The effect of exercise complexity on trunk muscle activation and perceived exertion during body-weight training in recreationally trained adults
Exercise selection and execution play an important role in trunk muscle training. A new study investigated how increasing the complexity of body-weight exercises affects muscle activation and perceived exertion in recreationally trained adults.
A study by Andersen, V., Rise, K., Sandvikmoen, T. E., Solstad, T. E. J., Stien, N., Bjørnsen, T., Scott, S., Prieske, O., and Saeterbakken, A. H.
Twenty-eight participants performed seven different body-weight exercises with varying levels of difficulty. The researchers manipulated exercise complexity by changing factors such as the base of support, body position, and whether exercises were performed bilaterally or unilaterally.
The results showed that more complex exercises generally led to greater activation of the abdominal and back extensor muscles, while participants also perceived the exercises as more demanding. These findings highlight the importance of exercise selection and execution when aiming to influence trunk muscle activation.
Read the research article here: