ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1661217
Study on the Differences in Peripheral Fatigue Responses Elicitation Effects of Bench Press Training with Different Loads and Tempos Based on Electromyography and Motion Sensors
Provisionally accepted
- 1Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- 2Henan Sports University, zhengzhou, China
- 3Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, China
- 4Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of bench press training with different loads (60% 1RM vs. 80% 1RM) and tempos (maximal velocity X/0/X/0 vs. medium tempo 2/0/2/0) on peripheral fatigue responses in bodybuilders, assessing the specific roles of neuromuscular activation, metabolic stress, and kinetic performance. Methods: Ten experienced male bodybuilders performed four training protocols to exhaustion in a randomized crossover design. Electromyography (EMG) was used to record muscle activation (normalized as %MVIC) and spectral shifts (Median Frequency - MDF) from the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and triceps brachii muscles. Biochemical assessment involved measuring blood lactate concentrations pre-and post-exercise to quantify metabolic stress. Motion sensors (Vmaxpro) were employed to capture barbell kinematics—including mean velocity (MV), peak velocity (PV), mean power (MP), peak power (PP), and time under tension (TUT)—providing direct measures of neuromuscular performance and fatigue-related velocity loss. Results: A significant interaction between load and tempo was found for all fatigue markers (p<0.05). The combination of high load and fast tempo (80% 1RM, X/0/X/0) induced the most pronounced peripheral fatigue, evidenced by the highest muscle activation (%MVIC) and blood lactate levels, coupled with the greatest declines in MDF (indicating neuromuscular fatigue), velocity, and power output. Conclusions: The interaction of load and tempo critically determines the pattern and magnitude of acute peripheral fatigue. High-load fast-tempo training elicits multifaceted fatigue across neuromuscular, metabolic, and performance domains, whereas a high-load medium-tempo protocol results in less fatigue despite longer TUT. These findings provide a scientific basis for precise fatigue management in resistance programming.
Keywords: Exercise tempo, bench press, Neuromuscular fatigue, Resistance Training, Blood lactate
Received: 07 Jul 2025; Accepted: 05 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yan, Li, Li, Chongyang, Yao and Ma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Bin Yan, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
Chunwei Li, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
Siqi Yao, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
Dongdong Ma, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.