Acute Effects of Combining Elastic Bands and Free Weights on Force, Power and Velocity During Barbell Back Squat

Poster Presentation
Paper ID : 1811-SSRC
Authors
1دانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد دانشگاه تهران
2دانشگاه تهران
3گروه طب ورزشی پژوهشگاه علوم ورزشی
Abstract
This study compared the kinematics and kinetics of squats in three conditions: using free weights, free weights with bottom-connected elastic bands as resistance, and free weights with top-connected elastic bands as assistance.
Eleven men, each with over 2 years of resistance training experience, performed two sets of three repetitions for each condition at both 85% and 55% of their one-repetition maximum (1RM). Ground reaction forces and barbell displacement were measured by force plates and a motion analysis system. In the concentric phase, peak velocity (PV) and peak force (PF) were measured, and peak power (PP) was calculated. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a 2-way design involving the factors of load and band was employed to compare PV, PF, and PP.
At 55% of 1RM, elastic bands as resistance significantly increased PP output compared to free weights (P < 0.05), with no significant differences in PF and PV. At 85% of 1RM, using elastic bands as resistance significantly increased PF and PP outputs compared to free weights and elastic bands as assistance (P < 0.05), with no significant PV differences.
These results indicate that squats with elastic bands as resistance at 85% of 1RM generate higher PF and PP outputs compared to using free weights and elastic bands as assistance. Squats with elastic bands as resistance at 55% of 1RM also produce higher PP output compared to using free weights. Moreover, the results of this study demonstrated no significant differences between elastic bands as assistance and free weights in terms of PV, PP, and PF at both 85% and 55% of 1RM. These findings are important for athletes and coaches who choose the type of exercise based on the goal of each training session.
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