What is the carryover effect?

The carryover effect in fitness refers to the benefits that one type of exercise or movement confers on other exercises or movements, particularly when the two are similar in nature or involve similar muscle groups or motor patterns.

In the context of strength training, carryover effects are particularly significant when engaging in exercises that you are initially poor at or find very challenging. By sticking with these difficult exercises and improving at them, you can experience substantial overall strength: the gains achieved in one lift or movement can enhance performance in a different, yet related, exercise. For instance, as discussed by Adam Schafer and Sal Di Stefano, improving at sumo deadlifts can lead to improvements in conventional deadlifts. Similarly, enhancing your front squat can boost your back squat performance due to the carryover effects of these two related movements 1.

This concept highlights the importance of varying your workout routine and challenges the muscles in new and different ways to promote comprehensive development and prevent plateaus in strength and performance.