THE USE OF BARBELL OR DUMBBELL DOES NOT AFFECT MUSCLE ACTIVATION DURING PULLOVER EXERCISE

ABSTRACT Introduction: Numerous variations of exercises have been applied in strength training routines, in order to optimize strength gains and hypertrophy, and among the used exercises, we can highlight the pullover. Objective: To compare the electromyographic activity of the clavicular portion of the pectoralis major (PMC), sternocostal head of the pectoralis major (PMS), long head of triceps brachii (TBL), anterior deltoid (AD), posterior deltoid (PD), latissimus dorsi (LD) and serratus anterior (SA) between the barbell pullover (BP) exercise and the dumbbell pullover (DP) exercise. Method: Eleven trained men (age, 24.50 ± 4.34 years; fat percentage = 13.63 ± 1.94, height = 1.76 ± 0.04 m, total body mass = 73.12 ± 6.10 kg). The first phase of the study consisted of anthropometric assessments and test and re-test of 10 maximal repetitions (MR). The second phase of the study consisted of the collection of electromyographic signals in the proposed exercises. For this, a series with loads adjusted to 90% of 10 MR was performed. To verify the differences in the activation of the respective muscles studied between the BP and DP exercises the paired student’s T-test was used for dependent samples. Results: No changes were observed in the activation of any of the muscles analyzed in the proposed exercises (P>0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that performing the pullover exercise with barbell or with dumbbell does not change the participation/activation of the involved muscles.