Development of body part(s) training consciousness through imaging of various trunk muscle exercises

By means of a questionnaire-based survey, the aim of the present study was to investigate body part(s) training consciousness in young people (n=1000) through imaging of trunk muscle exercises. The participants were shown pictures of the bent-knee sit-up (sit-up), back extension (back-EXT), and elbows-to-toes plank (plank), and then asked which body part(s) they felt was being trained in each picture. Only 3% and 8% of the participants had never performed the sit-up and plank exercises, respectively. On seeing the images, 40—60% of the participants who had no experience doing a sit-up or back-EXT felt that these exercises were to train not only the agonist muscle but also the antagonist muscle. Approximately 40% of the participants who had no experience doing the plank exercise felt that it was not to train the epigastrium or hypogastrium area. Among the participants who had experienced the plank exercise without any previous experience of strength training under professional supervision, more than half felt that the plank exercise was appropriate for training not only the trunk but also the upper limb or lower leg. Furthermore, among the participants with previous experience of strength training under professional supervision, approximately 30% had such an opinion. Therefore, although the penetration rate of these trunk exercises is high, merely performing them by reference to only a picture may result in the participants not properly understanding how the body part(s) should be trained during the exercise. Therefore, to enhance the benefits of trunk exercises, individuals (even those who have had previous experience of training under professional supervision) always need to receive appropriate supervision on the correct technique and to acquire knowledge about the exercises.