scholarly journals Differences in unilateral chest press muscle activation and kinematics on a stable versus unstable surface while holding one versus two dumbbells

PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Patterson ◽  
Andrew D. Vigotsky ◽  
Nicole E. Oppenheimer ◽  
Erin H. Feser

Training the bench press exercise on a traditional flat bench does not induce a level of instability as seen in sport movements and activities of daily living. Twenty participants were recruited to test two forms of instability: using one dumbbell rather than two and lifting on the COR bench compared to a flat bench. Electromyography (EMG) amplitudes of the pectoralis major, middle trapezius, external oblique, and internal oblique were recorded and compared. Differences in range of motion (ROM) were evaluated by measuring an angular representation of the shoulder complex. Four separate conditions of unilateral bench press were tested while lifting on a: flat bench with one dumbbell, flat bench with two dumbbells, COR Bench with one dumbbell, and COR Bench with two dumbbells. The results imply that there are no differences in EMG amplitude or ROM between the COR bench and traditional bench. However, greater ROM was found to be utilized in the single dumbbell condition, both in the COR bench and the flat bench.

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 3035
Author(s):  
Néstor J. Jarque-Bou ◽  
Joaquín L. Sancho-Bru ◽  
Margarita Vergara

The role of the hand is crucial for the performance of activities of daily living, thereby ensuring a full and autonomous life. Its motion is controlled by a complex musculoskeletal system of approximately 38 muscles. Therefore, measuring and interpreting the muscle activation signals that drive hand motion is of great importance in many scientific domains, such as neuroscience, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, robotics, prosthetics, and biomechanics. Electromyography (EMG) can be used to carry out the neuromuscular characterization, but it is cumbersome because of the complexity of the musculoskeletal system of the forearm and hand. This paper reviews the main studies in which EMG has been applied to characterize the muscle activity of the forearm and hand during activities of daily living, with special attention to muscle synergies, which are thought to be used by the nervous system to simplify the control of the numerous muscles by actuating them in task-relevant subgroups. The state of the art of the current results are presented, which may help to guide and foster progress in many scientific domains. Furthermore, the most important challenges and open issues are identified in order to achieve a better understanding of human hand behavior, improve rehabilitation protocols, more intuitive control of prostheses, and more realistic biomechanical models.


Author(s):  
Yuki Kurokawa ◽  
Satoshi Kato ◽  
Satoru Demura ◽  
Kazuya Shinmura ◽  
Noriaki Yokogawa ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Abdominal bracing is effective in strengthening the trunk muscles; however, assessing performance can be challenging. We created a device for performing abdominal trunk muscle exercises. The effectiveness of this device has not yet been evaluated or compared OBJECTIVE: We aimed to quantify muscle activity levels during exercise using our innovative device and to compare them with muscle activation during abdominal bracing maneuvers. METHODS: This study included 10 men who performed abdominal bracing exercises and exercises using our device. We measured surface electromyogram (EMG) activities of the rectus abdominis (RA), external oblique, internal oblique (IO), and erector spinae (ES) muscles in each of the exercises. The EMG data were normalized to those recorded during maximal voluntary contraction (%EMGmax). RESULTS: During the bracing exercise, the %EMGmax of IO was significantly higher than that of RA and ES (p< 0.05), whereas during the exercises using the device, the %EMGmax of IO was significantly higher than that of ES (p< 0.05). No significant difference was observed in the %EMGmax of any muscle between bracing exercises and the exercises using the device (p= 0.13–0.95). CONCLUSIONS: The use of our innovative device results in comparable activation to that observed during abdominal bracing.


2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. I. Bain ◽  
N. Polites ◽  
B. G. Higgs ◽  
R. J. Heptinstall ◽  
A. M. McGrath

The purpose of this study was to measure the functional range of motion of the finger joints needed to perform activities of daily living. Using the Sollerman hand grip function test, 20 activities were assessed in ten volunteers. The active and passive range of motion was measured with a computerized electric goniometer. The position of each finger joint was evaluated in the pre-grasp and grasp positions. The functional range of motion was defined as the range required to perform 90% of the activities, utilizing the pre-grasp and grasp measurements. The functional range of motion was 19°–71°, 23°–87°, and 10°–64° at the metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, and distal interphalangeal joints, respectively. This represents 48%, 59%, and 60% of the active motion of these joints, respectively. There was a significant difference in the functional range of motion between the joints of the fingers, with the ulnar digits having greater active and functional range. The functional range of motion is important for directing indications for surgery and rehabilitation, and assessing outcome of treatment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (06) ◽  
pp. 1550058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott P. Breloff ◽  
Li-Shan Chou

Back pain can affect up to 65% of the American population and cost the health care system approximately fifty billion dollars each year. Due to the difficulty with recording spine/trunk movement, several methods and models exist. The myriad of methods and the need for understanding of spine/trunk motion has led to a lack in a ‘gold-standard’ of treatment for individuals with back pain. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different activities of daily living on the kinematics of individual trunk segments in young adults to determine how common ambulatory tasks will alter trunk motion compared to level walking. Young healthy adults completed, in a random order, four activities of daily living: level walking, obstacle crossing, stair ascent and descent using a previously validated model. Subjects were outfitted with a full body marker set which included a segmented trunk. Multi-segmented trunk angles between the three inferior segments, sacrum to lower lumbar [SLL], lower lumbar to upper lumbar [LLUL] and upper lumbar to lower thorax [ULLT], were calculated and compared between tasks. Peak flexion angles, instance of peak angle and range of motion were analyzed. The overall hypothesis that different spine levels will have altered kinematics during various activities of daily living was supported. Stair descent had smaller peak flexion angles than obstacle crossing and stair ascent. The instance of peak angle were different depending on trunk angle and daily task. The most inferior trunk angle — Sacrum-to-Lower Lumbar — had the largest range of motion during all four tasks in all three (sagittal, frontal and transverse) planes of motion. This study was able to show how various activities of daily living produce different motions in the three inferior segments of a multi-segmented trunk method. The results of this study are the first steps in understanding how the trunk responds on a daily basis and how those responses could lead to back pain.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-246
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Alfonso Quiroz Sandoval ◽  
Nathalie Tabilo ◽  
Cristóbal Bahamondes ◽  
Pilar Bralic

Objectives: Abdominal hypopressive gymnastics (AHG) is a little-researched method designed to train the muscles of the abdominal wall and pelvic floor under low stress. This study’s objective is to compare levels of muscle activation in AHG against prone bridge by surface electromyography (sEMG) of the abdominal wall muscles. Methods: Twenty healthy subjects were enrolled to measure the muscle activity of the rectus abdominis (RA), transversus abdominis/internal oblique (Tra/IO), and external oblique (EO) during three exercises: prone bridge (PB), orthostatic hypopressive (OH), and hypopressive bridge (HB). Root mean square values normalized to the PB (%PB) as a baseline were used to compare the PB against OH and HB. Results: The median PB ratio (%PB) for the Tra/IO showed –10.31% and +59.7% activation during OH and the HB, respectively, whereas the RA showed –77.8% and +19.3% and the EO –39.8% and +9.8%. Significant differences were found for all muscles except the Tra/IO during the OH. Conclusion: This study’s results suggest that hypopressive exercises facilitate the activation of the Tra/IO similar to bridge exercises while simultaneously reducing RA and EO activity. This suggests that hypopressive training is a valid alternative for activating the abdominal muscles, isolating the Tra/IO at low intra-abdominal pressure.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-5
Author(s):  
James B. Talmage ◽  
Jay Blaisdell

Abstract In the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides), Sixth Edition, range of motion (ROM) is used to calculate the physical examination modifier when the diagnosis-based impairment (DBI) method is used, ie, Table 15-8, Physical Examination Adjustment: Upper Extremities, and Table 16-7, Physical Examination Adjustment: Lower Extremities. The DBI method is preferable for calculating upper and lower extremity ratings, but in instances specified by the regional grid, the evaluator may choose to use the ROM method, typically because it yields a higher impairment rating. The article outlines the steps for measuring ROM. Invalid results on the day of testing are declared after three consecutive efforts if the three measurements for a given plane of motion vary by more than 10 degrees from the average (mean) of these three measurements. The process can be tried again another day, or the DBI method can be used. All ROM measurements should be rounded to the nearest number ending in zero, and a figure provides examples of suitable annotations. Adjustments for functional history can be made if ROM is the only method used for rating, if results are deemed reliable and consistent with results from an activities of daily living questionnaire or other valid functional report, and if the current ROM impairment does not adequately capture the full impairment.


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