Design and implementation of the La Crosse Circuit Weight Training Program

The purpose of this investigation was to design and implement a strength training program, which would supplement the current running routine, for participants in the Adult Fitness Unit of the La Crosse Exercise Program. Forty-four volunteers from the Adult Fitness served as subjects, with 19 men and 4 women successfully completing the CWT program, and 17 men and 4 women serving as control subjects. During the eight week training period, subjects worked out three times a week at the conclusion of their run. They completed one circuit of 10 exercises, performing as many repetitions as possible in a 25 or 30 second work period, using 40-60 percent of their 1 RM for each exercise station. An independent paired t-test was used to determine if there were significant differences between the control and experimental groups at the start of the investigation for age, height, weight, daily running mileage, bench press strength, leg press strength, sit-ups, grip strength, and push-ups. A significant difference existed in only one variable, that being daily running mileage, between all groups at the start of the study. A dependent paired t-test was employed to analyze significant changes between pre and post-test data for bench press strength, leg press strength, sit-ups, grip strength, and push-ups. The experimental group of men had significant increases of 12 .8, 13.0, 24.0, 7.0 and 57.1 percent for those five measures, respectively. The experimental group of women had significant improvement of 23.7, 40.0, and 10.2 percent for leg press strength, sit-ups, grip strength. Bench press strength and push-ups were significant at p < .1 and p < .05 respectively. It was concluded that circuit weight training, as used in this study, is an effective weight training method and can be expected to produce significant increases muscular strength and endurance