Scientists at Edith Cowan University in Australia have found that weightlifting exercises are most effective for increasing strength. The results of the study were published in the journal European Journal of Applied Physiology.
Researchers looked at three types of dumbbell exercises: eccentric (dropping weights aimed at lengthening the muscles), concentric (lifting weights, aiming muscle contraction) and concentric-eccentric (lifting weights and then lowering alternately in the same exercise).
Scientists have found that all types of lifting improve lifting power, but eccentric and concentric-eccentric exercises also improve isometric (static) and eccentric (lowering) power.
“Many people think that lifting barbells alone gives a visible result, but our research shows otherwise. We found that concentric muscle contractions contribute little to the training effect, while dumbbell lowering or lifting-lowering exercises are much more effective. At the same time, it takes less time to lower them. , therefore the eccentric type of work with dumbbells can be called the most effective, ”explained scientists.
The results were obtained during an experiment with three groups of volunteers who did different types of exercises twice a week for five weeks, 3 sets of 10 repetitions each time. The study also included a control group whose members did not exercise.