title: "Psyching-up" enhances force production during the bench press exercise.
abstract: We investigated the effect of "psyching-up" on force production during the bench press. Twelve men (mean age +/- SD: 27.4 +/- 11.2 years) and 8 women (20.9 +/- 2.5 years) with strength-training experience performed 5 bench press repetitions on a modified Biodex isokinetic dynamometer during 3 interventions. The interventions were counterbalanced and included a free-choice psych-up, a cognitive distraction, and an attention-placebo. Peak force recorded after psyching-up (mean +/- SD: 764 +/- 269 N.m) was significantly different from both distraction (703 +/- 282 N.m, p = 0.003) and attention-placebo (708 +/- 248 N.m, p = 0.01). The mean percentage increase in peak force from distraction to psyching-up was 11.8% (6 to 18%, 95% confidence interval [CI]) and 8.1% from placebo to psyching-up (3 to 13%, 95% CI). The results of the present study indicate that psyching-up may increase force production during the bench press exercise in participants with at least 1 year strength-training experience.
authors.affiliation: Biomechanical Laboratory, Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, Waikato Institute of Technology, Hamilton, New Zealand. dvt@aber.ac.uk
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Tod
authors.forename: K Fiona
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Iredale
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: McGuigan
authors.forename: Deborah E O
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Strange
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology; D014891:Weight Lifting / Q000523:psychology*