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Comparisons of Upper Body
Strength in High School Females
Renee Tredo
Emporia State University
April 30, 2004
Introduction
Strength gains as a result of strength training are
directly related to type of muscle physiology,
gender and training program. Positive effects of
strength training include an increase in muscle
mass and strength as well as a reduction in body
fat (Wells, 1991). Women are now becoming
more interested in strength training. Three
factors that affect strength gaining potential
include: genetics, gender and type of training
program (Fahey, 2000).
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to determine
the impact of three different upper body
(chest) exercises, on muscular strength in
women.
Hypothesis
There is a difference in strength
training with dumbbells, push-ups
and bench press in upper body
strength gains for high school
females.
Review of Literature
Numerous factors including muscle physiology, gender
and training programs play a direct role in the outcome of
strength gain during training. This is imperative to take
into consideration when designing a successful strength
training program to achieve maximum benefit for the
individual. The following slides will show the important
factors that can effect a women’s ability to gain strength.
Muscle Physiology


The ultimate goal of a strength
training program is to improve the
physiological function of the
muscle.
Factors that affect the amount of
force a muscle can generate are:




Motor units
Muscle fiber types
Neurological adaptations
Hypertrophy
Genetic Factors


Genetics determine the number of muscle
fibers and fiber types within each muscle
in the body.
Genetics are responsible for how well the
nervous system coordinates muscle
function, bone size and overall body
length.
Gender Facts





Skeletal muscle is identical in all humans. Male versus
female muscle tissue does not differ physiologically.
Fiber type percentage of slow and fast fibers is equally
distributed in both sexes (Exercise Physiology, 1997).
Gross measures of upper
VS.body strength show males with
40-50% more strength then females.
Men and Women gain strength at the same rate (Fahey,
2000).
Strength improves as muscle mass increases with age.


Women’s peak muscle mass is between ages 16-20 year old.
Man’s peak muscle mass is between ages 18-25 years old.
Gender Facts
In a study comparing gender differences in
strength gains among swimmers and untrained
subjects findings suggest that gender differences
in muscular strength and equally trained men
and women were almost entirely accounted for
by differences in muscle mass (Wells, 1991).
Weight Training

Benefits of weight training:








Improved appearance
Increase in strength and power
Improvement in sports performance
Enhanced self image
Increased metabolism
Decreased blood pressure
Improved body composition
Competitive outlet
Designing a Weight Program


3 important words to remember when
designing a weight training program are:
Frequency, Intensity and Time (FIT).
How long one works out
Incorporate
“FIT”
intoone
yourworks
workout
How
hard
outto
How
often
out.
achieve significant strength gains.
TIME
INTENSITY
FREQUENCY
Overtraining
is an
imbalance
between
training and
ToOvertraining
reduce
the
risk
of
overtraining,
recovery (ExRx, 2003).
Symptoms for afewest
serious casesets
are: and exercises
complete
Impaired immune function
necessary
to reach the objective
Depression
Stress fractures
should
beofperformed
(ExRx, 2003).
Suppression
reproductive hormones







Symptoms for a mild case are:



Fatigue
Depressed performance
Muscle stiffness
Strength Exercises For The Chest

Muscles
press weight
develops
Bench
Press- the
the Bench
most popular
training
Pectoralis
major
exercise for the chest
region.
Deltoid
Triceps brachius
Strength Exercises For The Chest


Dumbbell press is almost
the identical motion used
with the bench press and
works the same muscles.
Muscles it develops



Pectoralis major
Deltoid
Triceps brachius
Strength Exercises For The Chest


Push-ups build the chest, shoulders and arms without
the use of weights.
Three different ways to perform the push-up



From the Knees- supported from the knees and hands
Full-body-supported from the feet and hands
Elevated on a bench- supported from the knees and hands
Participants






33 female high school students
Enrolled in physical education
Ages from 15 to 18 years old
11 girls performed the dumbbell press
11 girls performed push-ups
11 girls performed bench press
Procedure
At
To the
find outset
a startingthe students were
point all the what the study entailed
instructed
participants
and
their expectations.

performed a one max
bench press which
would determine their
workout weight.
Procedure

Each group performed their specific exercise
twice a week and used 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
GROUP
GROUP
GROUP321
Bench
Push-Ups
Press
Dumbbell
Press
3 varying
80%
60%
of theirlevels
bench max
Procedure

A second max test, identical to the first was
completed four weeks after the start of the
program.

Two Reasons for this max test:



Girls to adjust their workout weight
Check to see if there had been progress
A final max test was completed after 8 weeks.
Results
A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to
calculate the statistics (see Table 1). Since the F value is
statistically significant of p=.05 or less, there is a
significant difference between the three groups.
Table 1: One-Way ANOVA
F Ratio
11.5461
Probability of F
.0002
Results
Each group improved their max by an average of ten pounds
or more. The mean represents the average the groups
improved as a whole on their bench press max and the
standard deviation represents the individual scores and how
they vary around the mean (see Table 2).
Table 2- Mean and Standard Deviation
Groups
Mean
Standard Deviation
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
10.00
12.73
19.55
4.47
4.87
5.22
Discussion
The hypothesis was proven and supported by the ANOVA
results. There is a difference in strength training with
dumbbells, push-ups and bench press in upper body
strength gains for high school females. This is consistent
with research previously completed on the individual
exercises used in this study. However, non-controlled
factors may have influenced the overall results in strength
gain.
Discussion



The bench press proved to provide the largest overall increase in
strength gain.
Why?
 May be due to the workout intensity
 Bench Press lifted 80% of their bench max while the dumbbell
group lifted 50-60% of their bench max.
 May have affected their bench press max since the intensity was
at a lower level.
In the end the bench group averaged an increase of 19.5
pounds in upper body strength while the dumbbell group gained
an average of 10.00 pounds.
Discussion



The push-up group’s increased upper body strength indexed in the
middle of the three tested exercises at 12.7 pounds.
Therefore a portion of the strength increase may have resulted due
to lack of prior muscle training on the chest using a weight bearing
exercise.
Why?




The majority of participants do not lift weights on a regular basis
The other two groups participants were from a weight training class
The most significant changes in a workout happen in the first few
months of a training program (Claps, 2002).
Therefore a portion of the strength increase may have resulted due
to lack of prior muscle training on the chest using a weight bearing
exercise.
Discussion


Women tend to lack upper body strength and many do
not like lifting heavy weights to increase their strength
(Wells, 1991).
After the study the participants shared their opinion on
their exercise.



The push-up group was excited to see the large strength gain
achieved and plan to incorporate push-ups as their chest
workout.
The dumbbell press group liked the overall workout, but
preferred the sturdiness of a bar between the weight while
working out their chest.
The bench press group was satisfied with their workout and
continued to use this as their choice of chest exercise.
Discussion
Each exercise showed a significant strength gain in the
eight week study proving each is beneficial for gaining
upper body strength. Lifting heavy weights is not
necessary to see a significant increase. This enables
women to have more alternatives when choosing
strengthening workouts for their upper body.
Summary




Muscle physiology, genetics and gender play a role
in the ability to gain strength.
Women need to weight train for their upper body.
Many lifts commonly used are to challenging for
women.
Further research is needed to develop alternative
chest exercises based on women’s muscle
physiology to make strengthening their upper body
more enjoyable and more beneficial.
References
Boubin, M. (1996). Should women train like men? Yes. Joe Weider’s Muscle and
Fitness, 57, 78-81.
Clapps, F. (2002). Women: One or more sets? Joe Weider’s Muscle and Fitness,
63, 38.
Cucina, I., & McCahan, B. (2003). Comparison of the modified push-up and the full
Body push-up for college-age women. Research Quarterly for Exercise and
Sport, 74, 5.
Duffy, M. (1999, June, 13). Making workouts fit the strengths of girls. New York Times,
Late edition, 15-21.
Exercise Physiology: The methods and mechanisms underlying performance (1997).
Retrieved May 27, 2003, from http://home.hia.no/~stephens/exphys.htm
References
ExRx: a resource for the exercise professional, coach or fitness enthusiast (2003).
Retrieved May 27, 2003, from http://www.exrx.net
Fahey, Thomas D. (2000). Basic weight training for men and women (4th
edition). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Garrett, W.E., Jr., Kirkendall, D.T. (Eds.). (2000). Exercise and sport science.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Halem, D. (2002). Pump up with push-ups. Joe Weiders Muscle & Fitness, 63,
116- 122.
Kraemer, W., Ratamess, N., Fry, A., Triplett-McBride, T., Koziris, L., Bauer, J., et
al. (2000). Influence of resistance training volume and periodization on
physiological and performance adapatations in collegiate women tennis
players. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 28, 626-643.
References
Landin, D., Nelson, A., Jameson, J., & LeBlanc, D. (2003). Comparing the
relative effects of four training regimens on strength development.
Research Quarterly For Exercise and Sport, 74, 8-10.
Lear, John (1983). The powerlifters manual. East Ardley, Wakefield: EP
Publishing Ltd.
The weight lifting encyclopedia (WLE) (1999). Retrieved May 27, 2003, from
http://www.wlinfo.com
Wells, Christine L. (1991). Women, sport, & performance: A physiological
perspective (second edition). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics
Wilmore, J.H., and Costill, D.L. (1999). Physiology of sport and exercise (2nd
edition). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics