Comparison of changes in the muscular power potential of elbow flexors after a six-week experimental procedure with two groups of subjects working according to the standard load method and the greatest muscle load method

Abstract

The six-week programme for improvement of the elbow flexor muscles strength was carried out on 14 subjects, divided into two experimental groups (E1 and E2) in order to assess the potential maximal strength changes. The first group worked according to the standard method of muscle contraction – entire amplitude in the elbow. The second experimental group worked according to the method of reduced angle of muscle contractions within an amplitude of maximal extension and 30⁰ to flexion in conditions when the muscle shows greatest muscle load. Each of the subjects exercised 3 times a week, performing 3 series on the Scott bench with one-arm weight as external load and one to three repetitions in each series. The programme, according to which the trainings were carried out, was performed with individual approach. In each series, the weight with which each of subjects exercised, changed (increased) in reference with the number of repetitions in single series, but with no more than 3 repetitions. Individual changes in each of the groups were analysed, as well as the inter-group differences for all tests. Results have shown a statistically significant increase of the maximum strength of the elbow flexor muscles of 32,1% after 3 weeks of exercises and 46,8% after six weeks of exercises in E1, and 27.9% after the third, and 43.6% after the sixth week in E2 (tested with the 1RM test). The inter-group differences tested after the third, and after the sixth week, have shown no statistically significant differences, which means that although the subjects of both groups worked with different amplitudes of muscle contractions, they have still achieved statistically identical changes in the maximal strength component of the affected muscle groups. This individual approach method, as well as the reduced amplitudes of exercise of the maximal strength of the flexor muscles, enables a fast and efficient change of this capacity and may have an application in the field of sports, recreation or rehabilitation.