The bench press prime mover muscles firing frequency changes according to sticking region during maximal and submaximal effort

Abstract

The bench press (BP) is a widely used exercise in strength training. Despite numerous studies on muscle activation during BP, little is known about individual muscle frequency changes during the sticking region (SR). This study aimed to evaluate muscle activation during 1 repetition maximum (RM) and 4RM BP in 24 male participants experienced with BP exercise. Electromyography was used to measure muscle activity in various muscles during pre-sticking, sticking, and post-sticking phases, with kinematic data aiding in phase differentiation. Our findings revealed a significant decrease in muscle activation frequency as participants moved from the pre-sticking to the sticking and then to the post-sticking phases (p<0.01). This decline was evident in both 1RM and 4RM conditions, indicating muscle exhaustion that persisted even after the SR. The SR of the BP is the most challenging part of the exercise, resulting in a decrease in muscle frequency during this phase in both 1RM and 4RM repetitions. It indicates exhaustion of the muscles which persisted even in the post-sticking phase, highlighting the challenging nature of the exercise. This study presents insights into muscle activity during the BP, which can help understanding the impact of each exercise phase on muscle frequency.