Abstract
Practitioners of strength and conditioning are increasingly using vibration and unstable environments to enhance training effects. However, little evidence has been found comparing the use of suspension devices and vibratory platforms used in the Bulgarian squat. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the effect of suspension devices (TRX®), unstable surfaces (BOSU®), and vibration plates on muscle activity and force during the Bulgarian squat. Twenty physically active male students (age = 24.40 ± 3.63 years) performed a set of five repetitions of Bulgarian squats, suspended lunges, suspended lunges-BOSU, suspended lunges-Vibro30, and suspended lunges-Vibro40 (vibration 30 Hz or 40 Hz and 4 mm of amplitude). A randomized within-subject design was used to compare leg muscle activity, vertical ground reaction forces, and force exerted on the strap across the five exercises. Results showed no significant differences in muscle activity between the Bulgarian squat and suspended lunge (p = 0.109, d = 2.84). However, the suspended lunge significantly decreased muscle activation compared to the suspended lunge-BOSU (p = 0.012, d = 0.47), suspended lunge-Vibro30 (p = 0.001, d = 1.26), and suspended lunge-Vibro40 (p = 0.000, d = 1.51). Likewise, the Bulgarian squat achieved lower activity than the suspended lunge-Vibro40 (p = 0.010, d = 0.96). The force on the strap significantly decreased in the suspended lunge-BOSU compared to the suspended lunge-Vibro30 (p = 0.009, d = 0.56). The suspended lunge achieved higher front leg force production than the Bulgarian squat (p = 0.006, d = 0.48). In conclusion, leaning the rear leg on a suspension device does not provoke an increase in the activation of the front leg during the Bulgarian squat but increases the vertical ground reaction forces. Thus, the use of unstable surfaces or vibration plates for the front leg increased muscular activity when performing a suspended lunge.
Highlights
In strength and conditioning, recent trends support the use of functional exercises to improve the efficacy of multidirectional sports skills, enhancing the quality of resistance training
The maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) assessment demonstrated an excellent reliability for the rectus femoris (0.955; 95% CI: 0.90–0.98), rectus femoris of the rear leg (0.973; 95% CI: 0.94– 0.98), vastus medialis (0.945; 95% CI: 0.88–0.97), vastus lateralis (0.956; 95% CI: 0.90–0.98), biceps femoris (0.956; 95% CI: 0.90–0.98), and gluteus medius (0.987; 95% CI: 0.97–0.99)
The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) showed an excellent reliability for vertical ground reaction forces (VGRF) under the Bulgarian squat (0.996; 95% CI: 0.99–0.99) and suspended lunge (0. 995; 95% CI: 0.98–0.99)
Summary
Recent trends support the use of functional exercises to improve the efficacy of multidirectional sports skills, enhancing the quality of resistance training. These skills include locomotor, manipulative, and stability actions while maintaining control of the kinetic chain [1]. The same leading author found a between limb imbalance reduction following this training paradigm in basketball players [9] Due to their specificity and transferability to sports skills, the step-up, standard lunge (two feet on the floor), or Bulgarian squat (rear foot elevated) are among the most widely used exercises to enhance lower body strength [10]
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