Comparison of the effects of an eight-week push-up program using stable versus unstable surfaces.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recently, the trend among physical training and rehabilitation professionals is the use of resistance exercise on unstable equipment in order to increase the effort of the agonist and stabilizing muscles. It is unknown if performing exercises on unstable surfaces provides a greater training stimulus as compared to training on a stable training surface. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to compare the effect that push-up training on stable and unstable surfaces had on strength performance in healthy young men.

METHODS

Thirty subjects with experience in resistance training participated in push-up training two days per week for eight weeks on one of three different surfaces: the floor (Tp), the T-Bow® (TBp) or the BOSU® (Bp).

RESULTS

Strength, as measured by one repetition maximum (1-RM) and muscle endurance, as measured by number of pushups performed did not improve significantly (p>0.05) for any of the intervention groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of unstable surfaces in push-up training does not provide greater improvement in muscular strength and endurance than push up training performed on a stable surface in young men.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE

3b.