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BIDDEFORD, Maine

Research by Michael Lawrence and Lara Carlson featured in 'Men’s Health'

Research by Michael Lawrence, M.S., manager of the Motion Analysis Laboratory in the Department of Physical Therapy, and Lara Carlson, DPE., FACSM, associate professor in the Westbrook College of Health Professions and the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, was the topic of an article recently featured in Men’s Health.

Lawrence was interviewed for the article, titled "This Simple Trick Makes a Barbell Work Your Core 85 Percent Harder."

Lawrence’s and Carlson’s study, "Effects of an unstable load on force and muscle activation during a parallel back squat" revealed that by suspending weights by resistance bands to the ends of a barbell, one could increase the strain on the body’s core muscles by up to 85 percent while performing weightlifting exercises.

The article explains that the elastic bands allow weights to swing, sway, stretch and recoil with the shifting load, thereby calling upon core muscles for stabilization.

Lawrence, a powerlifter, stated, "Being put under an unstable load is usually an eye opener for most unaccustomed lifters because they don’t understand how to tighten their body and contract their core muscles…"

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