Characteristics of women performing strength training: comparison of participants and dropouts.
The physiological, anthropometric, personality and lifestyle characteristics of 122 women volunteering for a seven-week program of heavy resistance weight training were studied relative to adherence rates. Initially, volunteers were above-average in body mass and grip strength, but were below-average in chest girth and bicristal diameter. They were also physically active and only 20% smoked. Regular (R) attenders (attendance greater than 80%; 72% of the sample) were physically smaller in terms of stature, mass, girths and dimensions, but had greater strength per kg of mass or LBM compared to participants classified as infrequent (I; 24-76%) and dropout (DO; less than 20%). Conversely, I and DO members were more likely to smoke, to smoke more heavily, to drink coffee and to not eat breakfast. Most dropouts quit during the first week; among volunteers who continued, differences in assigned training intensity had no effect on adherence. Adherence was also unrelated to strength gains, anthropometric adaptations, or injury.
Sidney
K
K
School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Jetté
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014891:Weight Lifting