Abstract

Background: A great deal of research has addressed various aspects of push-up performance including joint loading, muscle activity, shoulder girdle stabilization, etc. However less attention has been given to the distribution of body weight (BW) throughout the exercise bout. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the distribution of body weight (BW) over the hands for males and females throughout a 1-minute continuous pushup bout. A second research question aimed to investigate whether a 6-week push-up specific training program was an effective means of improving BW distribution throughout such an exercise bout.

Methods: A total of 19 females and 22 males participated in this study. Pre-and post-testing consisted of a 1-minute continuous push-up bout with each hand placed on am individual force plate. Average peak force out from each hand was analyzed at the beginning and end of the bout. The pre- and post-tests were separated by a 6-week push-up specific training intervention, which was performed 3 times per week by all participants.

Results: For both the pre- and post-test assessments, the percent BW (%BW) positioned over the force plates was significantly greater at the start compared to the end of the 1-min bouts (t(37)=10.50, p< 0.00, d=1.21 and t(40)=9.09, p< 0.00, d=1.06, respectively). Additionally, significantly more BW was positioned over the force plates at the end of the post-test when compared to that of the pre-test (t(37)=-1.83, p=0.03, d=0.21). Both males and females significantly decreased the %BW positioned over the force plates throughout both the pre- and post-tests (males: t(17)=13.99, p< 0.00, d=3.06, and t(18)=13.71, p< 0.00, d=3.35, respectively; females: t(19)=6.90, p< 0.00, d=1.31, and t(21)=5.52, p< 0.00, d=0.76).

Conclusion: Body weight distribution was observed to decrease significantly for both genders throughout the push-up bouts during both pre- and post-tests. While a trend was observed to indicate that an exercise-specific training program results in a greater distribution of BW over the hands throughout the bout, a longer training program (e.g. 12-16 weeks) will likely result in a stronger trend and is recommended for future research.

Keywords: Prevention and health promotion models; Childhood and adolescence