An electromyographic analysis of shoulder muscle activation during push-up variations on stable and labile surfaces

Abstract

Background:Numerous exercises are used to strengthen muscles around the shoulder joint including the push-up and the push-up plus. An important consideration is the addition of surface instability in the form of swiss ball for rehabilitation and strength. The justification for the use of the swiss ball is based on its potential for increasing muscular demand required to maintain postural stability and for improving joint proprioception. Evidence for this is lacking in literature.Purpose of the Study:To compare the myoelectric amplitude of shoulder muscles during push-ups on labile and stable surface.Study Design:Same subject experimental study.Materials and Methods:Thirty healthy male subjects in the age group 20-30 years with a mean height of 173.65 cm (± SD 2.56) and a mean weight of 69.9 kg (±SD 0.2) were taken. Surface electromyogram was recorded from triceps, pectoralis major, serratus anterior and upper trapezius while performing push-up and push-up plus exercises, both on labile and stable surface.Results:Significant increase in muscle activity was observed in pectoralis major and triceps muscle (only during eccentric phase of elbow pushups), while serratus anterior and upper trapezius showed no change in activation level on swiss ball.Conclusion:The addition of a swiss ball is capable of influencing shoulder muscle activity during push-up variations, although the effect is task and muscle dependent.

Serratus Anterior Muscle Activation During Different Push-up Exercises: A Critically Appraised Topic

“…• No statistical differences in SA activation were found between the stable and unstable surfaces for: standard push-ups, elbow push-ups, knee push-ups, and wall push-ups. 9 • When using the Cuff Link system (EFI, San Diego, CA), there was a significant difference in SA activation between the three conditions (p < .001), with the greatest SA activation during the full weight-bearing position (81.4% ± 96.63%). 10 • There was a significant hand placement effect (shoulder width, wide base, narrow base, p = .002) with differences between the shoulder width and narrow base and the wide base and narrow base.…”

Changes in Body Position during a 2-Minute Push-Up Test

“…While extensive research has investigated differences in initial hand placement, joint stresses and optimizing training effectiveness [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18], little attention has been given to the changes in body position over the course of an extended push-up bout when compensational movement patterns are likely to be adopted. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to compare the natural push-up body positioning from the beginning to the end of a continuous 2-minute standardized push-up assessment.…”

Effect of Different Elbow Push-up plus Exercises on Upper Trapezius and Serratus Anterior Muscle Activity

“…One muscle, the serratus anterior (SA), is considered to be an important stabilizer of the scapula 4,5) . For this reason, researchers have devised many different exercises that promote the selective activation of the SA muscle 6,7) .…”