Jim Stoppani breaks down the the effects and benefits of contralateral and pre-exhaust training in this in-depth guide.
Jim Stoppani is a deeply experienced and well-educated member of the bodybuilding and fitness community. As an exercise physiologist, he understands the science behind the various training techniques and tactics in the bodybuilding world. Stoppani provided some valuable insight in the original Generation Iron feature film documentary. That’s why we decided to reconnected for a new GI Exclusive mini-series breaking down the science, tactics, and explanations behind bodybuilding and fitness concepts – presented in partnership with Barbend. In our latest GI Exclusive, Jim Stoppani provides a complete breakdown on the benefits and effects of contralateral training and pre-exhaust training.
Contralateral training and pre-exhaust training are two completely different techniques – but bother can be vital tools in your arsenal to reach your fitness goals. Both of these training tactics are a bit less covered compared to the most popular of workout styles. While many bodybuilders may understand how to do both contralateral and pre-exhaust training – it’s important to understand the why behind it in order to fully excel at these techniques. Let’s jump into it.
What is Contralateral Training?
In most simple terms, contralateral training is the concept that training one side of the body can increase the strength of muscles on the other side of the body (1). It is also known as cross-training although that term has expanded to broader uses over time.
The very concept of this might sound silly. How can training my right arm make my left arm stronger? While this isn’t some sort of miracle concept to save your time and energy on exercising one half of your body – contralateral training can be a valuable tool in fitness and bodybuilding. This is especially true if the athlete faces an injury preventing full training.
How Contralateral Training Works
Jim Stoppani breaks down contralateral training as such. The human body has one heart and one brain. That single brain sends electrical signals to both sides of the body. And that single heart pumps blood to both sides of the body. So when you are training, for example, your right arm – the increased blood flow and brain activity still sends blood and signals to the other side of your body. So in this case – also your left arm.
Stoppani explains that studies have proven, while this will not largely lead to a noticeable change in strength or size for the opposite muscle, it can help prevent or slow atrophy. This makes contralateral training a key technique when an athlete is injured. If you are unable to train your left arm – you should not avoid training your right out of fear of uneven muscle size. In fact, training your right arm will help slow atrophy on the left. Making for less gains to recover after fully surpassing the injury (2).
What is Pre-Exhaust Training?
Pre-exhaust training is a technique designed to fully stimulate larger muscle parts. More specifically, it’s to help fully exhaust a large muscle part that might otherwise be held back by weaker body parts around it during compound exercises (3).
Jim Stoppani first explains the how of pre-exhaust training. A typical example of this technique is to do a single joint isolated exercise followed by a multi-joint compound exercise. But why do we do this? What is the added benefit?
By starting with an isolated exercise, you guarantee to focus on exhausting that muscle. This then guarantees that the muscle will also be fully exhausted afterwards when doing a compound movement.
Jim Stoppani uses this example – if you have weak triceps and only do the bench press exercise, your triceps will exhaust before your pecs do. So you will never full stimulate as much muscle growth as desired via this exercise. By using pre-exhaust training, you ensure that the main muscle being targeted – in this case pecs – gets fully exhausted. Full exhaustion, of course, leads to optimal muscle growth during the recovery period after training.
Does Pre-Exhaust Training Work?
This training technique has been under some scrutiny. Jim Stoppani mentions two studies published concluding that pre-exhaust training doesn’t work. But Stoppani believes that these studies are misleading. The study concluded that the second exercise in pre-exhaust training didn’t work because it led to less muscle activity. But really – that actually proves the technique works. It’s proof that the muscle has been exhausted. An exhausted muscle fires less electrical activity because it’s exhausted.
Jim Stoppani also mentions two longer term studies that analyzed pre-exhaust training. One did not see a difference between the two exercise styles of traditional vs pre-exhaust. While the second study concluded that the technique led to increased strength and muscle growth. Pre-exhaust training can also increase and lead to greater training volume (4).
Again, Stoppani believes the first long term study mentioned here is misleading – as the best exercise for a person is, as Stoppani puts it, “The one you’re not doing.” Depending on what training technique you are using – at some point you need to update the variety of your training techniques. This is essential for preventing plateaus.
So in general, when Jim Stoppani is asked what the best training technique is – that wholly depends on the individual. What their body type is, what their experience level is, and what kind of training they have been currently doing. Training techniques are not one and done plans – they have to constantly evolve to what your body needs most depending not he current situation.
Wrap Up
And this is exactly what Jim Stoppani wants to ensure that those in the fitness and bodybuilding community truly understand concepts such as contralateral and pre-exhaust training. These are two techniques that are not meant to be your single and only training style. They are tools that you can include into an ever changing cycle of workout plans.
A training style should never be static. Variety is key to preventing plateaus and pushing to new limits. What works for your body now might not work for your body a year from now. You need to adapt and change to further your growth and strength. These tools can now be added into your arsenal for times when these just might be your best option.
You can watch Jim Stoppani go into full detail about both contralateral and pre-exhaust training in our latest GI Exclusive interview above!
References
- Cirer-Sastre, R.; et al. (2017). “Contralateral Effects After Unilateral Strength Training: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Training Loads”. (source)
- Valdes, O.; et al. (2020). “Contralateral effects of eccentric resistance training on immobilized arm”. (source)
- Fisher, J.; et al. (2014). “The effects of pre-exhaustion, exercise order, and rest intervals in a full-body resistance training intervention”. (source)
- Ribeiro, A.; et al. (2018). “The potential role of pre-exhaustion training in maximizing muscle hypertrophy: A review of the literature”. (source)
