Correlation between omni resistance exercise scale with elastic bands and a new elastic band exercise scale

Abstract

There is still a need to find valid methods of monitoring training intensity during resistance training, and even more when materials such as elastic bands are used.PURPOSE: To examine the construct validity of the new Thera-Band Perceived Exertion Scale for Resistance Exercise with elastic bands.METHODS: Twenty healthy and physically active subjects [12 male and 8 female] performed two separate sets of 15 repetitions and one more set of ten repetitions of frontal raises. One set was performed with an elastic band width grip that allowed the subjects to perform 15 maximum repetitions (15RM grip) in the selected exercise; another set was performed with a width grip 50% more than the 15RM grip and another set with a separation of 10% less than the 15RM grip. Active muscle (AM) ratings of the perceived exertion (RPE) were collected from the new Thera-Band® resistance exercise scale and the OMNI-RES scale with elastic bands (EB) immediately following the final repetition of each set. The OMNI-RES EB is a modification of the OMNI-RES scale that was previously validated and published. The new Thera-Band resistance exercise scale has both verbal and mode-specific pictorial descriptors distributed over a simple but wide response range: Easy; Low; Moderate; Hard; Maximal. This kind of scale can facilitate its use during daily application of training regimes, as they use less verbal information and mode-specific pictorial descriptors, and are even based on linear physiological responses. Construct validity was established by correlating the RPE from the OMNI-RES EB with the RPE from the Thera-Band RPE scale using regression analysis.RESULTS: The results indicated a positive linear relationship between the RPE from the OMNI-RES and the RPE from the Thera-Band scale. The validity coefficient of the RPE AM was r2 = 0.87.CONCLUSION: This level of construct validity indicates that the OMNI-RES EB measures the same properties of exertion as the new Thera-Band RPE scale during resistance exercise with elastic bands and suggests that the two scales can be used interchangeably during resistance exercises.