The way you move your knees during exercise can really affect how strong and big your muscles get.  This was shown in a study with fifty young women who had never done this kind of exercise before.  They were split into different groups.  Each group did knee extension exercises in a specific way.  One group did the full range of motion.  Another group did the initial part of the motion.  A third group did the final part.  The last group switched between the initial and final parts.  There was also a control group that did not do any special exercises.

    Before and after the training, the women's muscle strength and size were measured.  The results showed that the groups doing the initial range of motion and the varied range of motion had the biggest gains in strength when their knees were fully extended.  The groups doing the final range of motion and the varied range of motion had the biggest gains in strength when their knees were bent.  The control group and the group doing the full range of motion did not see as much improvement.

    The study also looked at how the muscles worked during the exercises.  The group doing the initial range of motion had a bigger muscle response when their knees were fully extended.  The group doing the final range of motion had a bigger muscle response when their knees were bent.  This shows that the muscles work differently depending on how the knee is moved.

    When it came to muscle size, the groups doing the initial range of motion, the full range of motion, and the varied range of motion saw the biggest increases.  The group doing the final range of motion did not see as much growth.  This suggests that doing a full or varied range of motion is better for building muscle size.

    So, if you want to get stronger and build more muscle, think about how you are moving your knees during exercises.  Mixing it up might give you the best results.  It is important to note that this study only looked at young women who had never done this kind of exercise before.  The results might be different for other groups of people.

The Impact of Different Knee Movement Ranges on Muscle Strength and Growth

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