FT Questions....

[Scott Stevenson]

Hi Scott, a lot of people from the so called "science based" dont recommend rotate exercises very often. Why do you recommend a lot of rotation and variety, It wont be beneficial to keep the same exercise for longer periods to see progress?

Thanks

I can't really address these concerns (seriously), as I don't know who these people are and in what context they're speaking.

Two things come to mind: Powerlifting has very different goals than bodybuilding.

"Variety" is a basic core training principle. In this article, Antonio notes a multitude a reasons that for optimizing muscle hypertrophy (and potentially even changing a muscle's "shape" - which occurs of course to some degree whenever it grows), variety is important:

1. Antonio J. Nonuniform Response of Skeletal Muscle to Heavy Resistance Training: Can Bodybuilders Induce Regional Muscle Hypertrophy? The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 14: 102-113, 2000. http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fullte...vy.18.aspx

Skeletal muscle is a heterogeneous tissue that exhibits numerous inter-and intramuscular differences (i.e., architecture, fiber composition, and muscle function). An individual muscle cannot be simplistically described as a compilation of muscle fibers that span from origin to insertion. In fact, there are unique differences within a single muscle and within single muscle fibers with respect to fiber size and protein composition. Electromyographic data indicate that there is selective recruitment of different regions of a muscle that can be altered, depending on the type of exercise performed. Longitudinal resistance-training studies also demonstrate that individual muscles as well as groups of synergist muscles adapt in a regional-specific manner. The author speculates that no single exercise can maximize the hypertrophic response of all regions of a particular muscle. Thus, for maximal hypertrophy of an entire muscle, athletes (particularly bodybuilders) are justified in incorporating various exercises that purportedly stimulate growth in a regional-specific manner. © 2000 National Strength and Conditioning Association


-S