Bench press exercise performed as conditioning activity improves shot put performance in untrained subjects

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of bench press exercise performed as conditioning activity on the shot put performance in untrained subjects. Methods: Twelve healthy men (26 ± 6 years; 1.8 ± 0.1 m; 73.5 ± 10.4 kg; 13.2 ± 5.2% body fat), with no experience in shot put, were randomly assigned into two conditions 1) Control subjects performed six shot put attempts, and 2) Bench press exercise subjects performed six shot put attempts 7 min post 2 sets of 5 repetitions maximum (RM) of bench press exercise. A metal ball of 4 kg was used for shot put attempts, and subjects were instructed to perform each shot put according to the static shot put technique. Results: Shot put performance was greater after bench press condition when compared with control condition (8.2 ± 1.2 m vs. 7.8 ± 0.8 m, respectively, p < 0.05). In addition, eight out of 12 volunteers positively responded to the conditioning activity. Conclusion: The results suggest that bench press exercise performed as a conditioning activity improves shot put performance in untrained subjects. Moreover, the conditioning activity should be individually set.(AU)