When exercising the muscles in one’s back, it is important

I'm glad that you're enjoying our explanations, manishtank1988! Sadly, there is no formula or algorithm for navigating these questions. As described in our CR Guide for Beginners, you have to read carefully and think really hard about what's important in each unique passage.

When you see the words "is needed" in the phrase "balanced muscle development is needed to maintain a healthy back," you should be thinking, "okay, 'is needed'... this must be a necessary condition, not a sufficient one." There's no way around that part. If you are looking for cues/markers, trying too hard to group a passage with something you've seen in the past, and then trying to tackle it using an overly formulaic approach, you'll likely gloss over key details, fall for trap answers, and/or misinterpret something.

Sorry for the not-so-satisfying response, but I hope that helps a little bit!

When exercising the muscles in one’s back, it is important, in order to maintain a healthy back, to exercise the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally. After all, balanced muscle development is needed to maintain a healthy back, since the muscles on opposite sides of the spine must pull equally in opposing directions to keep the back in proper alignment and protect the spine.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?

This is an assumption question and we have to find that missing information which is crucial for the argument to hold.

If we boil it down we get --> exercise the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally will help maintain a healthy back.
Missing information: The author takes it for granted that exercising the muscles on the opposite sides of the spine equally is THE only way to maintain a healthy back.

In more difficult assumption questions it is difficult to separate a missing information and a strengthener. Most of the options given do strengthen the argument but are they essential for the argument is something that we need to find out.

(A) Muscles on opposite sides of the spine that are equally well developed will be enough to keep the back in proper alignment.
It certainly strengthens the argument but not necessary for the conclusion to hold true. If we negate the option we get "muscles on opposite sides of the spine that are equally well developed will not be enough to keep the back in proper alignment." It does not affect the argument because it doesn't even talk about the exercising the muscles.


(C) Provided that one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, one will have a generally healthy back.
This, too, will strengthen the argument but not an essential information to have.

(D) If the muscles on opposite sides of the spine are exercised unequally, one’s back will be irreparably damaged.
It's too extreme. We can't say for sure that the back will be irreparably damaged. We only know that one might have an unhealthy back.

(E) One should exercise daily to ensure that the muscles on opposite sides of the spine keep the back in proper alignment.
Exercising daily/weekly/monthly cannot be assumed. Eliminate. This option is an easy out.


(B) Exercising the muscles on opposite sides of the spine unequally tends to lead to unbalanced muscle development.
B is the winner. If we negate the option we "exercising the muscles on opposite sides of the spine unequally DOESN'T tends to lead to unbalanced muscle development" the conclusion falls apart.

Expert's feedback is appreciated if my logic is incorrect.

Thank you
Please press kudos if this explanation has helped you.

B. Exercising the muscles on opposite sides of the spine unequally tends to lead to unbalanced muscle development.

Since we have two negative words we can paraphrase the sentence as below;
Exercising the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally tends to lead to balanced muscle development.

So, by negating we get,
Exercising the muscles on opposite sides of the spine DOES NOT equally tends to lead to balanced muscle development.

This breaks down the conclusion, thereby, it is a correct assumption.

Can anyone please explain to me why option C is incorrect? When I negated the to option, it seemed to weaken the conclusion.

I am happy to help

The problem with this statement is the word "generally". This means that sometimes one will have a healthy back and sometimes one will not have a healthy back.

This is not necessary for the argument to hold.

Also, if you negate the option "Provided that one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, one will NOT have a GENERALLY healthy back" which also means that sometimes one will have a healthy back and sometimes one will not have a healthy back and that's how it doesn't do anything to the argument.

Hi sunny91,

Though I am still learning, I will try to present my reasoning.

The word 'generally' means 'in most cases' or 'usually'. So, to paraphrase the choice C, it stands-

'provided that one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, one will have a healthy back in most cases'

So, by negating we get,

'provided that one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, one will NOT have a healthy back in most cases ---> which indicates that if one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, in some cases one will have a healthy back.

I hope this doesn't break down the conclusion.

I noticed in assumption questions, that very frequently the options are or the repetition of an argument (it will be wrong every time), or generalizations (will be wrong every time), or too extreme (similar to previous one - wrong every time)
or the missing part of puzzle (very often) or something like negation of negation (do not know how to tell it in a right way - here it is option B - the right one)

Remember that we are looking for an assumption that is REQUIRED by the argument.

We don't necessarily NEED there to be damage for the argument to hold. All we need is UNBALANCED muscle development. So although (D) (both the original and your modified version) would help the argument, neither is a required assumption!

GMATNinja Bunuel
Can we expect such difficult question on GMAT ?

The assumption is C - Provided that one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, one will have a generally healthy back.
Negating this, will break the argument.

When exercising the muscles in one’s back, it is important, in order to maintain a healthy back, to exercise the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally. After all, balanced muscle development is needed to maintain a healthy back, since the muscles on opposite sides of the spine must pull equally in opposing directions to keep the back in proper alignment and protect the spine.

Which one of the following is an assumption required by the argument?

(A) Muscles on opposite sides of the spine that are equally well developed will be enough to keep the back in proper alignment.

(B) Exercising the muscles on opposite sides of the spine unequally tends to lead to unbalanced muscle development.

(C) Provided that one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, one will have a generally healthy back.

(D) If the muscles on opposite sides of the spine are exercised unequally, one’s back will be irreparably damaged.

(E) One should exercise daily to ensure that the muscles on opposite sides of the spine keep the back in proper alignment.




Using POE....



(A) Muscles on opposite sides of the spine that are equally well developed will be enough to keep the back in proper alignment.---Incorrect--- The passage does not state anything like this..(too extreme)

(B) Exercising the muscles on opposite sides of the spine unequally tends to lead to unbalanced muscle development.---Incorrect---Author does not talk about unbalanced muscle development, he rather talks about balanced muscle development..(out of scope)

(C) Provided that one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, one will have a generally healthy back.---Correct--If this is not true the argument falls apart.

(D) If the muscles on opposite sides of the spine are exercised unequally, one’s back will be irreparably damaged.---Incorrect---The passage does not state anything like this..(too extreme)


(E) One should exercise daily to ensure that the muscles on opposite sides of the spine keep the back in proper alignment.---Incorrect---The passage does not state anything like this..(generalization)




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Thanks in advance for the Kudos I will recieve!!

Ans B?
It starts with equal exercise then subtly switches to balanced development

The OA is B.

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Can anyone please explain to me why option C is incorrect? When I negated the to option, it seemed to weaken the conclusion.

I think the word "MUST" in the premise - "since the muscles on opposite sides of the spine MUST pull equally in opposing directions to keep the back in proper alignment and protect the spine." - has made the choice B correct choice

The main stimulus talks during the exercise, where as the option C talks about the general statement of having a healthy back if one exercise the muscles. In case of Option B, it clearly mentions "during the exercise if done unequally, it will lead to unbalanced muscle development" which on negating will falsify the conclusion.

Hi,
I was torn between B and C. C looks more like an inference or conclusion to me. but, on a second thought C can be an assumption, that falls under If X then Y.

(C) Provided that one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, one will have a generally healthy back.

If one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, then one will have a generally healthy back.
If we negate this, if one exercises the muscles on opposite sides of the spine equally, then one will not have a generally healthy back. The argument falls. Please help me to understand how to eliminate C.

Hi Mahmud6,
Yes option B by negating, we can see the conclusion breaks. Can you kindly mention how C is incorrect. Even by negating C, the conclusion breaks.