Muscle Activity in Upper-Body Single-Joint Resistance Exercises with Elastic Resistance Bands vs. Free Weights

Ronny Bergquist, Vegard Moe Iversen, Paul J Mork, Marius Steiro Fimland, Ronny Bergquist, Vegard Moe Iversen, Paul J Mork, Marius Steiro Fimland

Abstract

Elastic resistance bands require little space, are light and portable, but their efficacy has not yet been established for several resistance exercises. The main objective of this study was to compare the muscle activation levels induced by elastic resistance bands versus conventional resistance training equipment (dumbbells) in the upper-body resistance exercises flyes and reverse flyes. The level of muscle activation was measured with surface electromyography in 29 men and women in a cross-over design where resistance loadings with elastic resistance bands and dumbbells were matched using 10-repetition maximum loadings. Elastic resistance bands induced slightly lower muscle activity in the muscles most people aim to activate during flyes and reverse flies, namely pectoralis major and deltoideus posterior, respectively. However, elastic resistance bands increased the muscle activation level substantially in perceived ancillary muscles, that is deltoideus anterior in flyes, and deltoideus medius and trapezius descendens in reverse flyes, possibly due to elastic bands being a more unstable resistance modality. Overall, the results show that elastic resistance bands can be considered a feasible alternative to dumbbells in flyes and reverse flyes.

Keywords: deltoid muscle; electromyography; pectoralis muscles; resistance training.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Start- and end position of flyes with elastic bands (A) and dumbbells (B)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Start- and end position of reversed flyes with elastic bands (A) and dumbbells (B).
Figure 3
Figure 3
EMG data for flyes with elastic bands and dumbbells in the first and second half of the concentric (CON1 and CON2) and eccentric (ECC1 and ECC2) phases for the pectoralis major (A), deltoideus anterior (B), biceps brachii (C) and latissimus dorsi (D). Means and standard deviations. * p ≤ 0.01; # p ≤ 0.05
Figure 4
Figure 4
EMG data for reverse flyes with elastic bands and dumbbells in the first and second half of the concentric (CON1 and CON2) and eccentric phases (ECC1 and ECC2) for the deltoideus posterior (A), trapezius descendens (B), deltoideus medius (C), and latissimus dorsi (D). Means and standard deviations. * p ≤ 0.01; # p ≤ 0.05

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