Effect of a Suspension Training Certification Curriculum on Health Related Fitness and Functional Movement

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: There is limited research on the fitness benefits of certification courses offered in higher education. PURPOSE: To identify the fitness and functional movement effects from a 14-week, didactic, active learning suspension training certification course. METHODS: Forty-two participants (30 females; 12 males; Age = 25.6 ± 10.0 yrs; Height = 169.4 ± 9.8 cm; Body Mass = 69.7 ± 15.4 kg) in a suspension training curricular course completed 28 applied-learning sessions over a 14-week period. Initial 9 weeks were instructor-led educational lectures, workouts, and critique of techniques, whereas, the latter 5 weeks were student-led exercise programming and workouts for curricular evaluation. Throughout each 40-minute exercise session, six body positions were utilized across push, pull, rotational, squat, and lunge movements. Pre- and post-fitness assessments included body composition, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, and a functional movement screen (FMS). Dependent t-tests were used to determine if there were mean changes in fitness-related and functional movement status. Due to multiple comparisons, Bonferroni correction was used, therefore, alpha level was set at .007. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in mean body mass, fat mass, and lean mass. There were, however, significant positive changes in mean percent body fat (24.0% ± 9.8% to 22.9% ± 10.5%), sit-and-reach (41.5 ± 9.2 to 44.0 ± 7.9 cm), quantity of push-ups (25.9 ± 11.5 to 32.0 ± 13.5), handgrip dynamometer (83.1 ± 29.5 to 90.6 ± 30.5 kg), and FMS (14.9 ± 2.4 to 16.5 ± 2.2) values. CONCLUSIONS: Students participating within the 28-session suspension training curriculum experienced significant decrements in percent body fat and gains in flexibility, upper body muscular endurance, upper body muscular strength, and functional movement screening scores.