Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Kinesiology (MSK)

First Advisor

June Kloubec

Abstract

Background: Muscle hypertrophy is defined as the increase in size, thickness, and girth of human skeletal muscle and is mostly induced by resistance training (RT). A large body of assessment literature suggests that there are many training methods that can induce muscle hypertrophy, underscoring the importance of training specificity. Training to muscular failure vs non-failure remains a heavily debated topic in the literature and fitness industry, showing mixed results in the published literature. Additionally, there is a lack of literature examining muscle hypertrophy in resistance-trained women using a unilateral approach. Purpose: This paper responds to these challenges by examining failure vs non-failure induced hypertrophy in resistance-trained women using unilateral resistance training, with a specific focus on the quadriceps. Methods: Two undergraduate resistance-trained women, serving as their own control, trained twice a week for eight weeks. Non-failure limbs performed 15 reps and progressively to 20 reps, while failure limbs performed to muscular failure. Both failure and non-failure limbs performed three sets. Quadricep girth, quadricep skeletal muscle mass, quadricep strength, and quadricep body composition were assessed pre-post intervention. Results: Regardless of training conditions, both limbs showed statistically significant increases in girth (p = .015) and skeletal muscle mass (p = .007). Strength changes decreased (p = .855), as did body composition (p = 1.00). Conclusion: The current study found that participants showed hypertrophic gains in both conditions, slightly favoring the failure limbs. In contrast, strength favored the non-failure limbs and no changes in body composition. Therefore, more work is needed on muscle hypertrophy in resistance-trained women to yield more significant findings for this underappreciated audience.

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