Comparison of Low-Load Bench Press and Push-Up Exercises on Muscular Performance Among Female Youth

Abstract

Introduction: Various fitness challenges had been invented and innovated in order to integrate exercise in life, especially during the new norm of Covid-19 pandemic. There is a lack of study on the effect of push-up exercise on sedentary women. The study aimed to compare the effects of six-week push-up (PU) and low-load bench press (BP) exercise interventions towards muscular strength (MS) and muscular endurance (ME) among healthy sedentary female youth. Methodology: Forty (n= 40) healthy sedentary female youth (aged 18.93 ±.97 years; body mass index 23.44 ±4.5 kg/m2) were recruited in the study. Participants were divided into two groups of training interventions (push-up and bench press group). Resistance exercise intervention involving four sessions per week for six consecutive weeks. Each session comprised of 3 sets of 12 repetitions with one minute of rest between each set. Bench press exercise was performed at 40% 1RM for bench press group. One-repetition maximum bench press (1RM BP) test and one-minute push-up (1Min PU) test were performed at pre and post-intervention to measure muscular strength and muscular endurance. A 2 x 2 mixed model ANOVA was employed to compare the effects of the two interventions following six-weeks of training. Result: Muscular strength and muscular endurance for the push-up group have significantly improved (p < .05), with at the end of the intervention were 59.75 ±13.91 and 45.05 ±6.59 as compared to during the pre-intervention of 42.0± 11.40 and 28.95 ±5.93, respectively. A similar result also found for bench press group. Muscular strength and muscular endurance for bench press group had significantly increased (p < .05), from the pre-test of 44.50 ±9.58 and 29.95 ±6.28 to the post-test of 60.25 ±10.45 and 41.45 ±6.20, respectively. However, there is no significant difference observed between groups (bench press and push-up protocols) on muscular strength (p= .661) and muscular endurance (p= .472). Conclusions: The present study concludes that push-up and low-load bench press exercise interventions do significantly improve muscular strength and muscular endurance of sedentary female youth, with push-up as an alternative for bench press for sedentary female youth.