PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A Maenhout
AU  - K Van Praet
AU  - L Pizzi
AU  - M Van Herzeele
AU  - A Cools
TI  - Electromyographic analysis of knee push up plus variations: what is the influence of the kinetic chain on scapular muscle activity?
AID  - 10.1136/bjsm.2009.062810
DP  - 2010 Nov 01
TA  - British Journal of Sports Medicine
PG  - 1010--1015
VI  - 44
IP  - 14
4099  - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/14/1010.short
4100  - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/44/14/1010.full
SO  - Br J Sports Med2010 Nov 01; 44
AB  - Objective First, to look for appropriate closed kinetic chain exercises to restore intramuscular imbalance between upper trapezius (UT) and serratus anterior (SA) in overhead athletes. Second, to determine the influence of using diagonal pattern muscle recruitment during knee push up plus (KPP) exercises on scapular electromyographic activity. Design Single group repeated-measures design. Setting Controlled laboratory study. Participants Thirty-two physically active individuals in good general health who did not have a history of neck and/or shoulder injury or surgery nor participated in high-level overhead sports or performed upper limb strength training for more than 5 h/week. Interventions Subjects performed the standard KPP and six variations. Main outcome measurements Electromyographic activity of the three trapezius parts and the SA. Results Four exercises with a low UT/SA can be selected for rehabilitation of intramuscular balance: standard KPP, KPP with homolateral leg extension, KPP with a wobble board and homolateral leg extension and one-handed KPP. The use of a wobble board during KPP exercises and performance on one hand has no influence on SA electromyographic activity. Heterolateral leg extension during KPP stimulates lower trapezius activity, whereas homolateral leg extension stimulates SA activity. Conclusions In case of intramuscular scapular imbalance, some exercises are preferable over others because of their low UT/SA ratio. The use of a kinetic chain approach during KPP exercises influences scapular muscle activity.