Does a Push-Up Using the Spyder 360 ™ Elicit More Muscle Activation Compared with a Standard Push-up?

Abstract

The conventional push-up is a common method for assessing a person’s muscular endurance or as an exercise to improve muscle performance in the upper extremities or trunk. Many organizations encourage using the push-up as a test to assess muscular endurance (including the American College of Sports Medicine). A relatively new device called the Spyder 360 ™ is being promoted as a method to maximize muscle activation during a push-up due to its unstable platform on wheels. PURPOSE: To compare muscle activation in select muscle groups during a standard push-up activity with and without the Spyder 360 ™. METHODOLOGY: Twelve healthy male subjects volunteered for the study (age=26.67±5.74yrs; WT=85.58±9.40kg; HT=182.14±6.04cm; Percent Fat=13.78±5.40; BMI=25.87±3.28). Volunteers reported to the laboratory and were randomly assigned to test first using either stable push-up handles (PUH) or Spyder 360 ™ (PU360). EMG electrodes were placed over the following muscles to determine muscle activation: 1) clavicular fibers of the pectoralis major (PM); 2) middle triceps (TR); 3) middle latissimus dorsi (LD); 4) middle portion of the rectus abdominus (RA); and 5) anterior deltoid (AD). Subjects were asked to perform 5 push-ups each using the PUH and PU360. The maximal one push-up EMG data was used for comparison between the two interventions (PUH or PU360). RESULTS: Results indicate that the PU360 elicits significantly more muscle activation during a push-up activity in the pectoralis major (29%; p<0.001); triceps brachii (42%; p=.0086); latissimus dorsi (26%; p=0.0157); and rectus abdominus (32%; p=0.0054). There was no significant difference in the anterior deltoid (8%; p=.1653). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the PU360 elicits more muscle activation in the PM, TR, LD and RA compared with PUH for the subjects in this study.