Gadget's claims don't hold up under research
Hi there: Hope you had a great weekend. Were you watching the Grey Cup? If you were it's a sad day in Riderville. But getting to the championship game two years in a row is quite a feat when you consider there was a time when making the playoffs or hosting a playoff game was something to get excited about. It's great to see the Riders do well and set new standards and expectations for themselves.
But enough about football I want to look at a popular training product. This product is the Perfect Pushup and while it's not necessarily new to the market, the research investigating its claims is new.
This device allows the arms to rotate on the handles while performing a push up. And from their website the claims include:
* engages more muscles
* reduces strain
* helps accelerate results
A very recent study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research looked at upper extremity and upper body EMG data to investigate the claims made by the manufacturer.
Here's what they did.
They measured muscle recruitment at the triceps, chest, serratus and shoulder while performing push ups with three different hand positions. The positions were narrow, standard and wide. Participants performed both regular push ups and those with the device.
Here's what they found.
* The narrow hand position was most effective at stimulating the triceps and rear deltoid (shoulder) muscles.
* The Perfect Pushup did not preferentially enhance muscle recruitment compared to a standard push up.
What does this mean?
According to this study the investigators dismissed the claims made by the manufacturers of the product. There is no additional benefit in terms of muscle recruitment by using this product compared to a traditional push up.
So is there any benefit to using this device at all?
One of the other claims of the manufacturers is that the device helps reduce strain. What I have noticed over the years is that there is a certain segment of the population that experiences conditions such as carpal tunnel or other wrist related issues. As well, with people with an upper-crossed posture (forward head, forward shoulders, rounded upper back) I see more problems of internal rotation through the upper extremity which may be exacerbated by performing pressing exercises, such as a push up, which further internally rotates the upper extremities.
In these situations the Perfect Pushup may be a good option because:
* it allows the user to establish a more neutral hand position rather the extended wrist position required of a traditional push up
* it allows the user to externally rotate the handles during the movement
So what's the take home message?
Be wary of products the make claims regarding increased muscle activation, increased strength or quicker results. The truth is results like these come more from following a well designed program with good technique than they do from a new toy or gadget. However, regarding the claim of less strain make sure you can try the product out before you buy. If it feels more natural and causes less strain than it may be a good investment for you.
Here's the citation for the research study if interested.
Youdas, JW et al. Comparison of Muscle-Activation Patterns During the Conventional Push-Up and Perfect· Pushup™ Exercises. J Str & Cond Res 24(12): 3352-3362, 2010.
Have a great week,
Chris okanaganpeakperformance.com 'always moving forward'
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