Korean J Sports Med.  2018 Dec;36(4):197-206. 10.5763/kjsm.2018.36.4.197.

Effect of Forward and Backward Arm Extension Movement of Pilates Exercise Using Cadillac Instrument on Trunk Muscle Activity

• Kim J
• Hur S
• An K
• Kim S
• Lee J

• KMID: 2428003
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5763/kjsm.2018.36.4.197

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study analyzed the muscle activity changes induced by motions of reaching forward and chest expansion that were examined from the bilateral muscles with rectus abdominis, external oblique, multifidus, and longissimus thoracic using Pilates cadillac instrument.
METHODS
Nine young adult women, who have no musculoskeletal disorder and any of chronic diseases, were participated. Surface electromyography system was used for recording of all signals produced by muscles, and then normalized as percentage of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC). The paired t-test and repeated measures of analysis of variance was performed.
RESULTS
Reaching-forward motion showed a higher muscle activity from non-dominant external oblique muscle than that of the chest-expansion motion. During both reaching-forward motion and chest-expansion motion, MVIC values collected from dominant side of external oblique muscle were shown a significantly lower than the values obtained from non-dominant side (p < 0.05). Conversely, %MVIC values in external oblique muscle collected from dominant side showed a significantly higher than the values obtained from non-dominant side of the same oblique muscle (p < 0.05). Reaching-forward motion was caused a higher %MVIC on non-dominant external oblique muscle than that of the chest-expansion motion (p < 0.05). Regardless of dominant or non-dominant sides, external oblique muscle was shown the highest activation rate of all the other muscles during reaching forward action, and longissimus thoracic muscle was shown the highest activation rate of all the other muscles during chest expansion action.
CONCLUSION
Reaching-forward motion is suitable for activating an external oblique muscle, and chest-expansion motion is an effective enough in activating of longissimus thoracic muscle.

Keyword

Chest-expansion; Electromyography; Pilates; Reaching-forward; Trunk muscle

MeSH Terms

Arm*
Chronic Disease
Electromyography
Female
Humans
Isometric Contraction
Muscles
Paraspinal Muscles
Rectus Abdominis
Thorax
Young Adult

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Reaching forward (A) and chest expansion (B) movement with the cadillac.

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  Fig. 2 A measurement of voluntary maximal isometric contraction. (A) Rectus abdominis and external obliques. (B) Multifidus and longissimus thoracis.

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  Fig. 3 Location of surface electromyography sensor attachment. (A) Rectus abdominis and external obliques. (B) Multifidus and longissimus thoracis.

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  Fig. 4 Comparison of electromyography (EMG) activation from the muscles between dominant and non-dominant, and between ventral region and dorsal region. Rec Abd: rectus abdominis, D: dominant, N: non-dominant, Ext Obl: external obliques, Longi Thor: longissimus thoracis, Multi: multifidus. **Significant difference to the mode of operation (p<0.01).

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