Impact of attentional focus and action verbs on bench press performance

Abstract

Verbal instructions that direct an individual's attention are crucial for optimising movement and performance. While previous research has consistently demonstrated that an external focus of attention enhances motor performance more effectively than an internal focus of attention, the role of action verbs embedded within attentional focus instructions remains unexplored. This study aimed to assess how different action verbs (push vs. punch) and attentional focus (external vs. internal) influence bench press velocity. Twenty-six physically active participants familiar with the bench press technique completed four conditions: EF-push, EF-punch, IF-push, and IF-punch. Each condition involved performing bench press repetitions with specific verbal instructions. Results indicated that both external focus conditions led to significantly greater bar velocities compared to internal focus conditions, supporting the constrained action hypothesis. Additionally, the action verb "punch" resulted in higher bar velocities than "push," suggesting that action words influence motor performance in maximal effort tasks. No significant interaction effects were found between attentional focus and action verbs, indicating that their effects on performance are independent. These findings highlight the importance of using externally focused instructions and carefully chosen action words to enhance performance in strength and conditioning tasks. The study contributes to our understanding of how instructional cues can optimise resistance exercise performance and suggests practical applications for coaches and practitioners in designing effective training interventions.

Keywords: Action words; Attentional focus; Bench press; External focus; Intention.