strength-trained and untrained men. Eur J Appl Physiol 2003; 89: 555-563 doi:10.1007/s00421-003-0833-3
• 12 Hakkinen K. Neuromuscular adaptation during strength training, ageing, detraining, and immobilization. Crit Rev Phys Rehabil Med 1994; 161-198
• 13 Schoenfeld BJ. The Mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 2010; 24: 2857-2872 doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3
• 14 Rhea MR, Alvar BA, Burkett LN. et al. A meta-analysis to determine the dose response for strength development. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2003; 35: 456-464 doi:10.1249/01.MSS.0000053727.63505.D4
• 15 Kokkonen J, Nelson AG, Tarawhiti T. et al. Early-phase resistance training strength gains in novice lifters are enhanced by doing static stretching. J Strength Cond Res 2010; 24: 502-506 doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c06ca0
• 16 Simão R, Lemos A, Salles B. et al. The influence of strength, flexibility, and simultaneous training on flexibility and strength gains. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25: 1333-1338 doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181da85bf
• 17 García-López D, Izquierdo M, Rodríguez S. et al. Interset stretching does not influence the kinematic profile of consecutive bench-press sets. J Strength Cond Res 2010; 24: 1361-1368 doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181cf780d
• 18 Aydın EM, Uçan Y, Yarar H. The acute effect of static stretching between sets on the number of repetitions performance in resistance training. J Hum Sci 2017; 14: 3913-3922 doi:10.14687/jhs.v14i4.4865
• 19 Simpson CL, Kim BDH, Bourcet MR. et al. Stretch training induces unequal adaptation in muscle fascicles and thickness in medial and lateral gastrocnemii. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2017; 27: 1597-1604 doi:10.1111/sms.12822
• 20 Reed JP, Schilling BK, Murlasits Z. Acute neuromuscular and metabolic responses to concurrent endurance and resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res 2013; 27: 793-801 doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825c2d3e
• 21 Harriss DJ, MacSween A, Atkinson G. Ethical standards in sport and exercise science research: 2020 update. Int J Sports Med 2019; 40: 813-817 doi:10.1055/a-1015-3123
• 22 Abad CCC, Prado ML, Ugrinowitsch C. et al. Combination of general and specific warm-ups improves leg-press one repetition maximum compared with specific warm-up in trained individuals. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25: 2242-2245 doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e8611b
• 23 Lockie R, Callaghan S, Moreno M. et al. An investigation of the mechanics and sticking region of a one-repetition maximum close-grip bench press versus the traditional bench press. Sports (Basel) 2017; 5: 46 doi:10.3390/sports5030046
• 24 García-Ramos A, Pestaña-Melero FL, Pérez-Castilla A. et al. Differences in the load–velocity profile between 4 bench-press variants. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2018; 13: 326-331 doi:10.1123/ijspp.2017-015
• 25 Laurent CM, Green JM, Bishop PA. et al. A practical approach to monitoring recovery: development of a perceived recovery status scale. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25: 620-628 doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c69ec6
• 26 Shinya Yamauchi SM. Rating of Perceived Exertion for Quantification of the Intensity of Resistance Exercise. Int J Phys Med Rehabil 2013; 1: 9 doi:10.4172/2329-9096.1000172
• 27 Ugrinowitsch C, Fellingham GW, Ricard MD. Limitations of ordinary least squares models in analyzing repeated measures data. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36: 2144-2148 doi:10.1249/01.MSS.0000147580.40591.75
• 28 Goulet-Pelletier J-C, Cousineau D. A review of effect sizes and their confidence intervals, Part I: The Cohen’s d family. Quant Methods Psychol 2018; 14: 242-265 doi:10.20982/tqmp.14.4.p242
• 29 Morris SB. Estimating effect sizes from pretest-posttest-control group designs. Organizational Research Methods 2008; 11: 364-386 doi:10.1177/1094428106291059
• 30 Klemp A, Dolan C, Quiles JM. et al. Volume-equated high- and low-repetition daily undulating programming strategies produce similar hypertrophy and strength adaptations. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2016; 41: 699-705 doi:10.1139/apnm-2015-0707
• 31 Bartolomei S, Nigro F, Malagoli Lanzoni I. et al. A comparison between total body and split routine resistance training programs in trained men. J Strength Cond Res 2021; 35: 1520-1526 doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003573
• 32 Helms ER, Byrnes RK, Cooke DM. et al. RPE vs. Percentage 1RM loading in periodized programs matched for sets and repetitions. Front Physiol 2018; 9: 247 doi:10.3389/fphys.2018.00247
• 33 Miranda F, Simão R, Rhea M. et al. Effects of Linear vs. Daily undulatory periodized resistance training on maximal and submaximal strength gains. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25: 1824-1830 doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e7ff75