Electromyographical activity of the pectoralis, triceps, and deltoideus during the sub-phases of bench press in paralympic powerlifters

High-performance training program development has benefitted from studies of the mechanisms involved in performing the bench press. This study aimed to analyze the electromyographic and kinematic parameters affecting high-performance athletes during the phases of the Paralympic bench press movement. The root mean square, mean frequency, and frequency median variables were analyzed for the pectoralis major , triceps brachii , and anterior deltoideus . Four females aged 23 to 48 years (mean 39.8 ± 11.2) and six males aged 18 to 41 years (mean 26.5 ± 8.0) performed three attempts at 95% of their dynamic maximum voluntary contraction load, obeying the rules of the modality. For all movement sub-phases, the pectoralis major and deltoideus root-mean-square values indicated greater activation (level of significance of. ρ ≤ 0.05). The triceps brachii presented high values of the frequency domain variables, especially in the concentric phase of the bench press movement, suggesting a firing rate higher than the other muscles studied. Therefore, the triceps muscle must be trained effectively, especially to assist in the concentric phase and the sticking sub-phase. These results suggest that resistance-training programs should include variations in bench press format to optimize the force output during different sub-phases.