COMPARISON OF THE LOAD-VELOCITY RELATIONSHIP DURING BENCH PRESS IN RESISTANCE TRAINED MEN AND WOMEN

Cody A. Stahl1, Marcel Lopes dos Santos1, Daniel Lawson1, Keston G. Lindsay2, Whitney Trammel2, Ryland Townsend2, J. Bryan Mann3, Robert G. Lockie4, J. Jay Dawes1 1Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA; 2University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA, 3Kinesiology and Sports Science Department, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA, 4California State University-Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the mean concentric barbell velocity of the bench press at different loads (%1RM) between resistance trained men and women. METHODS: Fourteen (7 males and 7 females) resistance trained college students volunteered to participate in this study (mean SD for years of resistance training experience was 6.8 3.0 years for males and 5.9 3.9 years for females). Participants reported to the laboratory on two separate occasions; separated by a minimum of 48 hours. In the first visit, one repetition maximums (1RMs) were determined for the bench press, and subjects were familiarized with using a self-spotting squat rack (Pro-spot). During the second visit, the subjects performed single repetitions at incremental increases of each tenth percentile (10–90%) of the 1RM. Subjects completed a total of nine repetitions, resting 3-5 minutes between each repetition. For each repetition, the subjects were instructed to press the barbell as rapidly as possible. Mean barbell velocity (MBV) was measured with a linear position transducer. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the mean barbell velocity between sex across all submaximal intensity loads for the squat. RESULTS: Sex differences in MBV were not found to be significant (p = .195). Significant differences in MBV were found based on load (p \u3c .03), irrespective of sex (see figure 1). It was found that men produce higher average bar velocities across all relative loads except the 90% load in the bench press sex (see figure 1). Mean bar velocity decreased, almost linearly, across all intensities, irrespective of sex. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that reduction in mean concentric barbell velocity can be attributed to the load lifted rather than biological sex