Pushup Performance by Women: Analysis of Modes of Failure

摘要

To analyze the modes of muscle failure during pushups in active duty womendetermining a single weak link in performance multiple modes of failure, 25 U.S. Army active duty women were prospectively studied. Each participated in eight sessions, separated by a minimum 48 hours, consisting of stretching warm ups then prefatigue of a specific muscle group to muscle failure with a predetermined exercise. The initial session set a baseline without prefatigue, the following sessions prefatigued the trapezius, latissimus dorsi, deltoid, pectorals, biceps, triceps, and abdominals. Studied 25 women, mean age of 33.5 yrs, 19 enlisted and 6 officers with a mean weight of 135.9 lbs. Baseline mean was 22 pushups. Prefatigue of pectorals gave a mean of 9 pushups, triceps mean 11 pushups, deltoid mean 15 pushups, abdominals mean 16 pushups, biceps mean 17 pushups, latissimus dorsi mean 17 pushups, and the trapezius mean 19 pushups. Prefatiguing of the pectorals and triceps give a significant decrease in pushups compared with other muscle groups.