FREE WEIGHTS TRAINING AND IMPACT ON SELECTED PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE VARIABLES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ONDO, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The advent in technology makes people to spend less time doing physical work while incidence of sedentariness and musculoskeletal disorders increases rapidly. Since school students enjoy screen-based activities which is sedentariness, free weights training has the potentials of accommodating such personalities while training the body. Physical performance variables include: arm strength (AS), arm power (AP) and lower back flexibility (LBF) and are required in carrying out daily activities. The pretest-posttest control group quasi experimental design was used. Eighty participants (forty males and forty females) selected from two secondary schools in Ondo town were randomly assigned to free weights training (FWT) and control groups. The treatment lasted for twelve (12) weeks. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency count and percentages as well Analysis of Covariance to test the hypotheses at.05 level of significance. There were significant main effects of treatment on the physical fitness variables of AS (F_(1,77)=136.526;P<.05;η2=.639)>< 0.5;ŋ²= 639)  AP(_F(1,77)=178.091;P<.05; ŋ² = 698) and LBF (_F(1,77)= 294.186;P<.05;η2=.793).> <.05 ŋ² = 793). The FWT was potent at improving physical fitness variables; AS, AP and F of secondary school students. Therefore, the youth should engage in FWT for health benefits and improved physical fitness regardless of their stature.