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Michael Lawrence, M.S., Motion Analysis Laboratory (MAL) manager in the Department of Physical Therapy along with Lara Carlson, DPE, FACSM, CSCS, associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, and Applied Exercise Science ’17 student Stephanie Ostrowski, recently published their research in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

The publication is titled “A Non-Linear Analysis of an Unstable Bench Press Bar Path and Muscle Activation.” Unstable resistance exercises are typically performed to increase the activity of the stabilizing musculature to maintain joint integrity under a load. Using surface electromyography (EMG), muscle activity of both primary and stabilizing musculature was recorded during a barbell bench press using a flexible Earthquake bar™. The team found that an unstable load was more variable and less predictable than a normal barbell; however, muscle activation patterns were more constrained. These results suggest using an unstable load to teach individuals how to better ‘stay tight’ and recruit stabilizer muscles in a more meaningful fashion.

The is Ostrowski’s second peer-reviewed publication. Ostrowski, who was primary author on a previous unstable load research paper, is currently continuing this line of research. She recently presented her latest results at the 2016 New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (NEACSM) conference in Providence, Rhode Island. At the NEACSM conference, she was awarded the NEACSM Undergraduate Research Award and the Robert S. Axtell Undergraduate Scholarship. “It was all pretty overwhelming at first, but Mike and Doc C have helped me so much this past year,” said Ostrowski. “Not only have I learned a lot from this research, but I have grown as a person as well. Dedication and hard work really do pay off.”

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