Performance and Perceptual Responses to Cluster Sets in Pneumatic-Resistance Exercises: Impact of Exercise Selection, Sex, and Strength.

This study examined the effects of cluster sets (CS) versus traditional sets (TRAD) on performance and perceptual responses during pneumatic chest press (CP) and leg press (LP). Exercise-specific differences and the influence of sex and strength were also explored. Forty-seven recreationally resistance-trained young adults (23 male and 24 female) performed CP and LP at 70% 1-repetition maximum in either CS (4 × [2 × 5], 30-s intraset rest, 150 s between sets) or TRAD (4 × 10, 180-s rest between sets) in randomized order. Mean concentric velocity (MCV), MCV loss, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and estimated repetitions to failure were recorded. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were used for statistical comparisons, with sex and strength included as exploratory variables. MCV was higher (P < .001, partial η2 = .272), RPE was lower (P < .001, partial η2 = .246), and estimated repetitions to failure was higher (P < .001, partial η2 = .429) in CS than TRAD, with no exercise-specific differences. Although MCV loss was lower in CS (P < .001, partial η2 = .364), post hoc analyses revealed that this benefit was only significant during CP and among males. However, the sex-related effect did not remain significant after adjusting for strength. While sex- and strength-related interactions emerged for MCV, they were limited to higher-order interactions involving repetitions but did not alter the overall CS benefit. CS effectively maintained MCV, reduced RPE, and increased estimated repetitions to failure compared with TRAD across CP and LP using pneumatic-resistance devices. The benefit of CS in attenuating MCV loss differed by exercise and sex, with the sex effect moderated by strength.