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Published on: July 27, 2015
Electromyographic Effect of Using Different Attentional Foci During the Front Plank Exercise
Joaquin Calatayud1, Jose Casaña, Fernando Martín
1From the Research Unit in Sports and Health, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (J. Calatayud, FM, JCC); Exercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (J. Calatayud, J. Casaña); National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark (J. Calatayud, MDJ, LLA); Physical Activity and Human Performance Group, SMI, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark (LLA); and Research Group in Prevention and Health in Exercise and Sport, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain (JCC).
Objective:
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine whether an internal focus on different core muscles during the isometric prone plank exercise increased muscle activity.
Design:
Twenty university students performed the following five different conditions: regular prone plank (external focus) and prone plank with an internal focus on different muscles. Surface electromyography signals were recorded for the upper rectus abdominis, lower rectus abdominis, external oblique, and lumbar erector spinae.
Results:
For the upper rectus abdominis, an internal focus on using any muscle increased activity. For the lower rectus abdominis, internal focus on any muscle except the lumbar erector spinae increased activity. No changes were found for external oblique and lumbar erector spinae activity.
Conclusions:
Upper rectus abdominis and lower rectus abdominis activities increased during an internal focus on the abdominal muscles. external oblique and lumbar erector spinae activities were nonaffected by an internal focus on any muscle.
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