30 Seconds Summary
Research Spotlight: How does muscle activation in the bench press change with increasing loads?

  • A 2017 study by Król and Golaś used EMG to measure muscle activation in the bench press at loads from 70% to 100% of 1RM.
  • Results indicate that not all muscles increase activation at the same rate with heavier loads; pecs may reach near-maximal activation at 70% of 1RM.
  • Triceps and anterior deltoids show greater increases in activation as the load increases, suggesting varying demands on different muscle groups during heavier lifts.
  • Implications suggest that for maximum bench press performance, focused triceps training could provide additional power.
  • For pec hypertrophy, using moderately heavy loads (like 70% of 1RM) might be effective, as pecs are already highly activated, avoiding the need for maximum loads which could reduce the number of effective reps per workout.
  • These findings and more detailed analysis are available in the MASS research review, with subscriptions available for access to all back catalog study reviews.
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