Introduction
Research analyzing sport climbing consistently shows that training and physical abilities are the biggest factors influencing performance (Baláš et al., 2012; Fryer et al., 2018; Laffaye et al., 2016; MacKenzie et al., 2020; Magiera et al., 2013; Mermier et al., 2000; Winkler et al., 2023). Higher performing climbers therefore tend to have stronger fingers, better endurance, more shoulder and upper body power, and higher anaerobic fitness (For reviews see Langer et al., 2023a; Saul et al., 2019; Stien et al., 2022).
Incorporating strength training within training for climbing has been shown to enhance climbing performance and climbing-specific strength outcomes (For reviews see Langer et al., 2023b; Stien et al., 2023). While not all effect sizes/interaction effects were significant, the training groups improved their climbing performance and strength test outcomes in all of the studies, whereas, for the control/climbing-only groups, this was mostly not the case.
There is a vast body of research about the most effective training metrics to maximize hypertrophy and strength gains (such as frequency (i.e. Cuthbert et al., 2021; Grgic et al., 2018), volume (i.e. Ralston et al., 2017), load (i.e. Carvalho et al., 2022; Lopez et al., 2021), proximity to failure (i.e. Grgic et al., 2022; Robinson et al., 2023).
This article, however, analyses a different aspect, namely if exercise variation influences hypertrophy and strength gains.
Detailed Summary
How was the study conducted?
- A systematic review of research articles published in English-language peer-reviewed journals.
What were the inclusion criteria of the studies?
- Inclusion of at least two groups with non-varied vs. varied exercise routines.
- Assessment of muscle hypertrophy or strength at both pre- and post-intervention.
- Any validated measure of muscle hypertrophy or strength had to be utilized.
- Participants had no known medical conditions or injuries.
How many studies were included in the review/meta-analysis?
- 8 studies were selected, with a combined sample size of 241 participants.
What are the main characteristics of the included studies?
- Characteristics of the participants:
- All participants were young men.
- Included both trained and untrained individuals.
- Characteristics of the training interventions:
- The eight studies featured different approaches to exercise variation, including:
- Within-session variation: Three studies explored changing exercises within the same training session.
- Between-session variation: Four studies implemented different exercises across sessions.
- Training block variation: One study varied exercises over a 2.5-week training block.
- The interventions utilized both single-joint and multi-joint exercises
- The eight studies featured different approaches to exercise variation, including:
What does the review leave out?
- The studies involved young men only, leaving out potential differences in other demographics.
- The effect of exercise variation in sports-related tasks like jumping and sprinting was not addressed
Conclusion and practical application
Central conclusion:
- Varying exercise selection can influence muscle hypertrophy and strength gains.
- Effects are dependent on the specificity of the selected exercises and the frequency of exercise variation
Corollary or secondary conclusions:
- For Hypertrophy
- Variation should be systematic to target different areas of the muscle (regional hypertrophy), considering anatomical and biomechanical principles.
- Excessive and random variation may lead to redundant stimuli, compromising muscular gains.
- Both findings might be explained by the dose-response relationship following an inverted-U curve shape between hypertrophy outcome and training volume. Gains increase up to a threshold of around 20 sets per muscle group per week. (Baz-Valle et al., 2022; Brigatto et al., 2022; Schoenfeld et al., 2017). Beyond this, additional volume may offer diminishing returns leading to a plateau and ultimately compromise gains (Aube et al., 2022; Baz-Valle et al., 2022; Enes et al., 2023). However, this dose-relationship is individual and muscle-specific (Baz-Valle et al., 2022).
- For Maximum Strength
- Exercises should be chosen to match the desired adaptations, in line with the specificity principle.
- Targeting the relevant muscle groups and movement patterns is essential for maximizing strength gains.
- This is in line with the review of strength training in climbing by Langer et al. (2023b) showing that semispecific exercises with movement patterns similar to climbing yield better results than unspecific exercises.
Uncertainties based on conclusions
- The optimal frequency of exercise variation for maximizing hypertrophy and strength adaptations remains uncertain.
- The effects of exercise variation on specific muscle regions versus whole muscle mass need further exploration.
- More empirical evidence is needed to validate hypotheses regarding exercise transfer effects and optimal variation strategies
Original Study
Kassiano, W., Nunes, J. P., Costa, B., Ribeiro, A. S., Schoenfeld, B. J., & Cyrino, E. S. (2022). Does varying resistance exercises promote superior muscle hypertrophy and strength gains? A systematic review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 36(6), 1753-1762.
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