A Comparative Study of Conventional Exercise and Weight Training of College Women at Utah State University

Women are now making use of weight training for improving strength, flexibility and body contours. Most studies on weight training have used male subjects. This study compared the results of a conventional exercising program and a weight training program for reducing inches in the circumferences of the right upper arm, pectorals, waist, hips, and right thigh. The subjects were twenty-nine female students in figure control classes at Utah State University. The control group of sixteen subjects exercised in the conventional manner, and the experimental group of thirteen subjects exercised on the weight training machine. Subjects were asked not to change dietary habits nor engage in physical activity outside the exercise period. The subjects participated in six weeks of exercise meeting two days per week. The control group showed a decrease in the circumference of the right upper arm, the pectorals, the waist, and the right thigh, whereas the experimental group showed a decrease in the circumference of the right upper arm, the pectorals, the waist, and the hips. The largest circumference lost for the experimental group was the right upper arm. A gain was shown by the experimental group in the right thigh. Within the limits of this investigation it can be concluded that (a) circumference losses were attained by both the conventional and weight training methods; However, such losses were not sufficient to support one method over the other; (b) during regular exercising, a slight weight increase does not necessarily prevent a decrease in anthropometric measurements