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Theory and Practice of Physical Culture and Sports

Article

Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of different strength training methods for the formation of muscle relief in bodybuilder athletes

Viacheslav Pyzhianov, Andrii Semenov
Retrieved from Vol. 5, No. 1, 2026 Pages 81–95
Received
26.12.2025
Revised
10.04.2026
Accepted
12.05.2026
Published
26.06.2026
Views
70

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine how different options for organising strength loads affect the development of muscle mass, changes in body composition and expressiveness of the relief in bodybuilder athletes. The study was conducted at the Uman National University (Ukraine) from October 20 to December 12, 2025 with the participation of 66 male bodybuilder athletes who performed 8-week programmes of traditional hypertrophic training, drop sets and periodised strength-hypertrophic training, and the effectiveness was assessed using a pedagogical experiment, bioimpedance analysis, anthropometry, single-repetition maximum testing, calculation of the total strength index and statistical analysis. The most significant changes in body composition occurred in the periodised strength-hypertrophic training group: skeletal muscle mass increased by 2.4 kg, lean mass by 2.6 kg, and the proportion of adipose tissue decreased by 2.3%, which is explained by the combination of high mechanical stress in basic exercises with sufficient hypertrophic volume in auxiliary movements. Anthropometric indicators confirmed the improvement of the relief: shoulder girth increased by 1.6 cm, chest by 2.5 cm, hips by 2.3 cm, while the waist decreased by 2.9 cm, which reflects the improvement of body proportions. The total strength index increased by 57.2 kg versus 31.7 kg in the drop-set group and 29.9 kg in the traditional method group, confirming the advantage of periodisation for the development of maximum strength. Correlation analysis showed a relationship between skeletal muscle mass gain and strength index (r = 0.74), and waist reduction – with a decrease in adipose tissue (r = 0.72), which proves the interdependence of morphological and functional changes. Thus, periodised strength-hypertrophic training most effectively combined muscle mass gain, fat component reduction, improvement of proportions and strength increase in bodybuilders. The results can be used by bodybuilding coaches, physical education and sports specialists and athletes to plan training programmes aimed at the formation of muscle relief and control of body composition

Keywords

body composition; fat-free mass; anthropometric parameters; adaptation; hypertrophy; morphological changes; drop set

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Suggested citation

Pyzhianov, V., & Semenov, A. (2026). Comparative analysis of the effectiveness of different strength training methods for the formation of muscle relief in bodybuilder athletes. Theory and Practice of Physical Culture and Sports, 5(1), 81-95. https://doi.org/10.69587/tppcs/1.2026.81