Authors
Tom Hermann, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Adam E. Mohan, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Alec Piñero, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Alysson Enes, [1]Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA, [2]Metabolism, Nutrition and Strength Training Research Group (GPMENUTF), Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
Max Coleman, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Arman Zamanzadeh, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Max Sapuppo, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Albert Jia, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Jeremy Ethier, Built With Science Holdings Corporation, Richmond, BC, Canada
Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Milo Wolf, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
Paul A. Swinton, Department of Sport and Exercise, School of Health Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Brad J. Schoenfeld, Department of Exercise Science and Recreation, Applied Muscle Development Lab, CUNY Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
International Journal of Exercise Science 19(1): 1008, 2026.
Abstract
This study aimed to compare the effects of pre-exhaust training and traditional training on muscular hypertrophy, strength, body composition, and muscular endurance in resistance-trained participants over an 8-week study period. We randomly assigned 48 young, resistance trained individuals (male = 32, female = 9; height = 173.0 ± 10.3 cm; weight = 81.7 ± 15.9 kg; age = 22.5 ± 4.1 yrs) to 1 of 2 experimental groups after initial testing: a pre-exhaust resistance training (RT) group (PreEx: n = 24) or a traditional RT group (TRAD: n = 24). The RT protocol consisted of the following lower body exercises: leg extension, Smith squat, seated hamstring curl, barbell Romanian deadlift. Participants in the TRAD group completed all sets for one exercise before performing a different exercise with ~2 minutes of rest between sets. The PreEx group performed a set of a single-joint exercise immediately prior (<10 seconds) to a set of the corresponding multi-joint exercise for that muscle group followed by ~2 minutes of rest. Both groups performed 4 sets of each exercise twice weekly with loads corresponding to 8-12 repetition maximum (RM). Assessments included pre-post measures of muscle thickness of the quadriceps and hamstrings, body composition, 1RM squat strength, local muscle endurance of the quadriceps, and the countermovement jump. Results showed slightly greater improvements in muscle size and body composition favoring TRAD, with statistical uncertainty for a true between-group difference. Changes in strength, local muscular endurance and countermovement jump height were similar between groups. In conclusion, TRAD would seem to be a better option than PreEx for those seeking to optimize muscle hypertrophy. Measures of strength, power and local muscular endurance were relatively similar between conditions, suggesting that PreEx is a viable alternative to TRAD for these outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Hermann, Tom; Mohan, Adam E.; Piñero, Alec; Enes, Alysson; Coleman, Max; Zamanzadeh, Arman; Sapuppo, Max; Jia, Albert; Ethier, Jeremy; Korakakis, Patroklos Androulakis; Wolf, Milo; Swinton, Paul A.; Schoenfeld, Brad J. (2026) “Front-Loading Fatigue: Does the Pre-exhaustion Method influence Resistance Training-induced Muscular Adaptations?,” International Journal of Exercise Science, 19(1):1008.