Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine test–retest reliability for peak barbell velocity (Vpeak) during the bench press (BP) and bench press throw (BPT) exercises for loads corresponding to 20–70% of one-repetition maximum (1RM). Thirty physically active collegiate men conducted four evaluations after a preliminary BP 1RM determination (1RM·bw-1 = 1.02 ± 0.16 kg·kg-1). In counterbalanced order, participants performed two sessions of the BP in one week and two sessions of the BPT in another week. Recovery time between sessions within the same week was 48 hours and recovery time between sessions of different weeks was 120 hours. On each day of evaluation the individual load-velocity relationship at each tenth percentile (20–70% of 1RM) in a Smith machine for the BP or BPT was determined. Participants performed three attempts per load, but only the best repetition (highest Vpeak), registered by a linear position transducer, was analysed. The BPT resulted in a significantly lower coefficient of variation (CV) for the whole load–velocity relationship, compared to the BP (2.48% vs. 3.22%; p = 0.040). Test–retest intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged from r = 0.94–0.85 for the BPT and r = 0.91–0.71 for the BP (p < 0.001). The reduction in the biological within-subject variation in BPT exercise could be promoted by the braking phase that obligatorily occurs during a BP executed with light or moderate loads. Therefore, we recommend the BPT exercise for a most accurate assessment of upper-body velocity.
Highlights
Ballistic exercises are preferred during power training as athletes are able to generate higher values of velocity, power, force, and muscle activation in comparison to similar traditional resistance training exercises (Newton et al, 1996)
The results from the two-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated there was no significant trial x % 1RM interaction (p = 0.768 for the bench press (BP) and p = 0.490 for the bench press throw (BPT)), no main effect for trial (p = 0.142 for the BP and p = 0.991 for the BPT), but there was a significant main effect for % 1RM (p < 0.001 for the BP and BPT)
Despite the fact that the results of relative (ICCs = 0.94–0.85 and 0.91–0.71 for the BPT and BP, respectively) and absolute consistency (CV = 1.8–3.2% and 2.6–4.3% for the BPT and BP, respectively) showed good reliability of both exercises, the coefficient of variation (CV) for the whole load– velocity relationship was significantly lower for the BPT compared to the BP (2.48% vs. 3.22%, respectively; p = 0.040) (Figure 1)
Summary
Ballistic exercises (e.g. a bench press throw [BPT] or a jump squat) are preferred during power training as athletes are able to generate higher values of velocity, power, force, and muscle activation in comparison to similar traditional resistance training exercises (e.g. a bench press [BP] or a squat) (Newton et al, 1996). It has recently been reported that when light and medium loads are lifted during a BP, the deceleration at the end phase of the movement is greater than what would be expected, due solely to the effect of gravity (Sánchez-Medina et al, 2010). This means that athletes must activate their antagonist muscles in order to apply force in the opposite direction to the load motion in order to stop the movement (Jarić et al, 1995). Accepted for printing in the Journal of Human Kinetics vol 47/2015 in September 2015
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