Effect of modified bridge exercise on trunk muscle activity in healthy adults: a cross sectional study.
Jeong-Oh Yoon, Min-Hyeok Kang, Jun-Seok Kim and 1 others
PMID 28943402WHAT IT FOUND
Single-leg bridge, unstable-surface bridge, and hip-abduction bridge raised internal oblique and rectus abdominis activity more than standard bridge in 15 healthy adults.
Erector spinae and multifidus activity did not rise with the modifications.
Key findings
01All three modified single-leg bridge exercises produced greater internal oblique activity than standard bridge.
02Rectus abdominis activity was also higher during modified bridges, with right-sided increases during the single-leg modifications.
03Erector spinae and multifidus activity did not differ significantly among the bridge exercises.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 15 healthy adults in their 20s and 30s were studied, so the findings cannot be applied directly to patients or people with low back pain. The study measured short-term muscle activity with surface EMG, which can include nearby muscles and did not isolate the transverse abdominis. The sample had only 3 women, so sex differences are not addressed. Small sample size and large variability may have hidden differences among the modified exercises. No strength, endurance, functional task, pain, or long-term training outcomes were tested.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that modified bridge exercises build trunk strength or treat low back pain. The study measured only short-term EMG activity in 15 healthy adults and did not test patients, strength, or long-term outcomes.