Explosive Push-ups: From Popular Simple Exercises to Valid Tests for Upper-Body Power.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Assessing upper-body power is crucial in sports performance.
• Explosive push-up variations are popular but their validity as power tests needs scientific validation.
• Ground reaction force (GRF)-based parameters offer objective biomechanical data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the logical and ecological validity of five explosive push-up variations.
• To determine if GRF-based parameters can effectively characterize upper-body power output during these exercises.
• To explore the influence of starting position on exercise intensity.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-seven highly active soldiers performed five explosive push-up variations.
• Vertical GRF was measured using a force plate during each exercise.
• Key GRF parameters including takeoff force, flight time, and landing impact were analyzed.
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to characterize the GRF data.

Main Results:

• Significant correlations were found between initial force and peak GRF during takeoff for both countermovement push-up (CMP) and squat push-up (SP) variations.
• Initial force was negatively correlated with flight time in both CMP and SP exercises.
• PCA models demonstrated high predictive power for GRF parameters, explaining substantial variance in power output.

Conclusions:

• Explosive push-up variations, analyzed through GRF, possess strong logical and ecological validity as upper-body power tests.
• The PCA model effectively captures the biomechanical demands of these exercises.
• Adjusting the starting position (standard vs. kneeling) allows for modulation of exercise intensity.