View article

To determine whether increasing an individual’s baseline training volume on a per session basis influences the skeletal muscle growth response following 12 weeks of resistance training. Forty-two resistance trained individuals completed unilateral elbow flexion resistance training twice weekly for a 12-week training period. Participants had each arm randomized to complete either a higher volume (HV) or lower volume (LV) condition. The amount of exercise volume performed was based on each individual’s average baseline training volume (per session) for the elbow flexion exercise. For example, if the individual regularly performed 4 sets per session, one arm was randomized to complete an additional 2 sets of exercise (ie, HV), while the contralateral arm performed what they were regularly accustomed to (ie, LV). Each condition performed exercise to muscular failure with 60s rest periods between sets and loads corresponding to an 8-12 repetition maximum (RM). Measures of muscle thickness (MT) and 1RM strength were taken prior to and following the 12-week training period. Changes in 1RM strength were no different between the higher volume [2.2 (1.6) kg] and lower volume conditions [2.3 (1.7) kg](p= 0.52). For changes in MT, at the 50% muscle site, there was no interaction (p= 0.81) and there was no main effect for condition. However, there was a main effect for time (p< 0.001). Muscle size increased from pre to post intervention [mean change= 0.15 (0.09-0.19) cm]. For the 60% muscle site, there was no interaction (p= 0.57) and there was no main effect for condition (p= 0.83). However, there was a …