ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2016 January-February;175(1-2):1-9

Copyright © 2016 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Maximal repetition performance and muscle activation of biceps brachii and triceps brachii during agonist-antagonist paired set adopting different exercise order

Gabriel PAZ, Marianna DE FREITAS MAIA, Déborah DE ARAÚJO FARIAS, Humberto MIRANDA

School of Physical Education and Sports, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

BACKGROUND: To investigate the acute effects of different exercise order over three agonist-antagonist paired sets on repetition performance, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and muscle activation of biceps brachii and triceps brachii lateral head during single-joint resistance exercises.
METHODS: The normalized electromyographic signal of biceps brachii and triceps brachii muscles was recorded during triceps curl (TC) and biceps curl (BC) exercises on pulley machine. Eleven trained females performed 2 different exercise sequences using 10-repetition maximum loads. TB sequence consisted of 3 sets of TC and 3 sets of BC performed in an alternating manner. Under the BT protocol, sets of BC were performed before TC. Two-minute rest interval was adopted between sets and exercises.
RESULTS: Significant higher numbers of repetitions were noted for TC exercise when under TB sequence. No differences were noted for BC exercise. Higher triceps activation was noted during TC under TB compared to BT. Similar results were found for biceps brachii during BC exercise under BT compared to TB. No differences were noted in RPE between exercises and sequences.
CONCLUSIONS: Higher repetition performance and agonist muscle activation was noted when biceps curl and triceps curl was the first exercise to be performed in the sequence. Therefore, the muscle group which is priority should be stressed in the first exercise to be performed under PS.