Effect of Resistance Training on Health- Related Physical Fitness Components of Dilla University Sport Science Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of resistance training on health-related physical fitness components.  The study employed experimental research design. Thirty Dilla University third year sport science students were taken with experimental and control group and divided randomly into two equal groups. Both the exercise group (experimental group, n = 15) and control group (controlled group, n = 15) had taken pre- and post-testing of 3-minute step test, push-up and sit-up test, sit and reach test and shoulder flexibility test, and navy method to assess cardio-respiratory fitness, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition respectively. Only experimental group participated in additional eight weeks resistance training interventions. The data collected from the study subject were analyzed using SPSS version 25 software by using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (paired t-test and independent t-test) with level of significant 0.05. The results showed that resistance training significantly improved the stated variables muscular endurance and body composition but not cardio-respiratory fitness and flexibility in experimental group at (p<0.05). Furthermore, no more significant differences were found in all of the variables in controlled group (p>0.05). Based on this finding, it can be concluded that resistance training has positive impact on improvement of muscular endurance and body composition variables. But resistance training has poor relationship with cardio-respiratory fitness and flexibility.