Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

LIVE: Thursday 2nd May 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

Quality sleep is essential for health. But what happens to our brains when sleep patterns are disturbed? Join our experts to explore the interplay between sleep disruption and neurological diseases, and the questions that you need to be asking your patients to help you prevent the harmful effects of sleep deprivation.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Sports Medicine
Published in: Sports Medicine 4/2017

Open Access 01-04-2017 | Review Article

The Sticking Point in the Bench Press, the Squat, and the Deadlift: Similarities and Differences, and Their Significance for Research and Practice

Authors: Justin Kompf, Ognjen Arandjelović

Published in: Sports Medicine | Issue 4/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Since it was first observed, and especially so in recent years, the phenomenon of the so-called “sticking point” in resistance training has attracted a substantial amount of sports and exercise science research. Broadly speaking, the sticking point is understood as the position in the range of motion of a lift at which a disproportionately large increase in the difficulty associated with continuing the lift is experienced. Hence the sticking point is inherently the performance bottleneck, and is also associated with an increased chance of exercise form deterioration or breakdown. Understanding the aspects of lifting performance which should be analysed in order to pinpoint the cause of a specific sticking point and therefore devise an effective training strategy to overcome it is of pervasive importance to strength practitioners, and is conducive to injury avoidance and continued progress. In this paper, we survey a range of physiological and biomechanical mechanisms which contribute to the development of sticking points, and then, led by this insight, review and analyse the findings of the existing observational research on the occurrence of sticking points in three ubiquitous exercises: the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift. The findings of our analysis should be used to inform future research and current resistance training practice.
Literature
1.
Wilkie DR. Studies in biology, no. 11: muscle. London: Edward Arnold; 1968.
2.
3.
van den Tillaar R, Ettema G. A comparison of kinematics and muscle activity between successful and unsuccessful attempts in bench press. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(11):2056–63.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Drinkwater EJ, Galna B, McKenna MJ, et al. Validation of an optical encoder during free weight resistance movements and analysis of bench press sticking point power during fatigue. J Strength Cond Res. 2007;21(2):510–7.PubMed
5.
Duffey MJ, Challis JH. Fatigue effects on bar kinematics during the bench press. J Strength Cond Res. 2007;21(2):556–60.PubMed
6.
7.
Blackburn JR, Morrissey MC. The relationship between open and closed kinetic chain strength of the lower limb and jumping performance. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1998;27(6):430–5.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Cotterman ML, Darby LA, Skelly WA. Comparison of muscle force production using the Smith machine and free weights for bench press and squat exercises. J Strength Cond Res. 2005;19(1):169–76.PubMed
9.
Elliott BC, Wilson GJ, Kerr GK. A biomechanical analysis of the sticking region in the bench press. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1989;21(4):450–62.CrossRefPubMed
10.
van den Tillaar R, Ettema G. The “sticking period” in a maximum bench press. J Sports Sci. 2010;28:529–35.CrossRefPubMed
11.
van den Tillaar R, Saeterbakken AT. The sticking region in three chest-press exercises with increasing degrees of freedom. J Strength Cond Res. 2012;26(11):2962–9.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Huxley HE. Fifty years of muscle and the sliding filament hypothesis. Eur J Biochem. 2004;271(8):1403–15.CrossRefPubMed
13.
14.
Piazzesi G, Reconditi M, Linari M, et al. Mechanism of force generation by myosin heads in skeletal muscle. Nature. 2002;415(6872):659–62.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Powell PL, Roy RR, Kanim P, et al. Predictability of skeletal muscle tension from architectural determinations in guinea pig hindlimbs. J Appl Physiol. 1984;57(6):1715–21.PubMed
16.
Buchanan TS. Evidence that maximum muscle stress is not a constant: differences in specific tension in elbow flexors and extensors. Med Eng Phys. 1995;17:529–36.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Brand PW, Beach RB, Thompson DE. Relative tension and potential excursion of muscles in the forearm and hand. J Hand Surg Am. 1999;6:209–19.CrossRef
18.
Fukunaga T, Miyatani M, Tachi M, et al. Muscle volume is a major determinant of joint torque in humans. Acta Physiol Scand. 2001;172(4):249–55.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Zatsiorsky VM. Science and practice of strength training. Champaign: Human Kinetics; 1995.
20.
Komi P. Neuromuscular performance: factors influencing force and speed production. Scand J Sports Sci. 1979;1:2–15.
21.
Smith LK, Weiss EL, Lehmkuhl LD. Brunnstrom’s clinical kinesiology. 5th ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company; 1996.
22.
Caiozzo VJ, Perrine JJ, Edgerton VR. Training-induced alterations of the in vivo force–velocity relationship of human muscle. J Appl Physiol. 1981;53(3):750–4.
23.
Enoka RM, Stuart DG. Neurobiology of muscle fatigue. J Appl Physiol. 1992;72(5):1631–48.PubMed
24.
25.
Jones DA, Bigland-Ritchie B, Edwards RHT. Excitation frequency and muscle fatigue: mechanical responses during voluntary and stimulated contractions. Exp Neurol. 1979;64(2):401–13.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Kent-Braun JA. Central and peripheral contributions to muscle fatigue in humans during sustained maximal effort. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1999;80(1):57–63.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Duchateau J, Semmler JG, Enoka RM. Training adaptations in the behavior of human motor units. J Appl Physiol. 2006;101(6):1766–75.CrossRefPubMed
28.
Sale DG. Influence of exercise and training on motor unit activation. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1987;15:95–151.CrossRefPubMed
29.
Henneman E, Somjen G, Carpenter DO. Excitability and inhibitability of motoneurons of different sizes. J Neurophysiol. 1965;28:599–620.PubMed
30.
Miller M, Holmback AM, Downham D, et al. Voluntary activation and central activation failure in the knee extensors in young women and men. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2006;16:274–81.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Conwit RA, Stashuk D, Suzuki H, et al. Fatigue effects on motor unit activity during submaximal contractions. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2000;81(2):1211–6.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Hunter SK, Duchateau J, Enoka RM. Muscle fatigue and the mechanisms of task failure. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2004;32:44–9.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Bottinelli R, Pellegrino MA, Canepari M, et al. Specific contributions of various muscle fibre types to human muscle performance: an in vitro study. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 1999;9(2):87–95.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Johnson M, Polgar J, Weightman D, et al. Data on the distribution of fibre types in thirty-six human muscles: an autopsy study. J Exerc Physiol. 1973;18(1):111–29.
35.
Arandjelović O. Does cheating pay: the role of externally supplied momentum on muscular force in resistance exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2013;113(1):135–45.CrossRefPubMed
36.
Hoy MG, Zajac FE, Gordon ME. A musculoskeletal model of the human lower extremity: the effect of muscle, tendon, and moment arm on the moment–angle relationship of musculotendon actuators at the hip, knee, and ankle. J Biomech. 1990;23(2):157–69.
37.
Arandjelović O. Optimal effort investment for overcoming the weakest point—new insights from a computational model of neuromuscular adaptation. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2011;111(8):1715–23.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Arandjelović O. Common variants of the resistance mechanism in the Smith machine: analysis of mechanical loading characteristics and application to strength-oriented and hypertrophy-oriented training. J Strength Cond Res. 2012;26(2):350–63.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Wagner LL, Evans SA, Weir JP, et al. The effect of grip width on bench press performance. Int J Sport Biomech. 1992;8:1–10.CrossRef
40.
Wilson GJ, Elliott BC, Kerr GK. Bar path and force profile characteristics for maximal and submaximal loads in the bench press. Int J Sport Biomech. 1989;5:390–402.
41.
Gomo OM. The effects of grip width on sticking region in bench press. Levanger: North-Trondelag University College; 2013.
42.
Król H, Golas A, Sobota G. Complex analysis of movement in evaluation of flat bench press performance. Acta Bioeng Biomech. 2010;12(2):93–7.PubMed
43.
44.
Escamilla RF, Fleisig GS, Lowry TM, et al. A three-dimensional biomechanical analysis of the squat during varying stance widths. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33(6):984–98.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Russell PJ, Phillips SJ. A preliminary comparison of front and back squat exercises. Res Q Exerc Sport. 1989;60(3):201–8.CrossRefPubMed
46.
Ninos JC, Irrgang JJ, Burdett R, et al. Electromyographic analysis of the squat performed in self-selected lower extremity neutral rotation and 30 degrees of lower extremity turn-out from the self-selected neutral position. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1997;25(5):307–15.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Escamilla RF, Francisco AC, Fleisig GS, et al. An electromyographic analysis of sumo and conventional style deadlifts. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2002;34(4):682–8.PubMed
48.
Schoenfeld BJ. Squatting kinematics and kinetics and their application to exercise performance. J Hum Kinet. 2010;24(12):3497–506.
49.
Nisell R, Ekholm J. Joint load during the parallel squat in powerlifting and force analysis of in vivo bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture. Scand J Sports Sci. 1986;8:63–70.
50.
Solomonow M, Baratta R, Zhou BH, et al. The synergistic action of the anterior cruciate ligament and thigh muscles in maintaining joint stability. Am J Sports Med. 1987;15:207–213.
51.
Collins JJ. Antagonistic–synergistic muscle action at the knee during competitive weightlifting. Med Biol Eng Comput. 1994;32(2):168–74.
52.
McLaughlin TM, Dillman CJ, Lardner TJ. A kinematic model of performance in the parallel squat by champion powerlifters. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1977;9:128–33.CrossRef
53.
Hales ME, Johnson BF, Johnson JT. Kinematic analysis of the powerlifting style squat and the conventional deadlift during competition: is there a cross-over effect between lifts? J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(9):2574–80.CrossRefPubMed
54.
van den Tillaar R, Andersen V, Saeterbakken AT. The existence of a sticking region in free weight squats. J Hum Kinet. 2014;38:63–71.
55.
Escamilla RF, Fleisig GS, Zheng N, et al. Biomechanics of the knee during closed kinetic chain and open kinetic chain exercises. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30:556–69.CrossRefPubMed
56.
McCaw ST, Melrose DR. Stance width and bar load effects on leg muscle activity during the parallel squat. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999;31(3):428–36.CrossRefPubMed
57.
DeWeese BH, Serrano AJ, Scruggs SK, et al. The clean pull and snatch pull: proper technique for weightlifting movement derivatives. J Strength Cond Res. 2012;34(6):82–6.CrossRef
58.
Rossow LM, Fukuda DH, Fahs CA, et al. Natural bodybuilding competition preparation and recovery: a 12-month case study. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2013;8(5):582–92.CrossRefPubMed
59.
Myer GD, Ford KR, Palumbo OP, et al. Neuromuscular training improves performance and lower-extremity biomechanics in female athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2005;19(1):51–60.PubMed
60.
Piper TJ, Erdmann LD. A combined weightlifting/powerlifting program. J Strength Cond Res. 1998;20(6):15–9.CrossRef
61.
Beckham GK, Lamont HS, Sato K, et al. Isometric strength of powerlifters in key positions of the conventional deadlift. J Trainol. 2012;1:32–5.CrossRef
62.
McGuigan MR, Wilson BD. Biomechanical analysis of the deadlift. Sports Med. 1996;10:250–5.
Metadata
Title
The Sticking Point in the Bench Press, the Squat, and the Deadlift: Similarities and Differences, and Their Significance for Research and Practice
Authors
Justin Kompf
Ognjen Arandjelović
Publication date
01-04-2017
Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Published in
Sports Medicine / Issue 4/2017
Print ISSN: 0112-1642
Electronic ISSN: 1179-2035
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0615-9

Other articles of this Issue 4/2017

Sports Medicine 4/2017 Go to the issue

Systematic Review

Systematic Review of Childhood Sedentary Behavior Questionnaires: What do We Know and What is Next?

Review Article

Biomechanics and Physiology of Uphill and Downhill Running

Current Opinion

Keeping an Eye on Noisy Movements: On Different Approaches to Perceptual-Motor Skill Research and Training

Letter to the Editor

Comment on: “A Review of the Acute Effects and Long-Term Adaptations of Single- and Multi-Joint Exercises During Resistance Training”

Review Article

How to Prevent Injuries in Alpine Ski Racing: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go from Here?

Systematic Review

The Optimal Load for Maximal Power Production During Upper-Body Resistance Exercises: A Meta-Analysis