Lumbopelvic-Hip Complex and Scapular Stabilizing Muscle Activations During Full-Body Exercises With and Without Resistance Bands

ABSTRACTWasserberger, KW, Downs, JL, Barfield, JW, Williams, TK, and Oliver, GD. Lumbopelvic-hip complex and scapular stabilizing muscle activations during full-body exercises with and without resistance bands. J Strength Cond Res 34(10)2840–2848, 2020—Inefficient sequencing in the kinetic chain has been linked to decreased performance and increased injury risk. Resistance band usage is very common in baseball/softball due to accessibility and low cost. However, resistance band use has primarily focused on the rotator cuff and surrounding shoulder musculature, thereby ignoring the rest of the kinetic chain. Currently, it is unclear whether resistance bands are effective tools for training musculature outside the throwing extremity. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine muscle activations of the lumbopelvic-hip complex (LPHC) and scapular stabilizing musculature during 4 full-body exercises with and without the use of a resistance band. Twenty healthy, active individuals (174.39 ± 1.58 cm; 74.10 ± 1.75 kg; 21.85 ± 1.13 years) participated. Data were collected through surface electromyography for the LPHC and scapular stabilizing musculature during 4 full-body exercises with and without a resistance band. Statistical analyses were used to determine significant differences in activation levels between exercises and within exercises between conditions. Data showed a significant difference on muscle activation based on the interaction between resistance band usage and exercise choice (Λ = 0.276, F24, 136.92 = 3.19, p < 0.001). Adding a resistance band was effective in increasing muscle activation within the scapular stabilizing musculature. Conversely, the use of a resistance band was not as effective in increasing the activation of LPHC musculature. Future studies should investigate exercises that increase LPHC musculature activation. Coaches and clinicians can use these results to make more informed decisions when prescribing exercises to athletes for performance enhancement and rehabilitation.