Abstract Background. The pre-exhaustion (PE) method is a way to target a stronger muscle in a multi-joint exercise by isolating the stronger muscle immediately before the multi-joint exercise. It has been shown that this principle give greater magnitude of muscular activation in the synergistic secondary mover. There is also some indications that the PE method gives a greater neuromuscular activation of the primary mover when PE the synergist. If there are any differences between men and women in muscle activity has never been investigated before. Men have a greater absolute strength than women, especially in their upper body. There are still conflicting results if they also have greater relative strength. Aim. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if there were any neuromuscular differences between men and women when PE triceps brachii before bench press and if there was any differences in relative strength during 10RM bench press. Methods. 15 men and 15 women was randomly signed up in two different protocols. Protocol 1 started with bench press at 10 repetition maximum (10RM) and after five minutes of recovery, they performed the pre-exhaustion exercise (triceps extensions to failure) immediately before a second round of bench press with the same load on the barbell. Protocol 2 started with triceps extensions to failure immediately before bench press at their 10RM. They also had five minutes of recovery before they performed 10 repetitions of bench press. The magnitude of muscular activation were collected with surface electromyography and then processed through average root mean square (RMS). The values were normalized to muscular voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and expressed as percent of MVIC. The muscles that was analysed was triceps brachii (TB), pectoralis major (PM) and deltoideus anterior (DA). Results. The results showed that women had a statistically significantly higher muscular activity in all three muscles; PM (p=0.001) TB (p=0.023) and DA (p=0.047) after pre-exhaustion of TB before bench press compared to only bench press. Men showed only a statistical significant higher activation in PM (p=0.003) and a trend of higher activation in DA (p=0.061). There was a statistically significant difference in muscle activity between women and men in TB (p=0.015) but not in DA (p=0.902) and PM (p=0.436). There was no statistically significant difference between relative strength (volume load/fat free mass) (p=0.775) nor number of repetitions in bench press after PE of TB (p=0.713) between the sexes. Conclusion. The main findings in this study is that it was a statistically significant difference in neuromuscular activity in TB between men and women when PE was applied to TB before the bench press compared to bench press only, but no difference in relative strength.

Ao contrário da recomendação tradicional do treinamento de força, a proposta do método de pré-exaustão é iniciar a sessão de treino com exercícios monoarticulares e terminar com exercícios multiarticulares. O objetivo deste estudo foi, por meio da EMG, investigar parâmetros temporais e de intensidade da ativação dos músculos peitoral maior (PM), deltóide (DA) e tríceps braquial (TB) que possam fundamentar a aplicação do método de pré-exaustão em 10RM dos exercícios supino e crucifixo. Foram comparados dois protocolos experimentais: P1) método da préexaustão; P2) recomendações tradicionais. A intensidade de ativação baseada no valor RMS, bem como a relação desta com a duração da contração muscular, estabelecida em faixas de intensidade, não obteve diferenças estatisticamente significativas para PM. Para DA, não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os protocolos na intensidade de ativação quando as repetições foram analisadas em conjunto. Entretanto, quando analisado cada repetição, este músculo apresentou aumento estatisticamente significativo de intensidade de ativação em P1, assim como maior solicitação da faixa de intensidade 80 a 100% CIVM. Para TB, a intensidade de ativação foi significativamente maior em P1 que em P2 para todas as formas de análise. Os resultados mostraram que o aparelho locomotor aumentou a dependência de TB como estratégia alternativa para tentar atingir 10RM do supino em P1. Assim, é possível afirmar que o método de pré-exaustão pode ser eficiente para impor maior estímulo neural sobre pequenos grupos acessórios na execução de um movimento e não sobre o grupo principal o qual se deseja. Entretanto, estes achados suportam que os efeitos do método de pré-exaustão ainda não podem ser afirmados categoricamente. Pois, ao longo da série em P1 não houve aumento significativo na intensidade de ativação de um mesmo músculo, bem como das faixas de intensidade, como houve em P2. Desse modo, é possível afirmar que os músculos, em P1, iniciaram a série em um nível de intensidade mais alto que em P2, pois foram estimulados previamente / Contrariwise the strength training traditional recommendation, the preexhaustion method purposes to begin a training session with monoarticular exercises and to finish it with multiarticular exercises. The aim of this study was, through EMG, to inquire into temporal and activation intensity parameters of pectoralis major (PM), deltoid (DA) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles, which can be used as a basis to bench press and flying 10RM pre-exhaustion method application. It was compared two experimental protocols: P1) pre-exhaustion method; P2) traditional recommendation. The activation intensity, as well its relationship with the muscular contraction duration, established on intensity levels, did not attain significant differences to PM. To DA, there were not differences between the protocols respecting the activation intensity when whole the repetitions were analyzed. However, when each repetition was analyzed, this muscle exhibited significant increasing in activation intensity in P1; as well it showed a more intense solicitation of 80 to 100% MVIC level. To TB, the activation intensity was significant greater in P1 than P2 respecting whole manners to data analysis. The results exhibited that the locomotor apparatus increased the TB dependence as an alternative strategy to try to attain bench press 10RM in P1. Therefore, it is possible to assert that pre-exhaustion method may be efficient to impose largest neural stimuli on small synergists muscular groups during movement execution, but not on the main target muscular group. However, these findings sustain that the pre-exhaustion method effects cannot receive a categorical affirmation, yet. Because, contrariwise the P2, during the P1 bench press set there was not significant increasing in the same muscle activation intensity, as well in the intensity levels. This way, it is possible to assert that, in P1 the muscles began the set in a highest intensity levels than in P2, because they were stimulated previously

Ao contrário da recomendação tradicional do treinamento de força, a proposta do método de pré-exaustão é iniciar a sessão de treino com exercícios monoarticulares e terminar com exercícios multiarticulares. O objetivo deste estudo foi, por meio da EMG, investigar parâmetros temporais e de intensidade da ativação dos músculos peitoral maior (PM), deltóide (DA) e tríceps braquial (TB) que possam fundamentar a aplicação do método de pré-exaustão em 10RM dos exercícios supino e crucifixo. Foram comparados dois protocolos experimentais: P1) método da préexaustão; P2) recomendações tradicionais. A intensidade de ativação baseada no valor RMS, bem como a relação desta com a duração da contração muscular, estabelecida em faixas de intensidade, não obteve diferenças estatisticamente significativas para PM. Para DA, não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os protocolos na intensidade de ativação quando as repetições foram analisadas em conjunto. Entretanto, quando analisado cada repetição, este músculo apresentou aumento estatisticamente significativo de intensidade de ativação em P1, assim como maior solicitação da faixa de intensidade 80 a 100% CIVM. Para TB, a intensidade de ativação foi significativamente maior em P1 que em P2 para todas as formas de análise. Os resultados mostraram que o aparelho locomotor aumentou a dependência de TB como estratégia alternativa para tentar atingir 10RM do supino em P1. Assim, é possível afirmar que o método de pré-exaustão pode ser eficiente para impor maior estímulo neural sobre pequenos grupos acessórios na execução de um movimento e não sobre o grupo principal o qual se deseja. Entretanto, estes achados suportam que os efeitos do método de pré-exaustão ainda não podem ser afirmados categoricamente. Pois, ao longo da série em P1 não houve aumento significativo na intensidade de ativação de um mesmo músculo, bem como das faixas de intensidade, como houve em P2. Desse modo, é possível afirmar que os músculos, em P1, iniciaram a série em um nível de intensidade mais alto que em P2, pois foram estimulados previamente / Contrariwise the strength training traditional recommendation, the preexhaustion method purposes to begin a training session with monoarticular exercises and to finish it with multiarticular exercises. The aim of this study was, through EMG, to inquire into temporal and activation intensity parameters of pectoralis major (PM), deltoid (DA) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles, which can be used as a basis to bench press and flying 10RM pre-exhaustion method application. It was compared two experimental protocols: P1) pre-exhaustion method; P2) traditional recommendation. The activation intensity, as well its relationship with the muscular contraction duration, established on intensity levels, did not attain significant differences to PM. To DA, there were not differences between the protocols respecting the activation intensity when whole the repetitions were analyzed. However, when each repetition was analyzed, this muscle exhibited significant increasing in activation intensity in P1; as well it showed a more intense solicitation of 80 to 100% MVIC level. To TB, the activation intensity was significant greater in P1 than P2 respecting whole manners to data analysis. The results exhibited that the locomotor apparatus increased the TB dependence as an alternative strategy to try to attain bench press 10RM in P1. Therefore, it is possible to assert that pre-exhaustion method may be efficient to impose largest neural stimuli on small synergists muscular groups during movement execution, but not on the main target muscular group. However, these findings sustain that the pre-exhaustion method effects cannot receive a categorical affirmation, yet. Because, contrariwise the P2, during the P1 bench press set there was not significant increasing in the same muscle activation intensity, as well in the intensity levels. This way, it is possible to assert that, in P1 the muscles began the set in a highest intensity levels than in P2, because they were stimulated previously