Specific/General Response to Exercise

Arthur Jones was the first to identify a muscle's specific or general response to exercise. And he did it with significant tools - machines that totally isolated muscle function, machines checked for accuracy and reliability by research conducted at the University of Florida - so there was no doubt about the results.

Most of the 10,000 subjects tested (80% in the low-back extensors, 72% in the front thigh) demonstrated what Jones called a Specific response to exercise (Type S). That is, they experienced fatigue and/or results only in the range of motion where the muscle worked. Little or no results were produced in the non-work zone. The remainder of the subjects exhibited a General response to exercise (Type G) - full-range fatigue and/or results from partial-range exercise.

So, why all the hype about functional and performance training, and compound movement exercise? By their nature, none provide full-range exercise - exercise that provides an appropriate resistance throughout the entire range of motion. Which produces (in most cases, as above) partial-range results - athletes and housewives alike with great strength at some angles of movement and lousy strength at others. Terrific for performance, terrific for daily activities, terrific for injury prevention. Yeah.

It led Arthur to conclude, "Bullshit is rather easy to establish, and once established, impossible to irradicate."

Unfortunately, not enough trainers are aware of the facts.