NSCF Certified Personal Trainer Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Reciprocal inhibition is a mechanism that occurs when one muscle group contracts, leading to the relaxation of the muscle group on the opposite side of the joint. In the context of improving strength and flexibility, the combination of exercising a muscle while simultaneously stretching its antagonist illustrates this concept effectively.

In the case of seated leg extensions, the quadriceps are actively contracted during the movement. This contraction leads to reciprocal inhibition of the hamstrings, which are the antagonist muscles. Following the leg extension, performing a hamstring stretch capitalizes on this mechanism by allowing the hamstrings to relax further and be effectively stretched because their opposing muscles (the quadriceps) are already contracted, enhancing flexibility in that muscle group.

This relationship between the leg extension and hamstring stretch exemplifies how integrating reciprocal inhibition can improve both strength and flexibility in a training set, making it the most relevant pair of movements for this particular question.