Kwon, Y. S., & Schneider, S. M. (2012). Optimizing resistance during multiple-set weight training to increase training volume in women. Presentation 1869 at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, San Francisco, California; May 29-June 2, 2012.

When a resistance-trained person performs multiple sets with short or incomplete rest periods between sets, the resistance must be reduced to maintain the same number of repetitions until fatigue or the number of repetitions will be reduced if the same resistance is used. There is no benchmark method for optimizing resistance to maximize training volume in women when training with multiple sets with short rest periods. This study hypothesized that in women, a greater training volume (sets × reps × resistance) would be produced using a training protocol where resistance is decreased with each training set (based on the S’s fatigue ratio using an individualized regression equation) vs. during a training protocol where Ss use a constant resistance, and the number of repetitions declines with each set.

Females (N = 10) experienced in resistance training, completed four sets of 65% 1 RM leg press, 75% 1 RM bench press, and 85% 1 RM seated row exercise to failure, with 30 seconds (for 65%), 90 seconds (for 75%), and 180 seconds (for 85%) as rest intervals.

There was a greater training volume when Ss exercised with decreasing load sets compared to training with same load sets on all three exercises.

Implication. In women, a greater training volume is attained using a decreasing-load method based on S’s fatigue ratio than when using a constant resistance training method.

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