The Effect of Post-Activation Performance Enhancement Using Ballistic Movements, Heavy Resistance, and Dynamic Stretching on Barbell Balance During the Bench Press

Objective Warm-up aimed at inducing the physiological phenomenon of postactivation performance enhancement (PAPE) is considered one of the most important factors in improving athletic performance.Moreover, barbell balance at the end of the concentric phase of the bench press is regarded as a key factor in powerlifting competitions.This study aimed to compare the effects of ballistic, heavy-resistance, and dynamic stretching warm-up protocols on barbell balance at the end of the concentric phase of the bench press in male students.Methods Eighteen male students (mean age: 23.8 1.3 years; height: 174.4 3.36 cm; body mass: 74.4 3.8 kg) with at least one year of training experience participated in this study.After determining the one-repetition maximum (1RM) for each subject, participants were randomly assigned to three groups (A, B, and C) and tested on three separate days with 72 hours of rest between sessions.A 3D motion analysis system was used, and each subject performed a 1RM bench press following the designated warm-up protocol.Barbell balance at the end of the concentric phase of the bench press was assessed.Statistical analyses were conducted using one-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests, with the significance level set at p < 0.05.Results Significant differences were observed between the ballistic warm-up protocol and both the heavy-resistance and dynamic stretching protocols (F = 20.2,p = 0.001, = 0.44), with ballistic warm-up demonstrating superior barbell balance at the end of the concentric phase.Conclusion The findings suggest that warming up with ballistic exercises, compared to heavy resistance or dynamic stretching, has a positive effect on barbell balance at the end of the concentric phase of the bench press.