Final answer:
Resistance exercises that maintain sarcomere length within 80 to 120 percent of resting length allow for optimal filament overlap, which is crucial for maximal tension and force production during muscle contractions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Resistance exercises that provide maximal resistance throughout the range and have appropriate sarcomere overlap are exercises that maintain the sarcomere length within 80 to 120 percent of its resting length. At this range, the thick and thin filaments overlap optimally, allowing for the maximum number of cross-bridges to form, which is necessary for the highest tension and force production in muscle contractions.
When a sarcomere's length is within this ideal range, it's at the optimal length-tension relationship. This is important for resistance training, which focuses on recruiting fast glycolytic (FG) fibers that are responsible for powerful, short-duration movements that lead to muscle hypertrophy. Therefore, resistance exercise not only improves muscle strength and size but also ensures efficiency of movement and tension generated by the muscles by maintaining the sarcomere at its ideal length.