Measure Of Upper Body Strength Research Articles

Effect of kettle bells and battle rope training on grip strength and body composition among university volleyball players

The current research is to examine the possible impacts of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) using battle ropes and kettlebells on body composition and grip strength. The aforementioned workout regimen's influence will be assessed by focusing on these two chosen variables, which are considered essential elements of interest. Existing research suggests that HIIT may have a beneficial effect on both body composition and grip strength, based on current hypotheses. The fundamental concept is that HIIT may induce favorable alterations in body composition, such as increases in lean muscle mass and reductions in body fat. This is due to its structure of brief intervals of very vigorous exercise followed by short periods of rest. HIIT has the ability to improve grip strength, which is an important measure of upper body strength and endurance. The experimental design facilitates the examination of many physical attributes by delivering pre- and post-tests to participants in both groups. The factors under investigation include grip strength (measured using handgrip dynamometers), and body composition (measured using skinfold callipers). The rationale behind our study involves the assessment of triceps strength as well as the strength of the left and right hand grips

Secular trends in health-related physical fitness among 11\u201314-year-old Croatian children and adolescents from 1999 to 2014

The main purpose of the study was to analyze secular trends of health-related physical fitness in 7–14-year-old Croatian children and adolescents from 1999 and 2014. In this observational cross-sectional study, we recruited 5077 children and adolescents between ages 11 and 14 (50.8% girls) from five primary schools located in the capital city of Zagreb. Physical fitness performance was tested from 1999 until 2014. Physical fitness performance included: (1) body-mass index (measure of body size), (2) standing broad jump (measure of lower-body power), (3) polygon backwards (measure of general coordination and agility), (4) sit-ups in 60 s (measure of upper-body strength), (5) sit-and-reach test (measure of flexibility) and (6) 6-min run test (measure of cardiorespiratory fitness). Boys performed better in all physical fitness tests, except for sit-and-reach test (p < 0.001). In boys, between 1999 and 2014, body size, upper-body strength and coordination/agility increased, while flexibility, lower-body power and cardiorespiratory fitness decreased. During the same period, girls experienced an increase in body size, lower-body power, upper-body strength, coordination/agility and flexibility, while cardiorespiratory fitness decreased. This study shows that cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility and coordination/agility decrease, while upper-body strength increases in both sexes. These findings should serve as an avenue for national monitoring system to screen and track biological development in children and adolescents.

Extent of aging across education and income subgroups in Thailand: Application of a characteristic-based age approach.

AimThis study aimed to identify differences in physical performance across various socioeconomic groups within an older population and to convert those differences into a common metric to facilitate comparisons of aging speed across socioeconomic subgroups.MethodsWe employed data from the 2009 National Health Examination Survey of Thailand. Physical performance was assessed using three health characteristics: grip strength, as a measure of upper body strength; walking speed, as a measure of lower body strength; and a combined measure of grip strength and walking speed, to capture the strength of the whole body. Education level and income were used to distinguish socioeconomic subpopulations. We followed a characteristic-based age approach to transform these population characteristics, which were measured in different units, into a common and comparable aging metric, referred to as α − age.ResultsPhysical aging trajectories varied by sex and socioeconomic status. Some education, particularly secondary or higher education levels, was significantly associated with greater physical strength in older age for both men and women, whereas higher income was significantly associated with physical strength only for men. Across the three health characteristics, having a primary education slowed age-related declines by up to 6.3 years among men and 2.8 years among women, whereas being in a higher income group slowed age-related declines by 8.2 years among men and up to 4.9 years among women.ConclusionsThis study adds new evidence from a developing Asian country regarding the difference in aging speeds across subpopulations associated with different levels of education and income.

The Anthropometric, Physiological, and Strength-Related Determinants of Handcycling 15-km Time-Trial Performance.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between selected anthropometric, physiological, and upper-body strength measures and 15-km handcycling time-trial (TT) performance. Thirteen trained H3/H4 male handcyclists performed a 15-km TT, graded exercise test, 15-second all-out sprint, and 1-repetition-maximum assessment of bench press and prone bench pull strength. Relationship between all variables was assessed using a Pearson correlation coefficient matrix with mean TT velocity representing the principal performance outcome. Power at a fixed blood lactate concentration of 4mmol·L-1 (r = .927; P < .01) showed an extremely large correlation with TT performance, whereas relative V˙O2peak (peak oxygen uptake) (r = .879; P < .01), power-to-mass ratio (r = .879; P < .01), peak aerobic power (r = .851; P < .01), gross mechanical efficiency (r = 733; P < .01), relative prone bench pull strength (r = .770; P = .03) relative bench press strength (r = .703; P = .11), and maximum anaerobic power (r = .678; P = .15) all demonstrated a very large correlation with performance outcomes. Findings of this study indicate that power at a fixed blood lactate concentration of 4mmol·L-1, relative V˙O2peak, power-to-mass ratio, peak aerobic power, gross mechanical efficiency, relative upper-body strength, and maximum anaerobic power are all significant determinants of 15-km TT performance in H3/H4 handcyclists.

Upper-Body Strength Measures and Pop-Up Performance of Stronger and Weaker Surfers.

Parsonage, J, Secomb, JL, Sheppard, JM, Ferrier, BK, Dowse, RA, and Nimphius, S. Upper-body strength measures and pop-up performance of stronger and weaker surfers. J Strength Cond Res 34(10): 2982-2989, 2020-The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of the isometric push-up (IPU), dynamic push-up (DPU), and force plate pop-up (FP POP) as measures of upper-body isometric and dynamic strength qualities in surfing athletes. Furthermore, the study aimed to compare pop-up performance between stronger and weaker surfers. Eighteen female (n = 9) and male (n = 9) surfers (age = 28.1 ± 6.4 years, mass = 69.6 ± 10.4 kg, and height = 172.5 ± 6.7 cm) completed a battery of upper-body strength assessments, of which exhibited high between-day reliability: IPU, (coefficient of variation [CV%] = 4.7, intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.96), DPU (CV% = 5.0, ICC = 0.90), and FP POP (CV% = 4.4, ICC = 0.90). Participants were subsequently split into stronger (n = 9) and weaker (n = 9) surfers based on normalized peak force (PF) attained in the IPU. Pop-up performance was measured both in the water and during the FP POP and was referred to as time to pop-up (TTP). Significant between-group differences were observed for normalized PF during IPU (d = 1.59, p < 0.01) and DPU (d = 0.94 p = 0.04). Although not significant, there was a large magnitude difference in FP POP (d = 0.80, p = 0.08) and FP TTP (d = 0.85, p = 0.07). Significant correlations were identified between normalized IPU PF and normalized DPU FP (r = 0.69, p = 0.03) and FP TTP (r = 0.73, p = 0.02) in the stronger group. The weaker group exhibited a significant inverse correlation between normalized IPU PF and in-water TTP (r = -0.77, p < 0.01). The results suggest improvements in pop-up performance may be elicited by improving dynamic strength for stronger surfers, whereas pop-up performance in weaker surfers may be elicited by improving maximum strength. The upper-body strength assessments provided a novel insight into strength qualities that are associated with in-water performance of surfers (TTP).

Efficacy of Bingocize®: A Game-Centered Mobile Application to Improve Physical and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults.

A significant barrier to improving the health and well-being of older adults is that they often do not adhere to health-promoting programs. The present study examined whether Bingocize®, a game-centered mobile app that can combine bingo with healthy activities such as exercise and/or health topic education, could (1) engender high rates of adherence among sedentary community-dwelling older adults, and (2) potentially improve aspects of physical and cognitive performance. Participants used the app for ∼1 hour, twice per week, for 10 weeks. Each using a tablet, they played the game in small social groups and were randomly assigned to either an Experimental (Bingo + Health Education + Exercise) or Control (Bingo + Health Education) group. Pre- and Postintervention assessments of (1) functional performance, (2) fluid cognition, and (3) knowledge of two health topics (osteoarthritis and fall risks) were administered. Adherence was high in both groups (>93% attendance), suggesting the app was popular and engaging. Two (Experimental/Control) × Two (Pre/Post) interactions were found for two domains of functional performance (Arm Curls, a measure of upper body strength; and Chair Stands, a measure of lower body strength) and one domain of cognition (updating, a component of executive functioning), such that the Experimental group improved more relative to the Control group. Both groups improved their knowledge of the health topics covered (all P < 0.05). Our findings suggest that the fun and interactive nature of Bingocize® engenders high levels of adherence to a health-promoting program in a difficult to serve population, serving as a conduit to potentially improve multiple aspects of quality of life for older adults.

Reliability and Sensitivity of the Power Push-up Test for Upper-Body Strength and Power in 6-15-Year-Old Male Athletes.

Gillen, ZM, Miramonti, AA, McKay, BD, Jenkins, NDM, Leutzinger, TJ, and Cramer, JT. Reliability and sensitivity of the power push-up test for upper-body strength and power in 6-15-year-old male athletes. J Strength Cond Res 32(1): 83-96, 2018-The power push-up (PPU) test is an explosive upper-body test performed on a force plate and is currently being used in high school football combines throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to quantify the reliability of the PPU test based on age and starting position (knees vs. toes) in young athletes. Sixty-eight boys (mean ± SD; age = 10.8 ± 2.0 years) were tested twice over 5 days. Boys were separated by age as 6-9 years (n = 16), 10-11 years (n = 26), and 12-15 years (n = 26). The PPU test was performed on a force plate while rotating from the knees vs. the toes. Measurements were peak force (PF, N), peak rate of force development (pRFD, N·s), average power (AP, W), and peak power (PP, W). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC2,1), SEMs, coefficients of variation (CVs), and minimum detectable changes (MDCs) were calculated to quantify reliability and sensitivity. Peak force from the knees in 10-15-year-olds, PF from the toes in 12-15-year-olds, and pRFD from the knees and toes in 12-15-year-olds were comparably reliable (ICC ≥ 0.84). Neither power measurements (AP or PP) for any age group, nor any measurements (PF, pRFD, AP, or PP) for the 6-9-year-olds were comparably reliable (ICC ≤ 0.74). When considering the reliable variables, PF was greater in the 12-15-year-olds than in 10-11-year-olds (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, in 12-15-year-olds, PF and pRFD were greater from the knees than from the toes (p ≤ 0.05). For reasons largely attributable to growth and development, the PPU test may be a reliable (ICC ≥ 0.80) and sensitive (CV ≤ 19%) measure of upper-body strength (PF), whereas pRFD was also reliable (ICC ≥ 0.80), but less sensitive (CV = 30-38%) in 10-15-year-old male athletes.

Effects of once-weekly shallow water aerobic exercise on functional performance in elderly women

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 24-week shallow-water aerobic exercise on functional performance in postmenopausal women. Thirty-seven women aged 60+ (mean age 67.2 ± 4.8 years) were self-selected to a water exercise group (n = 21) or to a comparison group (n = 16). The training consisted of a 24-week (60 min.day−1, 1 d.wk−1) supervised and guided exercise programme that included aerobic and strength training using an aquatic noodle in shallow water (1.2 m). Outcome measures were 30-s chair stand and 30-s arm curl tests, assessed at baseline and 24 weeks. Significant differences between groups were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. At 24 weeks there was a significantly (p < 0.05) greater improvement in measure of upper-body strength in the water exercise group. Arm curling improved by 15.8 versus 14.3% in the water exercise and comparison groups, respectively.

Physical strength, fighting ability, and aggressiveness in adolescents

Recent research suggests that evolutionary selection pressures have shaped mental mechanisms to be able to assess one's own and other's physical strength, fighting ability, and aggressiveness. According to the recalibrational theory, anger may be linked to fighting ability and serve as a bargaining mechanism to improve welfare obtained in social conflict. We hypothesized that late adolescent men (but not mid-adolescent men or women) use this mechanism, as it would be particularly adaptive for them to avoid potential costs from direct conflict in male competition. The present study investigated the relationship between fighting ability (estimated from handgrip strength [HGS], a measure of upper body strength, and self-reported fighting ability) and aggressiveness (physical and nonphysical) in 288 Spanish adolescents aged 14-18 years. Our results indicated a positive relationship between self-perceived fighting ability and HGS in both sexes during adolescence. There was no association between fighting ability and aggressiveness in late adolescent women (17-18 years). For men, there was a positive relationship between fighting ability and physical aggression, but the strength of this relationship decreased with age. Additionally, for men, there was a positive relationship between fighting ability and anger but only in late adolescence, and thus arguing that for adolescent men aggression strategies shift from physical to nonphysical as they age. With reference to the recalibrational theory of anger, our results suggest that the sex- and age-dependent associations between fighting ability and physical and nonphysical aggression indicate divergent adaptive skills between sexes, which are driven by intrasexual competition.

Effects of Resistance Training Duration on Muscular Strength Retention 6-Month Posttraining in Older Men and Women

Older individuals are at a greater risk for falling, and this risk has been linked to age-related declines in strength and balance. It has been demonstrated that older individuals can increase strength and function from properly designed, supervised training programs; however, little is known about the regressive effects of a detraining period in this participant population once the training intervention has ended. This study examined changes in strength 6 months after training following a 40- or 80-week supervised progressive resistance training program. Of the 25 men and 44 women (aged 55-75 years) who returned for testing 6 months after training, 38 had continued to exercise on their own (Ex) and 31 stopped training (NoEx). This represents 40.8% of the original 169 participants that were contacted. Individual measures of strength were averaged to represent a measure of mean upper body or lower body strength. Changes in mean 1RM (one repetition maximum) strength and percent changes in strength were analyzed for PRE (pretraining), POST (posttraining), and 6MP (6 months post) time points by mixed-factor ANOVAs (analyses of variance). Upper and lower body strengths were still significantly higher than baseline values, 6MP training for both groups. However, the longer-duration (80 week) training program provided a greater, although non-statistically significant, ability to maintain strength at higher levels at 6MP training compared to the strength values obtained at the end of the two different training periods. In addition, lower body strength was better maintained than measures of upper body strength independent of initial training duration. : This study confirms that older individuals can tolerate a progressive strength training program of significant duration and that older individuals may undergo a regression of strength at a similar pace to young individuals. Supervised strength training represents an efficacious intervention for improving strength in older adults with residual benefits lasting longer than previously expected.

Positional Physical Characteristics of Players Drafted Into the National Football League

To investigate the positional physical requirements necessary to be drafted into the National Football League (NFL), data from the annual NFL combine over the years 2005-2009 were examined. Only those players invited to the combine and subsequently drafted in the same year (n = 1,136) were included in the study. Data from 8 combine physical performance tests were examined for 15 positions. Combine measures evaluated for the center, cornerback, defensive end, defensive tackle, free safety, fullback, inside linebacker, offensive guard, offensive tackle, outside linebacker, quarterback, running back, strong safety, tight end, and wide receiver positions were the 9.1-, 18.3-, and 36.6-m sprints, the vertical and broad jumps, the 18.3-m shuttle run, the 3-cone drill, and the 102.1-kg bench press for maximum repetitions and, from this, a predicted measure of 1 repetition maximum. A 1-way analysis of variance detected differences in all 9 performance measures (p < 0.01). Post hoc independent t-tests indicated that over most tests many positions exhibited outcomes significantly different from most other positions. Generally, lineman positions performed inferiorly in sprint, jump and change-of-direction ability measures and superiorly in the upper body strength measures. Conversely, defensive back positions were the worst performers in the upper body strength test, and wide receivers and defensive backs were the best performers in all other measures. In general, offensive and defensive positions that commonly compete directly against one another display similar physical characteristics. Any advantages (statistically significant and not) between positions in direct competition were consistently in favor of defensive positions. The results of the present research present position-specific profiles for each of 15 positions. Coaches and practitioners will be able to use the findings of this research to better prepare athletes for entry into the NFL.

Upper-Body Strength and Power Changes During a Football Season

There are different football codes played around the world, and most of them involve contact and collision during competition. Upper-body strength and power are important for success in American football, rugby league, rugby union, and Australian football. The goal of the preseason conditioning program is usually to maximize muscular fitness before the competitive season. The in-season program is usually intended to maintain the preseason gains, but it is unclear as to whether the preseason levels of upper-body strength and power can be maintained or even increased during the in-season. The aims of this review were to investigate and identify any general trends in the training programs and results of football studies that have monitored levels of upper-body strength and power preseason, in-season, or postseason. Six studies were identified: 4 involved American college football and the other 2 involved rugby codes and included professional athletes. For most studies, resistance training was conducted 4 times per week preseason and reduced to 2 times per week in-season. The bench press exercise was used as the measure of upper-body strength, and only one of the rugby studies measured upper-body power and used bench press throws. It was found that upper-body strength or power could be maintained or even increased past the mid-season point, but this may be dependent on age, football code, and level of play. At the end of the season, decreases were starting to be reported but only for 2 studies. Surprisingly, an increase in strength was reported postseason for college rugby league players. From the available information, it seems that an in-season periodized program that includes high-intensity resistance training may optimize strength and power ability during the in-season, but more research is required that compares the effectiveness of conditioning programs with varying combinations of training variables.

Validity and Reliability of the Medicine Ball Throw for Kindergarten Children

The purpose of this study was to establish validity and reliability evidence for the medicine ball throw test for kindergarten students, an underrepresented group in the literature. The subjects were 105 students, 5-7 years old, BMI 17.44 +/- 3.17 kg x m(-2), 43% female and 57% male. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to examine reliability, and Pearson correlation coefficients and a paired t-test were used to examine validity. To accomplish this, the kindergarten students completed the medicine ball throw test on two different days and the modified pull-up test, the "criterion" measure, on another day. For the medicine ball throw, each student sat on the floor before throwing the medicine ball forward like a chest pass three times. The medicine ball throw was highly reliable both within 1 day (ICCs = 0.93 and 0.94 for day 1 and day 2, respectively) and across 2 days (ICC = 0.88), with all reliability estimates over the acceptable level of 0.80. The medicine ball throw scores were positively related with height (r = 0.34) and weight (r = 0.34), and there was a significant difference between the 5-year-old group (mean +/- SD; 111.78 +/- 34.93) and the 6-year-old group (135.60 +/- 39.77), t = -3.23, p = 0.002, which supports correlational and known-difference evidence of validity for the medicine ball throw test. Even though no correlation was found between the medicine ball throw test and the modified pull-up test, r = -0.04, other forms of validity evidence (i.e., known-difference and correlational) were apparent. In conclusion, the medicine ball throw test seems to be a valid and reliable measure of upper-body strength for kindergarten children.

Gender Bias in Jumping Kinetics in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Basketball Players

The purposes of this study are to examine gender differences in the contribution of the arm swing to jump height in men and women basketball players and to examine the role of upper-body strength in the contribution of arm swing to jump height. National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I basketball players (men n = 13, women n = 12) performed 4 jumping movements: squat jumps with hands on hips (SNA) and with arm swings (SA) and countermovement jumps with hands on hips and with arm swings (CMA). Differences were found between the jump heights of men and women. Use of the arms increased the jump height of men more than women. Compared with the SNA, the SA allowed an increase of 7 cm (23%) for men and 4 cm (17%) for women. The CMA allowed for an increase of 10 cm (30%) for men and 6 cm (24%) for women. General upper-body strength measures did not correlate strongly with the effect of arms on jumping, but peak power did. As in previous studies, peak power had a high correlation with jumping performance. These results show that the arm swing contributes significantly to jump performance in both men and women basketball players and that strength training for jumping should focus on power production and lifting exercises that are jump specific.

Strength Gains May Alter Absolute and Relative Muscle Endurance in College Football Players

Some college football teams have shifted emphasis from a one-repetition maximum (1-RM) bench press as a measure of upper body strength to a submaximal load, multi-repetition test. Key to this procedure is the choice of submaximal load which centers around an absolute (AW) or relative weight (RW) and the number of repetitions (REPS) completed with each. PURPOSE: to evaluate the effect of strength changes on absolute and relative muscular endurance after resistance training. METHODS: Fifty-eight NCAA Division II football players (age = 19.5±1.2 yrs; ht = 184.3 ± 6.9 cm; wt = 104.4 kg) were measured before and after 10 weeks on a winter conditioning program for 1-RM, REPS with a RW (60, 70, 80 and 90% 1-RM), and an AW (185 lbs for players with 1-RM <275 (LW, n = 23) and 225 lbs for players with 1-RM≥275 (HW, n = 35)). Tests were randomly performed on different days. RESULTS: Twelve players shifted from the LW group to the HW group following training. The HW group produced significantly fewer REPS than the LW group at 70% and 90% before training and at 60, 80, and 90% after training. The correlations between 1 -RM and REPS at each RW were moderate but significant at both the pre-training (r<-0.22) and post-training measurements (r<-0.32). The correlation between pre-training AW REPS and 1-RM was slightly higher for HW (r = 0.86) than for LW (r = 0.81). The correlation between AW REPS and 1-RM after training decreased slightly forHW(r = 0.81) but significantly for LW (r = 0.48). AW REPS increased significantly between pre-training and post-training for bothLW (9.2 ± 2.8 vs 12.4 ± 2.2) and HW (12.3 ± 3.6 vs 14.0 ± 3.6). The gain in 1-RM was significantly correlated with the change in AW REPS for LW (r = 0.72) and HW (r = 0.38). The gain in 1-RM was not significantly correlated with RW REPS at 60% (r =0.04), 70% (r = 0.12), or 80% (r = −0.13) but was significantly correlated at 90% (r = −0.27). CONCLUSIONS: Strength gains following heavy resistance training may alter the relationships between maximal strength and both absolute and relative muscle endurance at heavy loads. The relationship between maximal strength and moderate-load muscle endurance appears to be unaltered in college football players.

Validity of Self-assessed Physical Fitness

This study compared self-ratings of components of physical fitness with objective measures of physical fitness. We made comparisons in two groups of male infantry soldiers (n = 96 and n = 276) and one group of older male military officers (n = 241). To obtain self-ratings of physical fitness, we asked subjects, "Compared to others of your age and sex, how would you rate your (a) endurance, (b) sprint speed, (c) strength, (d) flexibility?" Subjects responded to each of the four questions on a five-point scale. Self-ratings of endurance were systematically related to three measures of aerobic capacity, including VO2max, peak VO2, and two-mile run time (r = 0.29 to 0.53). Self-ratings of sprint speed showed only weak relationships to measures of anaerobic capacity assessed by the Wingate test, push-ups, and sit-ups (r = 0.10 to 0.17). Strength ratings were systematically related to measures of maximal strength (r = 0.28 to 0.53). Upper body strength measures were more closely associated with the self-ratings of strength than were measures of lower body strength. Responses to the flexibility question were systematically related to measures of hip/low back flexibility (r = 0.30 and 0.48) but not to other measures of flexibility. Apparently, physically active subjects can approximately classify their aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and some types of flexibility.

A Field Test for Upper Body Strength and Endurance

Abstract Historically, a measure of upper body strength and endurance has been included in fitness test batteries that are typically administered in the school setting. Pull-ups, or some modified form of pull-ups, have been the most popular test item used for the measurement of upper body strength and endurance. Despite the widespread usage of pull-ups, the test has often been criticized because of the large number of zero scores and the subsequent loss of discrimination among ability levels (Jackson & Griffin, 1983). The inability to achieve a score is perceived as failure on the part of the student.

Push-ups As a Measure of Upper Body Strength

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using push-ups to predict one-repetition maximum (1 RM) concentric bench press performance. College males (n = 106 enrolled in a basic fitness course were evaluated for a 1 RM bench press with free weights and for maximum one-minute push-up performance. Push-ups were adjusted for body height (PU·cm), body mass (PU·kg), lean body mass (PU·kg LBM) and height and body mass (PU·cm·kg·100−1). Push-ups were only moderately related (r = 0.47) to bench press. The correlations between adjusted push-ups and bench press were r = 0.49 (PU·cm), r = 0.71(PU·kg), r = 0.65 (PU·kg LBM) and r = 0.71 (PU·cm·kg·100−1). Cross-validation (n = 53) of the prediction equation developed from the original sample (PU·kg) and the equation proposed by Dean et al. were moderately successful (r = 0.70 for both). However, the standard errors of estimate were ± 15.7 kg for each equation, although the Dean et al. equation significantly overestimated bench press performance. Because of the large error noted when predicting 1 RM bench press, push-ups are not an accurate reflection of upper body strength in young males.

Push-ups As a Measure of Upper Body Strength

Push-ups As a Measure of Upper Body Strength