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Journal of Military Medicine
2024, Volume 26, Issue 2
Pages: 2258-2268
doi 10.30491/JMM.2024.1006614.1139
*Corresponding author: Mohamad Fashi, Email: m_fashi@sbu.ac.ir
The Effects of Weekly Variations in Resistance Training routine on Muscle
Thickness and Strength Adaptations in YoungMen
Mehdi Tayebi 1, Mohamad Fashi 1*, Afshar Jafari 1
1 Department of Biological Sciences in Sports, Faculty of Sports Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Received: 20 January 2024 Accepted: 20 April 2024
Abstract
Background and Aim: Given the significant relationship between muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and
muscle strength, the primary objective for athletes involved in resistance training is to enhance muscle mass and
strength. Proper manipulation of training variables such as intensity, volume, frequency, exercise selection, rest
interval, and tempo are essential for maximizing exercise-induced muscle hypertrophy. The present study
examined the effects of weekly variations in resistance training on muscle thickness (MT) and strength adaptations
in young men.
Methods: This research included 30 participants (age: 21.37 ± 1.37 years, height: 174.48 ± 3.34 cm, weight:
72.13 ± 3.45 kg). They were randomly assigned into varying training groups whose training routine changed every
week (VAR) or traditional training groups that did not change (TRAD) for ten weeks. For the VAR group training
weeks were labeled as adaptation, metabolic stress, mechanical tension, muscle damage, and de-load week 2
cycles of this change occurred through the training intervention for them, but the TRAD group training routine
did not change through the study.
Results: Both the TRAD and VAR groups showed significant increases in the MT of the biceps brachii muscle
(BB) (VAR: P = 0.001; TRAD: P = 0.007), significant differences were observed between groups (P = 0.012).
Vastus lateralis (VL) MT increased significantly in both groups (P = 0.001), no significant difference was
observed between the two groups (P>0.05). Among the groups, lean body mass (LBM) increased significantly (P
= 0.001), TRAD group showed a significant decrease in body fat (P = 0.49), there was no significant change in
BMI of both groups (P>0.05). Both groups showed significant increase in bench press and back squat 1-RM
strength test (P = 0.001). Back squat showed a trivial non-significant difference between the groups (P = 0.072).
Conclusion: The results showed that changing resistance training methods weekly was more effective than
traditional resistance training for biceps hypertrophy. Nevertheless, the effects of VAR and TRAD exercises are
similar in the case of the latissimus dorsi muscle.
Keywords: Resistance Training, Muscle Hypertrophy, Mechanical Tension, Metabolic Stress, Muscle Damage.
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doi 10.30491/JMM.2024.1006614.1139
m_fashi@sbu.ac.ir
CSA
±±±
VARTRADVAR
TRAD
TRAD P VAR P BB
P (VL)
P <P
LBM P TRAD P VAR P
<P(1-RM)
P
VARTRAD
CSA
GPower
(1-β)
Varović
±±
±
±
VARTRAD
J Mil Med 2024, Volume 26, Issue 2
/
VARTRAD
/
VAR
/
VAR
/
VAR
/
VARTRAD
VAR
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TRAD
VARTRAD
MRI "
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MRI
VL
BBRT
B-mode (Philips clearvue 550)
BB
1-RM
1-RM
1-RM
1-RM
BIA
DEXA
InBody 570 BIA
BMILBM
(BF)
JASP
017.2.1
≥ P
IR.SBU.REC.1402.007
P>TRADVAR
; VAR: P = TRAD: P =
P
P =
P>
J Mil Med 2024, Volume 26, Issue 2
BBVL
BMI(kg/𝑚2)
Bf %
LBM
(BF)BMI
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J Mil Med 2024, Volume 26, Issue 2
MAPKJNK
(C-jun N terminal Kinase)
mTOR
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IR.SBU.REC.1402.007
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