The Effects Of Lyrical Vs Instrumental Music On Bench Press Exercise Performance

BACKGROUND: Copious amounts of evidence support the ergogenic effects of listening to music during sprint, endurance, and resistance exercise. The presence or absence of lyrics has been shown to modulate neural activation and emotions in resting states. However, it remains unknown how this translates to exercise. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of lyrical versus instrumental music on bench press exercise performance. METHODS: Resistance-trained males participated in two separate bench press trials each with a different music condition: 1) Lyrical music (LM), 2) Instrumental music (IM). Music was identical between conditions except for the presence of lyrics. Following a warm-up, participants completed 1 set × 2 repetitions as explosively as possible while a linear position transducer monitored mean power and velocity of the barbell. Participants then completed 3 sets × Repetitions to failure (RTF) at 75% of 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM), separated by 2 minutes of rest. Motivation and exercise enjoyment were measured via visual analog scale (VAS) upon cessation of exercise. RTF, mean velocity, mean power, motivation, and exercise enjoyment were analyzed between conditions. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between IM and LM for mean power (p = 0.233), barbell velocity (p = 0.168), or total RTF (p = 0.368). However, motivation (p = 0.048) and exercise enjoyment (p = 0.041) were significantly higher with LM versus IM. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest the presence of lyrics does not enhance or hinder bench press performance. However, increases in motivation and exercise enjoyment with LM could suggest possible implications for lyrical music in exercise adherence.