Trunck muscle activation during dynamic weight lifting exercises and isometric instability activities

Abstract

The experience of low back pain is a common medical occurrence that often interferes with one's routine activities and has been associated with poor physical conditioning. Adequate strength and endurance of the trunk muscles is necessary for various activities of daily living, numerous athletic endeavors and manual labor environments. However, there are many ways to train the trunk muscles which raises the question of which one is the most appropriate. Traditionally, most training programs have involved dynamic resistance training exercises in order to battle muscle fatigue. Moreover, in recent years there has been more of a demand to incorporate methods of instability exercises such as Swiss balls, Dyna discs and wobble boards in order to provide a greater challenge to the trunk musculature. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the extent of activation in various muscles of the trunk region during dynamic weight-lifting exercises and isometric instability activities.