Bro Research Radio

Or is the squat a decent exercise to develop the quads and glutes until it’s not?

What is the muscular limiter for the barbell squat? Is it even a muscle?

Episode 20 Notes

 “From these data, it is unclear if strengthening a single muscle group (e.g., knee extensors) would increase squat strength, as the strength of one muscle group does not appear to relate more strongly to squat strength than another…Net joint moments observed during the squat do not approach 100% of what each joint can produce in isolation…The relationship between individual joint strength and multi-joint strength may be highly nonlinear and paradoxical, owing to the increased degrees of freedom of multi-joint movements…Humans may be less than the sum of their parts when it comes to multijoint force production”
Vigotsky et al. 2018

It seems like counter to what people think that by putting the barbell further away from the center of mass you are probably allowing for a more upright torso…until you aren’t. Meaning we actually see more and more erector spinae activity as you move the bar further out so the likely limiter here is just your ability to hold the position under increased fatigue and loading.
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fu...

and we probably can’t trust our eyes here for telling when people lose lumbar “neutrality” anyways.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...

The glutes aren’t really working much in the bottom of the squat (the hardest part of the lift) in their lengthened position…it looks like that is primarily adductor magnus. So the glutes really wouldn’t be the limiter to extend the hip ever in the squat and wouldn’t even be used much until after 90 degrees and their force output above 90 is likely way more than anything we could put on the bar anyways.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
https://www.researchgate.net/publicat...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...

Could the muscular limiter in a barbell squat variant ever really be the quads?

We generally see people tip forward as they start to fatigue out later in

Is 9,8,8,8 across four sets of your 10 rep max better than 10,7,6,5?

If so I know at least one thing the difference is not going to show up in an 8-week study on recreationally "trained" subjects.

I also don’t think you would see a difference in hypertrophy at even 16 weeks in highly trained individuals...you might see a significant difference in dropouts or injuries, but that is just conjecture on my part.

But, I still think the majority of your training on compound lifts should be done in this manner. On isolation lifts you probably have more leeway to break out the fancy shit.

Let’s face it, you can always do more volume. You can drop the reps and/or drop the weight and in theory train forever accumulating all the "effective" sets ever. But, there has to be a point where it just becomes junk reps and junk volume, where what you are doing is potentially worse than nothing...blasting up your RPE in the name of increased recovery time.

We also don’t really know if you equate hard sets if actual work volume completed is critical or if so how critical, but given the research on strength and exercise order, it likely has some implications over the long-term in highly trained lifters.

Therefore, we at BroResearch are willing to take the stance on albeit tumultuous ground that if you are training with the primary goal of increasing muscular tension it is likely best to structure your training in a way where you have the least amount of rep drop-offs at the highest training weight for your target rep range (especially on multi-joint high-skill movements).

*It is worth stating that this total work volume over the session may not matter and likely none of this matters for untrained subjects because they have more or less cooked the system at one or two sets closish to failure per muscle group.
 
References for Episode 19

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28965198/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29112055

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00775.2016

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26308090

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715039

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22510801

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763829/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23438229

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17461391.2020.1733672

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31188644/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27941492

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30248269

https://www.strongerbyscience.com/effective-reps/

In this Episode of Bro Research Radio Ryan and I jump into the nuances of Exercise Order and definitively answer exactly zero of the following questions.

·         Bench before Squat or Squat before Bench? 

·         Training to Failure vs. Not?

·         Compound before Single Joint Exercises or Single Joint before Compound Exercises?

·         Exercise Order by Priority?

·         Dumb lifts second?

·         Antagonist Supersets. Means to increase rest without while decreasing overall workout time without sacrificing productive volume . If you minimize rest you will likely sacrifice reps on the back end.  

·         What if you don’t have a life and thus don’t have to choose? AKA Increase Training Frequency

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24714546

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22964859

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20508461

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30248269

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22292516

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24511353

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24149379/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27826394

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23701174

In this Episode Ryan and Ben dive into both the mechanistic and applied research, as well as discuss the practical applications of using lower-load shorter-rest training. #ThePump

References related to this episode to check out:

1. Agostinete RR, Rossi FE, Magalhaes AJ, et al. Immunometabolic Responses after Short and Moderate Rest Intervals to Strength Exercise with and without Similar Total Volume. Frontiers in physiology. 2016;7:444.
2. Ahtiainen JP, Pakarinen A, Alen M, Kraemer WJ, Hakkinen K. Short vs. long rest period between the sets in hypertrophic resistance training: influence on muscle strength, size, and hormonal adaptations in trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2005;19(3):572-582.
3. de Souza TP, Jr., Fleck SJ, Simao R, et al. Comparison between constant and decreasing rest intervals: influence on maximal strength and hypertrophy. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(7):1843-1850.
4. Drouin PJ, Kohoko ZIN, Mew OK, Lynn MJT, Fenuta AM, Tschakovsky ME. Fatigue-independent alterations in muscle activation and effort perception during forearm exercise: role of local oxygen delivery. Journal of applied physiology. 2019;127(1):111-121.
5. Fink J, Kikuchi N, Nakazato K. Effects of rest intervals and training loads on metabolic stress and muscle hypertrophy. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2018;38(2):261-268.
6. Freitas MC, Cholewa J, Panissa V, et al. Short-Time beta-Alanine Supplementation on the Acute Strength Performance after High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise in Recreationally Trained Men. Sports (Basel). 2019;7(5).
7. Goto M, Maeda C, Hirayama T, et al. Partial Range of Motion Exercise Is Effective for Facilitating Muscle Hypertrophy and Function Through Sustained Intramuscular Hypoxia in Young Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(5):1286-1294.
8. Grgic J, Lazinica B, Mikulic P, Krieger JW, Schoenfeld BJ. The effects of short versus long inter-set rest intervals in resistance training on measures of muscle hypertrophy: A systematic review. European journal of sport science. 2017;17(8):983-993.
9. Haun CT, Mumford PW, Roberson PA, et al. Molecular, neuromuscular, and recovery responses to light versus heavy resistance exercise in young men. Physiol Rep. 2017;5(18).
10. Haun CT, Vann CG, Mobley CB, et al. Pre-training Skeletal Muscle Fiber Size and Predominant Fiber Type Best Predict Hypertrophic Responses to 6 Weeks of Resistance Training in Previously Trained Young Men. Frontiers in physiology. 2019;10:297.
11. Mitchell CJ, Churchward-Venne TA, Bellamy L, Parise G, Baker SK, Phillips SM. Muscular and systemic correlates of resistance training-induced muscle hypertrophy. PLoS One. 2013;8(10):e78636.
12. Morton RW, Sonne MW, Farias Zuniga A, et al. Muscle fibre activation is unaffected by load and repetition duration when resistance exercise is performed to task failure. J Physiol. 2019;597(17):4601-4613.
13. Rossi FE, Gerosa-Neto J, Zanchi NE, Cholewa JM, Lira FS. Impact of Short and Moderate Rest Intervals on the Acute Immunometabolic Response to Exhaustive Strength Exercise: Part I. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(6):1563-1569.
14. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer Interset Rest Periods Enhance Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
15. Villanueva MG, Lane CJ, Schroeder ET. Short rest interval lengths between sets optimally enhance body composition and performance with 8 weeks of strength resistance training in older men. European journal of applied physiology. 2015;115(2):295-308.

In this Episode Tommy and Ben dive into a recently published paper on glucose disposal post-exercise and finish up with a discussion on the fallacy of simple predeterministic stories based on genetics and Tommy's in review paper on the actual phenotypic expression of certain popular geneotypes in the healthosphere.

For more reading on this topic the links to the majority of the mentioned studies are below.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31033904
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31082986
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30239554

In this Episode, Ryan, Pat, and I continue the deep dive discussion revolved around delineating the Squat and the Deadlift. 

In the next hour we dig into the following questions. 

• What are your costs and benefits involved in maintaining a counternutated sacrum while squatting? 

• What are the other most common errors you see with big patterns and what are the potential objective benefits of fixing them if you don’t have any pain and are currently performing well?

• Do you want to more stretch in the hamstrings on the RDL? What do you want people to feel on this exercise?

• If you didnt grow up in the era you grew up in would you even use the barbell?

• What the deal with the air?  Give us the deets. 
• Eccentric overloading?
• Drop sets?
• Favorite Keiser machine?

• How do you drive adherence in one of the most hedonic and novelty seeking populations out there?

In this Episode of Bro Research Radio Ryan and I discuss the nuanced topic of Training Frequency and Recoverability. 

You can’t really think of training frequency in a vacuum and training frequency is normally the best means to add volume if you are looking to do it in a manner that minimized per session and program RPE. The more advanced you are, the more often you can train the better (to a hypothetical point, but likely not a logistical one), but to me this has more to do with your life, your personal preference, and your per session work capacity than training frequency itself. 

For example, take the three volume equated training programs below: a 4 day Full Body, a 4 day Upper/Lower Split, and a 6 day Upper/Lower Split. See here https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7vqxek1xngrk4i4/AADpEuDp2sczx8VWkHjJhpgca?dl=0

I would make the argument that the 4 day Upper/Lower split will result in the best pumps, but possibly a lot more junk volume than the 4 day Full Body. The 6 day Upper/Lower looks more attractive to me personally than the other two, but I like training every day as it anchors and supports my daily activities. However, imagine you took that same 4 day Full Body and broke it into two-a-days and 8 training sessions. Bangerang, I would say that hands down that would be the winner if you are trying to maximize muscular tension and effective reps, BUT you are now training 8 times a week.

Check out the episode, we digress a bit but we do cover…
• Training Frequency if you are just starting lifting vs. an advanced trainee. 
• Advanced trainees may have muscle groups with high training ages and muscle groups with lower training ages. 
• How long does it take highly trained subjects to recover from different stimuli? Does recovery = adaptability? 
• Training frequency less important than overall training volume BUT allows one to dissipate the training load over the week and thus reduce per session RPE and overall program RPE and likely increase productive volume across the training career. 
• High training frequency programs will likely need to be heavy in rotating accessory work to prevent over-use injuries. 
• Acute to chronic load ratios and maintaining high chronic training volumes being protective against injury. 
• The upcoming acute study design and where it will fit into the current body of literature.

Here are some of the studies we reviewed during this episode:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28716692  
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10929214 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30621334 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28965198 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30779596

In this this episode, Ryan and I talk about... 

Why food volume matters. 

• Humans evolutionarily not adapted to higher density foods especially fat+ carb hyperpalatable hyper ED combinations. Humans are inaccurate in their judgments of how many kcals high ED food have (above 1.5 kcal/g). 
• Children show a linear relationship between food preference and energy density. 
• Over a five day period a spontaneous decrease or increase in kcals with ad-lib intake of low or high ED foods in children
• RCTs generally show better weight loss and weight maintenance and less hunger with lower energy density diets. Not the end all be all, but makes a lot of mechanistic sense especially for weight regain. 
• Low ED pre-loads are a viable strategy to try while dieting. 

We also discuss confounders of food volume and how they matter in research, but not so much in real life

• Nutrient Density/Diet Quality
• Eating time
• Water content
• Fiber
• Sugar
• Fat

Does this food volume adaptation potentially go hypothetically go both ways?!

• If you increase your food volume and do you now eat more high energy dense food?

Food volume, food quality, and weight gain

• Skeleton of high quality meals of real food and then use higher ED foods to meet increased kcal needs. 

In this Episode Ryan, Ethan, and I talk shop on the nuances surrounding some of the more technical issues in the training world. We don't give concrete answers and we all have different opinions, but if you love the extremely important yet granular details of the weight room and programming you will love this conversation. 

Tracking Volume and RPE/RIR
1 to 1 for agonists and synergists? 
Sets to a 6 RPE vs. sets to a 9 RPE?
Accounting for different strength curves in exercise selection and volume tracking?
Accounting for position in exercise selection and volume tracking?

Progressing Volume 
Do we oscillate volume or do we ride it until it is broke and then move up or deload?
Can we just play the tension game for decades and work around and work to prevent over-use injuries or would we be better off utilizing different macrocycles within the training year?
Utilizing strength and loading as the primary driver of volume?

In this Podcast Ryan and I jam about CrossFit with the owner and founder of Training Think Tank Max El-Hag.