Key result
Band-resisted barbell hip thrusts elicit ~24% greater upper gluteus maximus activity than standard hip thrusts.
Why the study?
Combining band-resisted hip abduction with barbell hip-extension dominant exercises had not yet been investigated.
Does adding band-resisted abduction to barbell hip thrusts and glute bridges increase gluteal and hamstring muscle activity in experienced male lifters?
Cross-Sectional (n=12)
Randomized order
No
Does adding band-resisted abduction to barbell hip thrusts and glute bridges increase gluteal and hamstring muscle activity in experienced male lifters?
Standardized Mean Difference: -1.19 (95% CI -1.92–-0.42)
Absolute Event Rate: 62.63% vs 50.35%
p-value: p=0.002
Adding band-resisted abduction to barbell hip thrusts and glute bridges increases upper gluteus maximus muscle activity, though it may unexpectedly decrease gluteus medius activity during the glute bridge.
Band-resisted hip thrusts may enhance upper glute activation in lifters; leaves open functional benefits beyond small EMG data.
The importance of hip extensor and abductor muscles for sport performance and injury reduction is well-documented. To target these muscle groups, the barbell hip thrust and barbell glute bridge are used to load the posterior kinetic chain while band-resisted abduction exercises, like band-resisted side stepping, target the lateral kinetic chain. However, combining band-resisted hip abduction with barbell hip-extension dominant exercises has not yet been investigated. In this study, ten male subjects underwent a two-part research protocol with surface electromyography (sEMG) measured during a 5-repetition maximum (5-RM) load performance to determine differences in peak and mean muscular activity between band-resisted barbell hip thrust (BBHT) and barbell hip thrust (BHT), and between band-resisted barbell glute bridge (BBGB) and barbell glute bridge (BGB). The results indicated three significant differences between the pairs, with both banded conditions eliciting greater sEMG activity in the Upper Gluteus Maximus compared to non-banded conditions. However, BGB unexpectedly elicited greater sEMG activity in the Gluteus Medius compared to BBGB. The differences in muscle activity could potentially be explained by reciprocal inhibition and synergistic dominance. Further research is needed to make definitive statements on the superiority of band-resisted barbell exercises over non-banded barbell exercises and transferability to sport performance.
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Kennedy et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy resistance-trained males (n=12). Band-resisted barbell hip thrust (BBHT) vs. Standard barbell hip thrust (BHT) was evaluated on Mean sEMG activity of the upper gluteus maximus (% MVIC) (ES -1.19, 95% CI -1.92 to -0.42, p=0.002). Band-resisted barbell hip thrusts elicited significantly greater mean upper gluteus maximus muscle activity compared to standard barbell hip thrusts (ES -1.19).
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