Chest Press Variations and Pectoralis Major Mechanics

April 13, 2026 updated by: Nihat Sarıalioğlu

Bench Press and Machine Chest Press Elicit Distinct Acute Mechanical Responses in the Pectoralis Major: A Randomized Controlled Study

This randomized controlled study aims to compare the acute effects of bench press (BP) and machine chest press (MCP) exercises on the mechanical properties of the pectoralis major muscle in resistance-trained bodybuilders. Sixteen male athletes are randomly assigned to BP or MCP groups. Both groups perform four sets of ten repetitions at 80% of one-repetition maximum with equalized volume load. Muscle mechanical properties, including oscillation frequency, stiffness, decrement, relaxation time, and creep, are measured using MyotonPRO before and immediately after exercise. The study hypothesizes that BP will induce greater stiffness due to higher stabilization demands, whereas MCP will produce greater increases in oscillation frequency due to more isolated loading.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Exercise selection is a key determinant of acute neuromuscular responses during resistance training. Bench press (BP) and machine chest press (MCP) are widely used exercises targeting the pectoralis major, but they differ biomechanically in stabilization demands and load distribution. While BP requires multi-joint stabilization and increased neuromuscular coordination, MCP provides a guided movement pattern that isolates the pectoralis major.

Despite similar muscle activation reported in previous electromyographic studies, the acute mechanical responses of muscle tissue to these exercises have not been directly compared. Muscle mechanical properties, including oscillation frequency, stiffness, decrement, relaxation time, and creep, provide objective insights into neuromuscular function and fatigue.

In this randomized controlled trial, sixteen male bodybuilders with at least five years of resistance training experience are assigned to BP or MCP groups. Both groups perform four sets of ten repetitions at 80% 1RM. MyotonPRO is used to assess mechanical properties of the pectoralis major before and immediately after exercise.

The primary aim is to determine whether biomechanical differences between BP and MCP produce distinct acute mechanical responses in muscle tissue.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
16

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Centre
      • Giresun, Centre, Turkey (Türkiye), 28100
        • Giresun University - Sports Science Faculty

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male participants
  • Aged between 20 and 40 years
  • Minimum of 5 years of regular resistance training experience
  • Competitive bodybuilding athletes

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of musculoskeletal injury affecting the pectoralis major, shoulder, or upper extremity within the last 12 months
  • History of upper extremity surgery
  • Use of anabolic steroids or performance-enhancing substances within the last 12 months

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Bench Press Group
Participants performed a single-session resistance training protocol consisting of four sets of ten repetitions at 80% of one-repetition maximum using barbell bench press with 2-minute rest intervals between sets.
Behavioral: Bench Press Exercise
Participants performed a resistance training protocol consisting of four sets of ten repetitions at 80% of one-repetition maximum using barbell bench press, with 2-minute rest intervals between sets.
Experimental: Machine Chest Press Group
Participants performed a single-session resistance training protocol consisting of four sets of ten repetitions at 80% of one-repetition maximum using a machine chest press with 2-minute rest intervals between sets.
Behavioral: Machine Chest Press Exercise
Participants performed a resistance training protocol consisting of four sets of ten repetitions at 80% of one-repetition maximum using a machine chest press, with 2-minute rest intervals between sets.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in pectoralis major muscle stiffness measured by MyotonPRO
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately post-exercise (within 90 seconds)
Muscle stiffness (N/m) of the pectoralis major was measured using MyotonPRO before and immediately after the exercise protocol.
Baseline and immediately post-exercise (within 90 seconds)
Change in oscillation frequency (muscle tone) of the pectoralis major measured by MyotonPRO
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately post-exercise (within 90 seconds)
Muscle stiffness (N/m) and oscillation frequency (Hz), representing muscle tone, were measured using MyotonPRO before and immediately after the exercise protocol.
Baseline and immediately post-exercise (within 90 seconds)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Nihat Sarıalioğlu

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 13, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • GRU-SBF-NS-05

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared due to the small sample size and to ensure participant confidentiality and data protection.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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