Force Profile Characteristics of Gravitational and Pneumatic Resistances in Pull and Push Exercises.

Introduction: Strength training, essential for health and performance, often uses free weights for greater stabilization demands and pulleys for easier load adjustment and progression.

Methods: The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in force application using gravitational and pneumatic resistances. Twenty experienced subjects participated in the study (age: 21.9 ± 3.8 years; body mass: 76.3 ± 9.4 kg; height: 177.4 ± 7.5 cm), performing four exercises with each type of resistance: bench press, lat pulldown, chest fly, and single-arm row. The participants performed 8 repetitions per exercise. Peak and mean force were measured with a 100 Hz load cell (SUIFF S2 Pro) during the concentric phase of the lifts. Differences between resistance types were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and paired t-tests.

Results: Peak force was higher with gravitational resistance across all exercises (p < 0.001; d = 2.1-4.7). Average force with gravitational resistance was also higher in the bench press and lat pulldown (p < 0.05; d = 0.7-1.4), but not in the chest fly or single-arm row.

Conclusions: Gravitational resistance may better enhance peak strength, while pneumatic resistance supports consistent force and neuromuscular control. These results allow us to select the resistance type based on specific mechanical characteristics.