Snatch pulls and core exercises target trunk muscles differently, study finds
A study of 20 resistance-trained women found that snatch pulls and inverted sit-ups produced different trunk-muscle activity. The authors said the movements could complement each other, but the study did not test long-term training results.
The study compared snatch pulls, inverted sit-ups and hyperextensions in 20 resistance-trained women. Snatch pulls produced high erector spinae activity that rose with load, but low rectus abdominis activity.1
Inverted sit-ups produced more rectus abdominis activity than snatch pulls at 100% of one-repetition maximum. No tested snatch-pull load matched the muscle-activity readings of the specialized core exercises under the study’s equivalence test. The authors said the movements placed different trunk-muscle demands and could complement each other in weightlifting training.1
The study measured muscle activity during exercise, not long-term changes in strength or muscle. It included only women with at least three years of resistance training, which limits how far the results can be generalized.1
