Modifying the hip abduction angle during bridging exercise can facilitate gluteus maximus activity.
PURPOSE To investigate how the erector spinae (ES) and gluteus maximus (GM) muscle activity and the anterior pelvic tilt angle change with different hip abduction angles during a bridging exercise. METHODS Twenty healthy participants (10 males and 10 females, aged 21.6 1.6) voluntarily participated in this study. Surface electromyography (EMG) signals were recorded from the ES and GM during bridging at three hip abduction angles: 0deg, 15deg, and 30deg. Simultaneously, the anterior pelvic tilt angle was measured using Image J software. RESULTS The EMG amplitude of the GM muscle and the GM/ES EMG ratio were greatest at 30deg hip abduction, followed by 15deg and then 0deg hip abduction during the bridging exercise. In contrast, the ES EMG amplitude at 30deg hip abduction was significantly lesser than that at 0deg and 15deg abduction. Additionally, the anterior pelvic tilt angle was significantly lower at 30deg hip abduction than at 0deg or 15deg. CONCLUSIONS Bridging with 30deg hip abduction can be recommended as an effective method to selectively facilitate GM muscle activity, minimize compensatory ES muscle activity, and decrease the anterior pelvic tilt angle.
Manual therapy