Muscle Activity Patterns do not Differ Between Push-Up and Bench Press Exercises.

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Upper-body resistance training research often explores hand positions, open vs. closed chain exercises, and variations for different skill levels.
• Understanding muscle activation differences is crucial for optimizing training programs and injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare muscle activation between closed chain (push-up) and open chain (bench press) exercises.
• To investigate the effect of hand position and push-up variations (toes vs. knees) on muscle activation.
• To determine if differences exist in primary muscle group activity and core activation between exercise types.

Main Methods:

• Surface electromyography (EMG) was used to measure activity in 8 upper-body and core muscles.
• 12 active men performed push-up and bench press variations with normalized weight across 3 hand positions.
• Muscle activation was analyzed for closed chain (push-ups) versus open chain (bench press) exercises.

Main Results:

• Few significant differences in primary muscle group activation were found between closed and open chain exercises.
• Core muscle activation showed some differences between closed and open chain exercises.
• Narrow hand positions generally resulted in greater muscle activation.
• No significant differences in primary muscle group contribution were observed between toe and knee push-ups.

Conclusions:

• Closed chain exercises may be advantageous for functional training due to similar primary muscle activation.
• Knee push-ups can be considered an effective variation for novice exercisers, offering comparable muscle contribution.
• Hand position significantly influences muscle activation, with narrower grips potentially enhancing results.