TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of Various Forms of Unstable Load on Muscle Electromyography in the Stabilizing Musculature and Rating of Perceived Exertion in the Bench Press. A1 - Costello,Kyle, PY - 2020/5/14/pubmed PY - 2022/3/25/medline PY - 2020/5/14/entrez SP - 881 EP - 887 JF - Journal of strength and conditioning research JO - J Strength Cond Res VL - 36 IS - 4 N2 - ABSTRACT: Costello, K. Effects of various forms of unstable load on muscle electromyography in the stabilizing musculature and rating of perceived exertion in the bench press. J Strength Cond Res 36(4): 881-887, 2022-The purpose of the study was to determine whether unstable load training and the Swiss bar in the bench press can cause greater rating of perceived exertion (RPE) values and greater muscle activation in the stabilizing musculature and the same or greater in the primary movers with a decreased load. Division III college athletes (N = 24) performed 4 bench press interventions: stable bench press standard bar (SBp; 75% 1 repetition maximum), stable bench press Swiss bar (SwB; 65%), unstable bench press standard bar (UBp; 60%), and unstable bench press Bandbell bar (Bb; 60%). One-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare the average muscle activity values of pectoralis major (PM), triceps brachii (TB), anterior deltoid (AD), and biceps brachii (BB) and RPE values of each intervention. In the PM, mean muscle activity values were significantly (ps < 0.01) greater in the stable SwB and unstable Bb bar than the SBp. In the TB, mean muscle activity values were significantly (p < 0.001) greater in the stable SwB intervention than the SBp and UBp. Mean muscle activity values were significantly (p = 0.032) greater in the unstable Bb bar than the SBp intervention. In the AD, mean muscle activity values were significantly (p < 0.001) greater in the SBp than the stable SwB and significantly (p < 0.001) greater in the UBp and unstable Bb bar than the stable SwB. In the BB, mean muscle activity values were significantly (p < 0.001) greater in the UBp and unstable Bb than the SBp and significantly (p < 0.001) greater in the UBp and unstable Bb bar than the standard SwB. Mean muscle activity values were significantly (p < 0.001) greater in the unstable Bb bar than the UBp. The unstable Bb bar was perceived the most difficult when compared with other bars (ps < 0.01). The unstable interventions were viable options to replace the standard bench press as a method of upper-body resistance training. SN - 1533-4287 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/32398634/Effects_of_Various_Forms_of_Unstable_Load_on_Muscle_Electromyography_in_the_Stabilizing_Musculature_and_Rating_of_Perceived_Exertion_in_the_Bench_Press_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -