The Influence of Unstable Load and Traditional Free-Weight Back Squat Exercise on Subsequent Countermovement Jump Performance

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a back squat exercise with unstable load (UN) and traditional free-weight resistance (FWR) on subsequent countermovement jump (CMJ) performance. After familiarisation, thirteen physically active males with experience in resistance training visited the laboratory on two occasions during either experimental (UN) or control (FWR) conditions separated by at least 72 h. In both sessions, participants completed a task-specific warm-up routine followed by three maximum CMJs (pre-intervention; baseline) and a set of three repetitions of either UN or FWR back squat exercise at 85% 1-RM. During the UN condition, the unstable load was suspended from the bar with elastic bands and accounted for 15% of the total load. Post-intervention, three maximum CMJs were performed at 30 s, 4 min, 8 min and 12 min after the last repetition of the intervention. The highest CMJ for each participant was identified for each timepoint. No significant increases (p > 0.05) in jump height, peak concentric power, or peak rate of force development (RFD) were found after the FWR or UN conditions at any timepoint. The lack of improvements following both FWR and UN conditions may be a consequence of the low percentage of unstable load and the inclusion of a comprehensive task-specific warm-up. Further research is required to explore higher UN load percentages (>15%) and the chronic effects following the implementation of a resistance training programme.