Abstract

The efficacy of a 10-week program of circuit weight training was evaluated ina group of men (n = 16) and a group of women (n = 12), with an additionalgroup of men (n = 10) and a group of women (n = 11) serving as controls. Thecircuit consisted of 10 stations performed on a Universal Gym, 3 circuits perday ( 22.5 min/day), 3 days/week. The subjects exercised at 40-55 of 1-RM,executing as many repetions as possible in 30 sec. on each of the lifts,followed by a 15 sec. rest as the subject moved to the next station. Followingthe training program, the experimental groups demonstrated significant increases in lean body weight, flexed biceps girth, treadmill endurance time, VEmax(women only), V02 max in ml/kg.min (women only), flexibility and strength.Significant decreases were found in selected skinfold measurements, and inresting heart rate. No change was found in body weight or in relative or absolute body fat. Generally, the women exhibited equal or greater changes whencompared to the men for all variables assessed, which could be a function oftheir lower initial starting levels, or a more intense training program. Itwas concluded that circuit weight training is a good general conditioningactivity, i.e., attends to more than one component of fitness. Verf.-Referat (gekuerzt)