Magnitudes of muscle activation of spine stabilizers in healthy adults during prone on elbow planking exercises with and without a fitness ball.

Prone planking exercises have been used by rehabilitation professionals to activate torso muscles in healthy persons and those with low back pain. The aim of this study was to compare the magnitude of electromyographic (EMG) muscle activation from 10 right-sided muscles as demonstrated by the percentage of maximum voluntary isometric contraction (%MVIC) during four planking procedures. Surface EMG activity was acquired from the following muscles: (1) iliocostalis lumborum (IL), (2) longissimus thoracis (LT), (3) lumbar multifidus (LM), (4) rectus abdominis (RA), (5) external oblique (EO), (6) internal oblique (IO), (7) serratus anterior (SA), (8) latissimus dorsi (LD), (9) hamstrings (HS), and (10) gluteus maximus (GM).