Effect of Altering Body Posture and Barbell Position on the Within-Session Reliability and Magnitude of Force-Time Curve Characteristics in the Isometric Midthigh Pull

A large degree of variation in the position used during isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) testing and conflicting results of the effects of these changes can be found in the literature. This study investigated the effect of altering body posture and barbell position on the reliability and magnitude of force-time characteristics generated during the IMTP. Seventeen strength-power athletes (n = 11 males, height: 177.5 +/- 7.0 cm, body mass: 90.0 +/- 14.1 kg, age: 30.6 +/- 10.4 years; n = 6 females, height: 165.8 +/- 11.4 cm; body mass: 66.4 +/- 13.9 kg, age: 30.8 +/- 8.7 years) with greater than 6 months of training experience in the clean (1 repetition maximum: 118.5 +/- 20.6 kg, 77.5 +/- 10.4 kg) volunteered to undertake the experimental protocol. Subjects performed the IMTP using 4 combinations of hip and knee angles, and 2 different barbell positions. The first barbell position corresponded to the second pull of the clean, while the second rested at the midpoint between the iliac crest and the patella. Peak force (PF), time-specific force (F-50, F-90, F-150, F-200, and F-250), peak rate of force development (pRFD), and impulse (IMP) time bands were reliable in all 4 testing positions examined. Statistically greater PF, F-50, F-90, F-150, F-200, F-250, pRFD, and IMP0-50, IMP0-90, IMP0-150, and IMP0-200 were generated in a testing position corresponding to the second pull of the clean when compared with a bent over torso angle, regardless of the barbell position used. Moderate to large effect sizes favoring a testing position corresponding to the second pull were also found. Overall, when performing the IMTP, an upright torso and a barbell position that matches the second pull of the clean should be used.