The intramuscular activation of scapular stabilizing muscles during push-up plus and PNF exercises in a quadruped position

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to identify the upper trapezius/serratus anterior (UT/SA) ratio and the intramuscular activation of scapular stabilizing muscles during proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and push-up plus (PUP) exercises in a quadruped position. [Subjects and Methods] Fourteen healthy men voluntarily participated as research subjects for this experiment. All subjects were measured in terms of the activation of their scapular stabilizing muscles using surface electromyography during random PNF and PUP exercises in a quadruped position. [Results] The PUP exercise showed a significantly higher level of middle serratus anterior activity than the PNF exercise. The PNF exercise showed statistically significant higher level of lower trapezius and lower serratus anterior activities than the PUP exercise. There was a significantly lower UT/LSA ratio in the PNF than in the PUP exercise. [Conclusion] The PUP exercise is more suitable for middle serratus anterior training than the PNF exercise. Furthermore, the PNF exercise is more effective than the PUP exercise as a training method for lower trapezius and lower serratus muscles and an unbalanced UT/LSA ratio.