Comparison of Upper Extremity Muscle Activation Between Different Inertial Exercise Equipment

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2014

Publication Title

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Supplemental

DOI

10.1249/01.mss.0000495480.46361.91

ISSN

1530-0315

Abstract

Newer modes of resistance training, such as inertial training, are becoming increasingly popular. Inertial training involves alternating concentric and eccentric muscle actions, often rapidly, to change the acceleration of a mass. Two popular inertial training devices include the Bodyblade® (BB) and Shake Weight® (SW); with respect to the SW, little data concerning muscle activation exists.

PURPOSE: To compare anterior deltoid (AD), triceps brachii (TB), biceps brachii (BB), and pectoralis major (sternal and clavicular portions) (PM-S, PM-C) muscle activity during four unilateral exercises between the SW (1.1kg), BB (.68kg), and a standard dumbbell (.90kg).

METHODS: During a single session, seventeen physically active females (23.6 ± 2.0yrs) completed four oscillation exercises with each device. The exercises were chosen to selectively target the AD, TB, BB, and PM-S/PM-C muscles by varying the positions of the shoulder and elbow. Subjects oscillated the devices in each position 30s. The device and exercise order were randomly established for each participant with one minute rest between exercises and two minutes rest between devices. The mean amplitude of surface electromyographical activity and number of oscillations were computed for the middle 24s.

RESULTS: Results of a muscle by device by position analysis revealed significant main effects for device (P=.05). Muscle activation was significantly greater for the BB compared to SW (P = 0.005, 95%CIdiff:0.002 - 0.010mV). No significant differences between dumbbell and BB (P = 0.341, 95%CIdiff:-0.003 - 0.009) or SW and dumbbell (P = 0.179, 95%CIdiff:-0.002 - 0.009). The number of oscillations for dumbbell was significantly less compared to BB (P = 0.026, 95%CIdiff:1.07-14.46) and SW (P = 0.045, 95%CIdiff:.2-14.39).

CONCLUSION: These results revealed that the SW failed to produce greater activation than a standard dumbbell and less activation than the BB. The BB is recommended for promoting the greatest muscle activation during unilateral oscillatory exercises. The greatest muscle activation in all positions was produced by the BB and shaking the dumbbell. AD was the greatest activated muscle in all three equipment proving that it has a stabilizing role during the exercises. This emphasizes the important role the AD has on shoulder function and exercises.

Comments

© 2014 American College of Sports Medicine

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