This study evaluated if the incline and decline push-up provided any advantage in weight training and physical therapy when compared to the standard push-up; the effects of different performance cadences were also investigated on the incline, standard, and decline push-up. Specifically, the purposes of this study were to examine, as a result of increased incline and decline angles and performance cadences: a) what are changes in the three maximum right hand forces, represented as a percentage of body weight? b) What are changes in the perpendicular hand force patterns when one switches from the incline push-up to decline push-up? c) Which muscle among the pectoralis major, triceps brachii, deltoid, and upper trapezius is the relatively most active one in a standard push-up, after muscle activities are normalized to the Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (MVIC) test? and d) How do muscle recruitment patterns change from the incline to decline push-up? Twenty four college students and recreational weight trainers (age: 19.8¡Ó1.4 yrs; weight: 159.8¡Ó26.7 lbs; height: 173.9¡Ó9.5 cm) participated in this study. Each participant completed two preliminary phases and a formal testing phase on the same day. The formal testing phase consisted of 15 sets (5 body angles and 3 performance cadences) of push-ups, with 3 repetitions in each set.Research question 1 (RQ 1): There exhibited a linear relationship between the increased incline angle (f°15 to 30 to 45 degrees) and the maximum anterior-posterior force (Fx) and perpendicular force (Fz) experienced at the right hand. The Pearson correlation coefficients for these two maximum forces were near -1 in the incline, standard, and decline push-up. There was no obvious relationship between the incline angle and the maximum medial-lateral force (Fy). RQ 2: The same results were generated for relationships between the increased decline angle (f°15 to 0 to -10 degrees) and the three maximum hand forces. RQ 3: It was unexpected that during a standard push-up with cadence 2 (30 beats/minute), the deltoid muscle, instead of the pectoralis major, was proven to be the relatively most active among the four muscles. RQ 4: When participants switched from the incline to decline push-up, the recruitment patterns of the deltoid and triceps brachii were found to be changed, but that of the pectoralis major and upper trapezius remained the same. RQ 5: In incline, standard, and decline push-ups, a higher performance cadence induced significant changes in the maximum hand forces. RQ 6: Fz patterns had a minor change from the incline to decline push-up. Only the phase during the eccentric period showed a presence of more maximum magnitude. RQ 7: In all three cadences, significant changes were found in the activation level of the four muscles between the incline, standard, and decline pushup. RQ 8: In all push-ups, a higher performance cadence induced statistically significant changes in the muscle activation level.
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