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Electromyographic activity of rectus abdominis muscles during dynamic

Pilates abdominal exercises

Article  in  Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies · November 2014

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2014.11.010

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Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2015) 19, 629e635

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MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY

Electromyographic activity of rectus

abdominis muscles during dynamic Pilates
abdominal exercises
Gabriela Bueno Silva, PE a, Mirele Minussi Morgan, PE a,
Wellington Roberto Gomes de Carvalho, PE, MSc, PhD b,
Elisangela Silva, PE, MSc a,
Wagner Zeferino de Freitas, PE, MSc a,
Fabiano Fernandes da Silva, PE, MSc a,
Renato Aparecido de Souza, PT, MSc, PhD a,*

a
Group of Studies and Research in Health Sciences (GEP-CS), Federal Institute of Education, Science
and Technology of the South of Minas Gerais (IFSULDEMINAS), Muzambinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil
b
Physical Education Department, Center of Health and Biology Sciences, Federal University of
Maranhão, São Luis, MA, Brazil

Received 11 June 2014; received in revised form 30 October 2014; accepted 11 November 2014

KEYWORDS Summary Objective: To assess the electrical behaviour of the upper rectus abdominis (URA) and
Abdominal exercises; lower rectus abdominis (LRA) by electromyography (EMG) during the following dynamic Pilates
Electromyography; abdominal exercises: roll up, double leg stretch, coordination, crisscross and foot work. The results
Pilates were compared with EMG findings of traditional abdominal exercises (sit up and crunch). Methods:
Seventeen female subjects (with no experience of the Pilates method) were recruited. The URA and
LRA were evaluated while 12 isotonic contractions were performed using the Pilates principles or
traditional abdominal exercises. The data were normalised by a maximal voluntary isometric
contraction. Normality was accepted, and ANOVA followed by Tukey test was used to determine
data differences (P < 0.05). Results: Pilates exercises double leg stretch, coordination, crisscross
and foot work promoted greater muscle activation than traditional exercises, mainly in URA. Thus,
these exercises have the potential to be prescribed for muscle strengthening programmes.
ª 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

* Corresponding author. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sul de Minas Gerais. Campus Muzambinho. Estrada de
Muzambinho, km 35, Caixa Postal 02, 37890-000, Muzambinho, MG, Brazil. Tel.: þ55 35 3571 5051.
E-mail address: tatosouza2004@yahoo.com.br (R.A. de Souza).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2014.11.010
1360-8592/ª 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
630
Introduction
The Pilates method is a body exercise technique that has
been widely used in recent years by therapists in order to
improve flexibility, physical fitness and body awareness and
to strengthen the muscles mainly associated with trunk
stability (Shedden and Kravitz, 2006; Latey, 2001). The
entire construction of the theoretical concepts related to
this method was developed by Joseph Pilates (1886e1967)
during the First World War with the aim of rehabilitating the
injured (Shedden and Kravitz, 2006; Latey, 2001). The
method became popular during the 1980s, but the scientific
validity that could sustain the prescribed exercises is still
lacking (Muscolino and Cipriani, 2004).
Research is necessary to give scientific support to the
philosophical and conceptual premises of Pilates if it is to
be systematically included in rehabilitation and training
programmes. In recent years, several studies related to
Pilates exercises have been published (Aladro-Gonzalvo
et al., 2013, 2012; Barton and McNeill, 2012; Sekendiz
et al., 2007), but the literature still lacks electromyog-
raphy (EMG) findings to characterise the activity of the
muscles involved during the execution of the numerous
movements of this method. For instance, the dynamic
stability of the spinal column is routinely trained by prac-
titioners of the Pilates method with the application of ex-
ercises that purport to strengthen specific muscle groups,
such as spine extensors, hip extensors, hip flexors, deep
muscles of the pelvis and rectus abdominis (Kolwniak et al.,
2004). Weakness of these muscles is associated with low
back pain, and the effectiveness of Pilates in low back pain
has been documented (Conceição, 2012; Holmstrome et al.,
1992).
It has been shown that small changes in a Pilates exer-
cise method can change the pattern of muscle electrical
activation (Loss et al., 2010; Silva et al., 2013a). Menacho
et al. (2010) subjected the paraspinal muscle to three
Pilates exercises: swimming, single leg kick and double leg
kick. Using EMG, distinct contribution of the paraspinal
muscle was observed in each of the exercises. Values for
electrical muscle activity ranged between 15% and 61% of
maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) for the 3
types of Pilates mat work exercise. However, there is
insufficient information in the literature to secure inclusion
of the method, especially in patients with musculoskeletal
disorders. Thus, it is critical to characterise the exercises of
this method more thoroughly, especially in relation to the
muscles acting on the spine (Loss et al., 2010; Silva et al.,
2013).
It has been noted that the rectus abdominis muscle is
the major flexor of the torso compared with other muscles
in the abdominal wall and that it plays a significant role in
spine stability (Norwood et al., 2007). However, contro-
versy exists around exercises that attempt to differentially
activate the upper (URA) or lower (LRA) portion of the
rectus abdominis muscle (Sarti et al., 1996; Lehman and
McGill, 2001; Clark et al., 2003; Duncan, 2009). In this
sense, understanding which abdominal muscles are
recruited and how active they are while performing a va-
riety of Pilates and traditional abdominal exercises is
helpful to therapists and other health professionals in
G.B. Silva et al.
developing specific abdominal exercises for their patients
or clients, to facilitate their rehabilitation or training
objectives.
Thus, owing to the current lack of clarity in the use of
EMG to evaluate rectus abdominis activity during the
Pilates method, this study aimed to assess the EMG features
of URA and LRA of dynamic Pilates abdominal exercises (roll
up, double leg stretch, coordination, crisscross and foot
work) and two traditional abdominal exercises (sit up and
crunch).
Material and methods
Participants
A total of 17 right-handed women with a mean height of
1.67  0.71 m, body weight 64.2  6.9 kg and mean age of
20.3  5.2 years, were recruited on a voluntary basis
(university students). The inclusion criteria were: (a)
women were physically active and with no history of
musculoskeletal injury, (b) no previous pregnancy, (c) no
visually identified asymmetries of the trunk and lower
limbs, (d) no prior experience with Pilates, and (e) familiar
with the sit up and crunch exercises (traditional abdominal
exercises). The study followed the ethical guidelines for
human experimentation, according to Brazilian Law 196/96
of the National Health Council.
Data recording
The four-lead EMG system Miotool 400 (Miotec, Equi-
pamentos Biomédicos, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil) linked to a
personal computer was used to record muscle activity. The
system specifications include a common mode rejection
ration (CMRR) of 110 dB and a gain of 200. The EMG signals
were collected using a sampling rate of 2000 Hz and stored
in a computer with a 14 bit A/D card (Miotec, Equipamentos
Biomédicos, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil). Muscle activation of
the right upper rectus abdominis (URA) and lower rectus
abdominis (LRA) were collected for each participant using
bipolar surface disc electrodes (AgeAgCl, Meditrace,
Mansfield, MA, USA) measuring 10 mm in diameter with an
inter-electrode distance of 20 mm. Before electrode
placement, the skin was trichotomised, swabbed with
alcohol 70% and abraded with sandpaper to reduce
impedance. The electrodes were placed on the muscle
bellies and positioned parallel to the muscle fibres using the
techniques described by Basmajian and Deluca (1985) and
according to the EMG for the Non-Invasive Assessment of
Muscles (SENIAM) recommendations (Hermens et al., 1999):
the ‘URA electrode’ was placed approximately just below
the midpoint between the umbilicus and xiphoid process,
but not at the tendon intersection, and 3 cm lateral from
the midline. The ‘LRA electrode’ was placed approximately
at the midpoint between the umbilicus and the pubic
symphysis and 3 cm lateral from the midline (Fig. 1). A
reference electrode was placed on the middle third of the
clavicle.
The EMG analysis was performed using custom-made
Miograph 2.0 software (Miotec, Equipamentos Biomédicos,
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil). All EMG signals were band-pass
Electromyographic activity of rectus abdominis muscles during dynamic Pilates abdominal exercises
Figure 1 Placement of electrodes on the upper rectus
abdominis (URA) and lower rectus abdominis (LRA) muscles.
filtered with a 20e500 Hz, 4th order Butterworth zero-lag
filter and processed in the time domain. Then, root mean
square (RMS) values were normalised by the RMS values
obtained during MVIC procedures, thus obtaining the mean
percentage of MVIC during each exercise (Escamilla et al.,
2010).
Exercise procedures
All experimental procedures were performed at the Inte-
grated Laboratory for Applied Technology in Health (LITEC-
I, IFSULDEMINAS e Muzambinho Campus, Minas Gerais,
Brazil). First, each volunteer performed two MVICs of
flexion of the spine (trunk in supine position with hip and
knee flexed to 90 and feet on the ground), each lasting six
seconds with a three-minute interval between contractions
to allow for resting and metabolic recovery. The volunteers
were verbally encouraged to overcome their resistance
against a manual flexion of the spine, as if they were per-
forming the abdominal sit up. Because of heavy manual
resistance generated by two researchers, volunteers did
not produce any displacement of the spine, generating an
isometric contraction. The data were obtained from the
average of the two MVICs. Fifteen minutes after this pro-
cedure, each volunteer performed the following exercises
(10-minute interval between each exercise) in a random
order: roll up, double leg stretch, crisscross, coordination,
foot work (Pilates method), sit up and crunch (traditional
abdominal exercises). All exercises were performed
through their full range of motion, and with proper form
and technique for 12 consecutive repetitions.
The five original Pilates exercises are shown in Fig. 2.
The roll up was performed in a supine position keeping the
lower limbs extended, arms internally rotated and flexed
overhead at approximately 180 . The volunteer flexed the
spine until approximately 90 off the ground, and then
returned to the starting position (Fig. 2A and B). The double
leg stretch started in a supine position with a slight neck
flexion and flexion of the hips and-knees sustained by the
hands, returning to extension of upper and lower limbs
without touching the ground (Fig. 2C and D). The
631
coordination started in a supine position with a slight neck
flexion sustained by the hands without contact with the
ground, as well as slight hip flexion with knee extended
associated with the highest hip abduction. In this exercise,
the volunteer performed hip adduction of both lower limbs
crossing the midline alternately. While the right lower limb
was superior the left lower limb was inferior and vice versa.
At no time did the feet touch the ground (Fig. 2G and H).
The crisscross was performed similarly to the coordination
except that both knees moved to touch the opposite elbow
during a slight flexion and rotation of spine (Fig. 2E and F).
The footwork was performed starting in the same position
as the double leg stretch exercise. Then, the volunteer
extended both knees with a slight hip flexion and alter-
nately extended the hip until the foot was almost touching
the ground. At no time did the feet touch the ground (Fig. 2I
and J).
The two traditional abdominal exercises began in a su-
pine position, with the knees flexed at approximately 90
and the thumbs positioned in the ears, hands relaxed
against the head (Figure 3). The feet were supported and
held down for the sit up but not for the crunch. To perform
the crunch, the subject flexed the spine without hip flexion
until both scapulae were off the ground, then returned to
the starting position. During the sit up, the subject simul-
taneously flexed the spine and hips until the elbows were
aligned with the knees, then returned to the starting
position.
Data analysis
Data were analysed using Graph Pad Prism software. Data
normality was assessed by the D’Agostino- Pearson test. As
there was adherence to the normal model, analysis of
variance was applied (ANOVA) with the application of the
post hoc Tukey’s test when necessary. The level of signifi-
cance for all tests was P < 0.05.
Results
Fig. 4 illustrates the electromyographic activity of the URA,
normalised and expressed as a percentage of the MVIC. It
was observed that both traditional exercises (crunch and sit
up) were significantly (P < 0.05) less activated than all
Pilates exercises, with one exception, roll up exercise
(P > 0.05). Indeed, the roll up exercise was significant in
being the Pilates exercise that least activated the URA
muscle. In percentage terms, the traditional and the roll up
exercises activated approximately 40% of the MVIC, while
the other Pilates exercises achieved at least 70% of the
MVIC of URA.
Fig. 5 illustrates the electromyographic activity of the
LRA muscle, normalised and expressed as a percentage of
the MVIC. It was observed that only the Pilates exercise
crisscross showed significantly greater EMG activity
compared to traditional exercises (P < 0.05). Thus, in the
case of LRA, the electromyographic activity of the other
Pilates exercises was considered similar to the findings of
electromyographic traditional exercises. Also, a statistical
difference in the percentage of myoelectric activation was
632 G.B. Silva et al.

Figure 2 The five Pilates exercises. A: Starting position for the roll up. B: Ending position for the roll up. C: Starting position for
the double leg stretch. D: Ending position for the double leg stretch. E: Starting position for the crisscross. F: Ending position for
the crisscross. G: Starting position for the coordination. H: Ending position for the coordination. I: Starting position for the foot
work. J: Ending position for the foot work.
Electromyographic activity of rectus abdominis muscles during dynamic Pilates abdominal exercises 633

Figure 3 The two traditional abdominal exercises. A: Crunch. B: Sit -up.

observed between the Pilates exercises roll up and Thus, changes in body position and exercise intensity may
crisscross. create different demands for the URA and LRA portions.
The main findings of this study indicate that Pilates exer-
Discussion cises were able to generate greater muscle activation than
traditional abdominal exercises, especially when URA was
analysed. Similarly, Esco et al. (2004) demonstrated that
In recent years, the Pilates method has been recommended
the Pilates exercises hundred, crisscross, double leg
for certain clinical conditions, such as rehabilitation of
stretch, roll up and teaser, were able to promote the
joint function (Rydeard et al., 2006; Digiovine et al., 1992),
conditioning of abdominal muscles and were electrically
pelvic lumbar stabilisation (Ekstron et al., 2007; Levine
more active than traditional abdominal exercises. Silva
et al., 2007), fibromyalgia control (Muscolino and Cipriani,
et al. (2013a) compared the electrical activity of the sta-
2004) and treatment of low back pain (Rydeard et al.,
bilising muscles of the trunk during Pilates practice, Wil-
2006; Altan et al., 2009). However, few studies can be
liams’s technique and spine stabilisation, and found that
found which evaluate EMG behaviour during Pilates exer-
Pilates showed greater activation percentage compared
cises, especially for the abdominal muscles, which is
with other techniques studied.
directly related to the principles of the conceptual tech-
In contrast to the present study, Silva et al. (2013b),
nique. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare the
compared the electrical activity of the abdominal muscles
EMG patterns of URA and LRA while performing Pilates and
(rectus abdominis and oblique external) during the Pilates
traditional abdominal exercises.
exercise roll up with a Swiss ball and elastic band, with
Selective activation of different portions of the rectus
traditional crunch during the concentric and eccentric
abdominis muscle is theoretically possible because, in
morphological terms, the rectus abdominis is a polygastric
muscle which can be innervated by different nerves as well
as by a common nerve branch (Marchetti et al., 2011).

Figure 5 Percentage of maximal voluntary isometric

Figure 4 Percentage of maximal voluntary isometric
contraction (% MVIC) for upper rectus abdominis (URA) during
Pilates and traditional exercises.* indicates P < 0.05 when
compared with other exercises. ANOVA followed by Tukey test.
contraction (% MVIC) for lower rectus abdominis (LRA) during
Pilates and traditional exercises.*indicates the location of
statistical differences between Pilates and traditional exer-
cises (P < 0.05). #indicates the location of statistical differ-
ences between the Pilates exercises (P < 0.05). ANOVA
followed by Tukey test.
634
phases. It has been shown that the traditional exercise had
higher electrical activation of the rectus abdominis than
both Pilates exercises. In the present study, roll up and
crunch exercises had similar values of electrical activation
(approximately 40% of the MVIC) and showed, together with
the sit up, the least activation. We considered that the
lower activation of crunch, sit up and roll up exercises was
due to two main reasons: (i) the maintenance of the lower
limbs resting on the ground stabilises the spine reducing the
demand on the rectus abdominis muscle (Montfort et al.,
2009) and (ii) in the case of sit up and roll up exercises,
one trunk flexion occurred near or above 45 , which also
decreases the activation of the rectus abdominis (Montfort
et al., 2009).
It has been reported that the activation of about 10% or
less of the MVIC is sufficient for purposes of spinal stabili-
sation in activities of daily living (Mcgill and Karpowicz,
2009). Thus, the lower activation of the Pilates exercise
roll up, and traditional abdominal exercises, should not be
interpreted as clinically unimportant. In fact, it has been
suggested that rehabilitation programmes should be started
specifically with exercises that promote lower EMG acti-
vation, progressing to those of higher EMG activation
(Escamilla et al., 2006). On the other hand, in the case of
strengthening programmes in healthy people, it is critical
for the success of the training to institute exercises that
promote greater muscle recruitment. Thus, the results of
this study may facilitate clearer decision making when
applying the Pilates method.
EMG findings did not differ significantly during perfor-
mance between the double leg stretch, coordination,
crisscross and foot work, and the URA activation ranged
from 70 to 90% of the MVIC. Likewise, the degree of EMG
activation for these same exercises in LRA showed no sig-
nificant differences and ranged from 70 to 110%. It is
possible that the higher EMG activation in these exercises
was due to greater instability of the spine when hip flexion
unsupported by the ground was performed. In this case, the
abdominal muscles should be recruited to give more sta-
bility to the trunk, avoiding forward displacement of the
pelvis and reduction of lumbar lordosis.
According to Escamilla et al. (2006), exercises that have
electromyographic activity higher than 60% of MVIC are
considered of high muscle activation and may be more
appropriate to the development of muscular strength.
Conversely, exercises that have less than 40% of electro-
myographic activity may be effective in developing endur-
ance. We believe that the number of repetitions must also
vary in training programmes involving exercises with
different percentages of EMG activation. For example,
lower repetitions should be performed for training above
60% of MVIC, and for training below 40% of MVIC, more
muscle repetitions should be performed. From this
perspective, it can be inferred that, with the exception of
the Pilates exercise roll up, all other Pilates exercises can
be introduced into programmes to strengthen rectus
abdominis. The roll up would perhaps be more appropriate
in the early stages of rehabilitation and training pro-
grammes. However, caution is needed to generalise the
results, since trained individuals have lower EMG activa-
tion. Using another methodological approach, Loss et al.
(2010) reported that the electrical activity of the
G.B. Silva et al.
stabilising trunk muscles is very variable depending on the
intensity instituted and the Pilates position adopted. Also,
Queiroz et al. (2010) found that the change in position of
the trunk and pelvis during Pilates exercises, changes the
pattern of activation of the multifidus, gluteus maximus,
rectus and obliques abdominis. Barbosa et al. (2013)
demonstrated that the breathing technique associated
with the Pilates method increases the level of activation of
the rectus abdominis muscle in relation to the same exer-
cise not associated with Pilates breathing.
EMG studies that evaluate the activation of the rectus
abdominis during abdominal exercises have been docu-
mented (Escamilla et al., 2010, 2006). Considering that the
abdominal muscles are related to stabilisation, reducing
the burden of the spine and torso movement, and that their
weakness is related to biomechanical disorders and low
back pain (Axler and Mcgill, 1997), it is essential to un-
derstand the pattern of activation of these muscles sub-
jected to abdominal exercises. However, many abdominal
exercises are described and the variation in prescribing
these has clinical consequences. For example, the flexion
of the spine can be problematic for people with lumbar disc
diseases because of the increasing intradiscal pressure, as
well as for osteoporosis patients due to the risk of fracture
by compression. Furthermore, patients with facet joint
disorders do not tolerate abdominal exercises that extend
the spine (Escamilla et al., 2006). Also, when choosing an
abdominal exercise, it is important to consider that the
different abdominal muscles play different roles in stabil-
ising the spine, the transversus being a local stabiliser, the
obliques being global stabilisers and the rectus being a
global mobiliser (Comerford et al., 2011).
Thus, the results of this study give physical exercise
professionals EMG characterisation information for the
institution of Pilates method abdominal exercises in reha-
bilitation and strengthening programmes. The Pilates ex-
ercises double leg stretch, coordination, crisscross and foot
work promoted greater muscle activation than traditional
exercises, mainly in URA. Finally, it is important to note
that further research needs to be conducted in people with
different clinical conditions, with evaluation of other
muscle groups and comparison with other experimental
situations (e.g., EMG recruitment of rectus abdominis after
long term practice of the same Pilates exercises) for better
characterisation and scientific justification for using
Pilates.
Acknowledgements
The author Silva, FF thanks CAPES for the award of a PhD
scholarship at the Graduate Program in Biomedical Engi-
neering at Unicastelo.
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