Elastic Band Bench Press Training Does Not Increase Power in Untrained Males
Matthew V. Bliss, David Michael Bellar, Matthew David Muller, Edward J. Ryan, Chul-Ho Kim, Keisuke Ida, Sarah M. Muller, Jacob E. Barkley, Ellen L. Glickman · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2009
It has been suggested that training with elastic bands in combination with free weights can potentially increase strength and power more so than free weights alone due to overstressing the concentric phase beyond the sticking point. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to determine if using elastic bands during the bench press will increase power better than free weights alone. METHODS: Eleven apparently healthy, untrained males (age 23 ± 3 years) volunteered to participate in the 13 week study. During the first week all participants reported to the exercise physiology lab for a familiarization session whereby an instruction on how to perform the bench press was provided. This was followed by a one repetition maximum (1RM) to assess baseline strength. Following a 1RM power was assessed via a potentiometer using 50% of their 1RM. The training protocol consisted of five sets of five repetitions using 85% of the previous 1RM. Weeks two through four were used as a neural adaptation phase followed by a 1RM on week five. The subjects were then randomly assigned into one of two groups for the following weeks: groups that benched using 85% free weight tension with 15% elastic tension (BAND) or 100% free weight tension (STAND). The subjects were retested for strength and power during week nine and in weeks 10 through 12 the treatments were reversed. RESULTS: Subjects' power was significantly increased throughout the 13 weeks (p = 0.00). When covaried for order ANCOVA revealed that there was no main or interaction effect (p ≥ 0.6). Strength and power were also found to be strongly correlated in both treatments (p = 0.001 for BAND & p = 0.003 for STAND). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these data the use of elastic bands with the bench press did not produce significantly greater gains in power vs. standard bench press, and that power and strength are strongly correlated regardless of the treatment.