Comparison of Myoelectric Activity Between Standing and Lying Plate Press Exercises in Recreationally-Trained Participants

Abstract

The plate press is a multi-joint exercise that involves the elbow and shoulder joints and can be performed in two different body positions (lying and standing). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the myoelectric activity between two different plate press exercises (lying and standing) in recreationally-trained men. Fifteen resistance-trained men (26.7 ± 3.2 years, 83.1 ± 6.8 kg, 176.0 ± 6.4 cm) performed one set of 10 repetitions with a standard weight of 10kg for the standing and lying plate press exercises at 60 beats per minute. Surface electromyography was used to measure the myoelectric activity (integrated electromyography, iEMG) of the pectoralis major (PM), anterior deltoid (AD), triceps brachii (TB), and biceps brachii (BB). Two-way ANOVA (2 x 4) with repeated-measures was used to test differences between exercises and muscle groups (PM, AD, TB, and BB) for the iEMG values. There were significant differences between exercises for AD (Standing > Lying: 41.7\%, p=0.05), TB (Lying > Standing: 51.4\%, p=0.047), and BB (Standing > Lying: 54.6\%, p=0.001). In the comparison between muscle groups, TB presented the lowest myoelectric activation for the standing plate press exercise (57.6\%, p<0.05) and BB presented the lowest myoelectric activation for the lying plate press exercise (48.1\%, p<0.05). In conclusion, the lying plate press exercise showed a greater myoelectric activation of the TB and the standing plate press exercise showed greater myoelectric activation of the AD and BB. PM showed high myoelectric activation in both exercises but with no difference between exercises.