Trunk Muscle Activity During Seated Strength Exercise With Resistance Wheeled Training Equipment

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to measure muscle activity during seated trunk strength training using resistance-wheeled training equipment at different resistance levels.

Methods

The participants were 19 healthy males. Resistance-wheeled training equipment, such as the small vehicle used in this study, had a mechanical braking function that locked the wheels and unlocked the brakes while only pressing downward with a constant force. The subjects moved the equipment forward and backward on a desk with an unlocked brake status. The participants performed under 3 conditions; (1) unlocked with no force, (2) unlocked with low force, and (3) unlocked with high force.

Results

Muscle activity increased significantly with increasing locked strength in the deltoid posterior, internal and external oblique, rectus abdominis, erector spinae thorax, and lumbar muscles. Some muscles reached over 50% of the maximum voluntary contraction when unlocked with a high force.

Conclusion

The muscle activity measured during trunk training that exceeded 50% of the maximum voluntary activation level corresponds to be sufficiently high for strength training and the activity level required for muscle hypertrophy. We believe that this research equipment may be a useful seated trunk strength training device.