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Int J Sports Med 2012; 33(05): 376-380
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1299702
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Effect of Different Pushing Speeds on Bench Press

J. Padulo
1   Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome, Italy
,
P. Mignogna
2   Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
,
S. Mignardi
1   Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome, Italy
,
F. Tonni
1   Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome, Italy
,
S. D’Ottavio
1   Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome, Italy
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History



accepted after revision 25 November 2011

Publication Date:
08 February 2012 (online)

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect on muscular strength after a 3-week training with the bench-press at a fixed pushing of 80–100% maximal speed (FPS) and self-selected pushing speed (SPS). 20 resistance-trained subjects were divided at random in 2 groups differing only regarding the pushing speed: in the FPS group (n=10) it was equal to 80–100% of the maximal speed while in the SPS group (n=10) the pushing speed was self-selected. Both groups were trained twice a week for 3 weeks with a load equal to 85% of 1RM and monitored with the encoder. Before and after the training we measured pushing speed and maximum load. Significant differences between and within the 2 groups were pointed out using a 2-way ANOVA for repeated measures. After 3 weeks a significant improvement was shown especially in the FPS group: the maximum load improved by 10.20% and the maximal speed by 2.22%, while in the SPS group the effect was <1%. This study shows that a high velocity training is required to increase the muscle strength further in subjects with a long training experience and this is possible by measuring the individual performance speed for each load.

Key words

bench press exercise - upper body strength training - electromyography
 

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