Relationship of Push-Ups and Sit-Ups Tests to Selected Anthropometric Variables and Performance Results: A Multiple Regression Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore whether selected anthropometric measures such as specific skinfold sites, along with weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, and waist/hip ratio (WHR) were associated with sit-ups (SU) and push-ups (PU) performance, and to build a regression model for SU and PU tests. One hundred apparently healthy adults (40 men and 60 women) served as the subjects for test validation. The subjects performed 60-second SU and PU tests. The variables analyzed via multiple regression included weight, height, BMI, hip and waist circumferences, WHR, skinfolds at the abdomen (SFAB), thigh (SFTH), and subscapularis (SFSS), and sex. An additional cohort of 40 subjects (17 men and 23 women) was used to cross-validate the regression models. Validity was confirmed by correlation and paired t-tests. The regression analysis yielded a four-variable (PU, height, SFAB, and SFTH) multiple regression equation for estimating SU (R2 = 0.64, SEE = 7.5 repetitions). For PU, only SU was loaded into the regression equation (R2 = 0.43, SEE = 9.4 repetitions). Thus, the variables in the regression models accounted for 64% and 43% of the variation in SU and PU, respectively. The cross-validation sample elicited a high correlation for SU (r = 0.87) and PU (r = 0.79) scores. Moreover, paired-samples t-tests revealed that there were no significant differences between actual and predicted SU and PU scores. Therefore, this study shows that there are a number of selected, health-related anthropometric variables that account significantly for, and are predictive of, SU and PU tests.