Home Products

Trainer Tips
Opposing Muscle Groups: Circuit Sets
 
Certain muscles have to work together in order for a joint to move. For example, the biceps and triceps are “opposing” or agonistic/antagonistic muscle groups. In order for the elbow joint to flex, the biceps must contract and the triceps must relax (or the force of the biceps is greater than the force of the triceps). If both muscles fire at the same time with equal force, the joint is in an isometric contraction (no movement). Training both muscle groups evenly can help keep the joint functioning efficiently.  In short, opposing muscle groups typically oppose one another, each moving the joint in the opposite direction.
 
Circuit Set is a means of training opposing or alternate muscle groups one after another without rest (although the active muscles are getting rest while the opposing muscle are worked). For example, performing a set of biceps curls immediately followed by a set of triceps extensions allows for strengthening of the two opposing muscles, with no rest period between sets.