What is pre-exhaustion?

Pre-exhaustion is a training strategy used in bodybuilding to enhance muscle hypertrophy (growth). The concept involves performing an isolation exercise that targets a specific muscle group before engaging in a compound movement that recruits the same muscle group. For example, you might do leg extensions to pre-exhaust the quadriceps muscles before performing squats. This approach helps in better targeting the desired muscles during the compound exercise. However, pre-exhausting muscles can reduce performance in terms of the weight lifted and possibly the form maintained during the subsequent compound exercise. This technique is particularly useful for those focusing on muscle growth rather than maximum strength performance 1.