Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether different attentional focus cues influence maximal force production during the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP). Previous literature suggests that internally focused cues may constrain motor output, whereas external or holistic cues may enhance performance. METHODS: Thirty-one fadults (18–35 yrs) completed eight maximal IMTP trials in a randomized, within-subjects design. Participants performed two mid-thigh pulls under each of four conditions: control (“focus on doing your best”), internal (“focus on contracting your legs as hard as possible”), external (“focus on pushing the ground as hard as possible”), and holistic (“focus on being as explosive as possible”). Each pull lasted two seconds with standardized rest intervals between trials and conditions. Ground reaction forces were collected using bilateral force plates. Maximum force (N) served as the primary dependent variable and was analyzed using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA (α = .05). RESULTS: A significant main effect of condition was observed for maximum force, F(3, 90) = 7.61, p < .001, ηp² = .20. Mean (± SD) force values were 2078.16 (± 548.55) N for control, 2069.61 (± 535.48) N for external, 2021.06 (± 518.34) N for internal, and 2127.68 (± 579.97) N for holistic. Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons revealed that internal focus produced significantly lower force than both control (p = .036) and holistic focus (p = .001). No other pairwise comparisons reached statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Attentional focus cue type significantly influences maximal isometric force production during the IMTP. Internal focus reduced force output, whereas holistic cues produced the highest force values. These findings suggest that holistic or externally directed cues may be preferable when coaching maximal strength tasks.
Recommended Citation
Ray, Terry J. III; Chaires, Emily; and Zhuravleva, Tatiana
(2026)
"The Effect of Attentional Focus Cues on Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull Performance,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
18, Article 215.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss18/215