Authors: Robbins, D.W., Young ,W.B., Behm, D.G and Payne, W.R.

JSCR, 2010, 24(10): 2873- 2882.

Commentary by Matt Jordan

This article is a review of the literature on the use of Agonist- Antagonist Pairing in resistance training. Agonist-antagonist pairing is the pairing of opposite muscle groups (e.g. elbow flexors/elbow extensors) or biomechanically dissimilar exercises (e.g. power cleans/incline bench press or bench press/pull-up) for the purpose of improving maximal strength and muscle power.

The authors’ review focuses on the following areas:

• Terminology (the authors recommend adopting the term Paired Training)

• Proposed benefits of paired training

• Physiological mechanisms underpinning a paired training approach to resistance training

• Practical applications and considerations for future research

While the scientific research on paired training is relatively sparse and somewhat equivocal, this style of lifting can enhance time-efficiency and may have some physiological basis for improving strength and power in athletes. This article will provide the coach with a good synopsis of the literature on a very practical and commonly used approach to resistance training program design.

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