Effects of Band-Resisted Abduction on Muscle Activity between the Barbell Hip Thrust and Barbell Glute Bridge

The importance of hip extensor and abductor muscles for sport performance and injury reduction is well-documented. To target these muscle groups, the barbell hip thrust and barbell glute bridge are used to load the posterior kinetic chain while band-resisted abduction exercises, like band-resisted side stepping, target the lateral kinetic chain. However, combining band-resisted hip abduction with barbell hip-extension dominant exercises has not yet been investigated. In this study, ten male subjects underwent a two-part research protocol with surface electromyography (sEMG) measured during a 5-repetition maximum (5-RM) load performance to determine differences in peak and mean muscular activity between band-resisted barbell hip thrust (BBHT) and barbell hip thrust (BHT), and between band-resisted barbell glute bridge (BBGB) and barbell glute bridge (BGB). The results indicated three significant differences between the pairs, with both banded conditions eliciting greater sEMG activity in the Upper Gluteus Maximus compared to non-banded conditions. However, BGB unexpectedly elicited greater sEMG activity in the Gluteus Medius compared to BBGB. The differences in muscle activity could potentially be explained by reciprocal inhibition and synergistic dominance. Further research is needed to make definitive statements on the superiority of band-resisted barbell exercises over non-banded barbell exercises and transferability to sport performance.