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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2014

Abstract

Effects

of different rest intervals between antagonist paired sets on

repetition performance and muscle activation. J Strength

Cond Res 28(9): 2529–2535, 2014—Recent evidence

suggests that exercising the antagonist musculature acutely

enhances subsequent performance for the agonist musculature.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of

different rest intervals between sets for exercises that involve

antagonistic muscle groups, a technique referred to as

antagonist paired sets (APS). Fifteen recreationally trained

men were tested for knee extension (KE) exercise performance,

with or without previous knee flexion (KF) exercise

for the antagonist musculature. The following protocols were

performed in random order with 10 repetition maximum loads

for the KF and KE exercises: (a) traditional protocol (TP)—1

set of KE only to repetition failure; (b) paired sets

with minimal allowable rest (PMR)—1 set of KF followed

immediately by a set of KE; (c) P30—30-second rest between

paired sets of KF and KE; (d) P1—1-minute rest between

paired sets; (e) P3—3-minute rest between paired sets; and

(f) P5—5-minute rest between paired sets. The number of

repetitions performed and electromyographic (EMG) activity

of vastus lateralis, vastus medialis (VM), and rectus femoris

(RF) muscles were recorded during the KE set in each protocol.

It was demonstrated that significantly greater KE repetitions

were completed during the PMR, P30, and P1

protocols vs. the TP protocol. Significantly greater EMG

activity was demonstrated for the RF muscle during the KE

exercise in the PMR and P30 vs. the TP, P3, and P5, respectively.

In addition, significantly greater EMG activity was demonstrated

for the VM muscle during the PMR vs. all other

protocols. The results of this study indicate that no rest or

relatively shorter rest intervals (30 seconds and 1 minute)

between APS might be more effective to elicit greater agonist

repetition enhancement and muscle activation.

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