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Abstract

Variations of the deadlift can be executed using the hexagonal (hex) bar by altering, for instance, the knee and torso angles while maintaining a constant hip angle at the start position. PURPOSE: To examine muscle activation patterns of the biceps femoris, rectus femoris, and erector spinae during three deadlift variations using the hex bar. METHODS: Twenty resistance-trained male and female subjects performed hex bar deadlift variations in three different starting knee flexion positions: 128.4 ± 8.5° (elevated Romanian Deadlift), 111.9 ± 8.7° (conventional elevated deadlift), and 98.3 ± 6.5° (conventional hexagonal bar deadlift). Subjects performed three repetitions at 75% of their three-repetition maximum. Electromyography sensors were placed on the dominant biceps femoris, rectus femoris, and lumbar erector spinae. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to detect differences in mean and peak EMG values normalized to maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) (pRESULTS: As knee flexion increased at the starting position, mean activation of the rectus femoris increased (24.7±21.5 to 35.5±25.4 to 62.1±31.3% MVIC, pCONCLUSIONS: Practitioners should consider the muscular goals when adjusting the starting position of a hex bar deadlift as posterior chain recruitment diminished and quadriceps activation increased as knee flexion increased.

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