The Effects of a Strength Training Program on the Strength and Self-Concept of Two Female Age Groups

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a strength training program on strength and self-concept in young and mature women. Forty-three subjects participated in a 12-week program of progressive weight training while 42 control subjects maintained their sedentary lifestyles. Subjects completed a psychological inventory prior to strength assessments during the first week of the study. Subjects were divided by age and randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. The mean age of the mature women and the young women were 44.4 and 21.5 years, respectively. The mature experimental (ME) and young experimental (YE) groups showed significant (p <.01) increases in strength on bench press, pulldown, and leg press as compared to the mature control (MC) and young control (YC) groups. Gains for the experimental groups ranged from 13 to 31% compared to gains of 0 to 8% for the control groups. Strength gains were similar across age groups except that the ME group gained more leg strength than the YE group. The experimental groups showed significant (p < .01) improvements on physical self, self-satisfaction, and global self-concept scores compared to the control groups in which there was no significant change. The magnitude of self-concept change was the same for the ME and YE groups, indicating that this strength program had similar effects on self-esteem regardless of age. The results of this study agree with the literature indicating that strength training in fitness programs for healthy mature women can result in increased levels of strength and can positively affect self-concept.