THE EFFECTS OF INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED PROGRAMS OF PHYSICAL TRAINING BASED ON US ARMY STANDARDS ON MOTOR ABILITIES OF SLOVENE ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL

Adequate physical readiness is a significant aspect of universal armed forces readiness and an integral part of military support. The aim of this research was to ascertain the effect of a training program, based on individually adapted intensity levels, on motor abilities of the Slovene armed forces (SV) personnel. The sample of subjects in-cluded 34 members of SV (16 in the experimental group – ES, and 18 in the control group – KS), aged between 35 and 40. Results have been processed by the SPSS 8.0 for Windows program. Data processing was carried out in several phases. First, the basic statistical characteristics and the distribution of individual variables have been determined, the measures of central tendency and the measures of dispersion have been calculated and a method for the analysis of variance with 5 % risk has been used. The results have shown that a characteristic enhancement of certain motor abilities of the sample studied can be improved by means of training process economisation and individually adapted training intensity levels. Statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups were found in measurements of body fat (KG), push-ups (SK), curl-ups (DT), a 3200 meter run (T3200M) and the morning heart beat frequency (FSUs). Although the research sample was small, these studies, at least in theory support the need for future research in these areas, as our evidence strongly suggests the effectiveness of individually designed training protocols on the physical readiness of Slovenian armed personnel