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Updated: Sep 10, 2025

An Instrumented Pull Test to Characterize Postural Responses
Published on: April 6, 2019
Force Profile Characteristics of Gravitational and Pneumatic Resistances in Pull and Push Exercises
Manuel Barba-Ruiz1, Juan Ramón Heredia-Elvar1, Adrián Martín-Castellanos1
1AExPH, Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas y de la Salud, Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, 28691 Madrid, Spain.
Introduction:
Strength training, essential for health and performance, often uses free weights for greater stabilization demands and pulleys for easier load adjustment and progression.
Methods:
The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in force application using gravitational and pneumatic resistances. Twenty experienced subjects participated in the study (age: 21.9 ± 3.8 years; body mass: 76.3 ± 9.4 kg; height: 177.4 ± 7.5 cm), performing four exercises with each type of resistance: bench press, lat pulldown, chest fly, and single-arm row. The participants performed 8 repetitions per exercise. Peak and mean force were measured with a 100 Hz load cell (SUIFF S2 Pro) during the concentric phase of the lifts. Differences between resistance types were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and paired t-tests.
Results:
Peak force was higher with gravitational resistance across all exercises (p < 0.001; d = 2.1-4.7). Average force with gravitational resistance was also higher in the bench press and lat pulldown (p < 0.05; d = 0.7-1.4), but not in the chest fly or single-arm row.
Conclusions:
Gravitational resistance may better enhance peak strength, while pneumatic resistance supports consistent force and neuromuscular control. These results allow us to select the resistance type based on specific mechanical characteristics.
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