Flexibility Characteristics among Athletes Who Weight Train

Many people believe that weight training decreases flexibility. Because of the popularity of weight training today, there are difference types of programs to develop strength, endurance and bulk. There is a need to know more about various weight-training programs and their possible effects on flexibility. The purpose of this ex-post facto study was to compare right shoulder and elbow flexibility in male bodybuilders, college football players, students from an overload conditioning class, olympic-style lifters and students from a control group. All subjects were male volunteers in excellent health. The bodybuilders were members of three weight-training clubs in one county. The football players were both starters and nonstarters from an NAIA college, while the students from an elective overlad conditioning class were involved in a basic weight-training program twice a week and also jogged once or twice a week. The olympic-style lifters were members of the teams involved in any weight-training program and had not been involved for the previous six months. Circumference measurements of the subjects were taken at the right shoulder, upper arm, forearm and chest, and subjects performed the following flexibility tests: right shoulder joint flexion, shouolder joint hyperextension, shoulder joint horizontal flexion, shoulder joint horizontal extension and elbow joint flexion. All measurements were made with a protractor-type goniometer. Percent body fat was estimated from generalized equaltions. Significant differences existed on the five flexibility measurments. Further analyses reveled that the olympic-style lifters and the other groups on all measurements. Finally, selected muscle girths, skinfolds and percent fat were not good predictors of right shoulder and elbow flexibility.

Many people believe that weight training decreases flexibility. Because of the popularity of weight training today, there are difference types of programs to develop strength, endurance and bulk. There is a need to know more about various weight-training programs and their possible effects on flexibility. The purpose of this ex-post facto study was to compare right shoulder and elbow flexibility in male bodybuilders, college football players, students from an overload conditioning class, olympic-style lifters and students from a control group. All subjects were male volunteers in excellent health. The bodybuilders were members of three weight-training clubs in one county. The football players were both starters and nonstarters from an NAIA college, while the students from an elective overlad conditioning class were involved in a basic weight-training program twice a week and also jogged once or twice a week. The olympic-style lifters were members of the teams involved in any weight-training program and had not been involved for the previous six months. Circumference measurements of the subjects were taken at the right shoulder, upper arm, forearm and chest, and subjects performed the following flexibility tests: right shoulder joint flexion, shouolder joint hyperextension, shoulder joint horizontal flexion, shoulder joint horizontal extension and elbow joint flexion. All measurements were made with a protractor-type goniometer. Percent body fat was estimated from generalized equaltions. Significant differences existed on the five flexibility measurments. Further analyses reveled that the olympic-style lifters and the other groups on all measurements. Finally, selected muscle girths, skinfolds and percent fat were not good predictors of right shoulder and elbow flexibility.