A Comparison of Muscular Strength, Power, and Endurance Between CrossFit and Traditional Weight Training Classes

Body Composition

Height (Stadiometer)

Height will be assessed with a Stadiometer to the nearest 0.1 cm.

•             Instruct participant to remove shoes & socks.

•             Participants should stand w/heels together; heels must be resting against the tower.

•             Instruct participant to stand straight & look ahead. Their head cannot be tilted forward  or backwards.

•             Lower the indicator so it rests on top of the participant’s head.

•             When recording participant’s height, use the measurement on the left side of the tower facing the front (measuring in cm). If the indicator is between two lines, then round down. (Feel free to give the participant their height in feet and inches if they want it.)

•             Height should be recorded to the nearest 0.1 cm and entered as [# of whole cm] [decimal place] [ # of lines above whole cm], e.g., 177.8cm

Weight, circumference, body fat % (Tanita)

The Tanita 300 digital bioelectrical impedance/weight scale will be used to estimate %BF, fat mass, muscle mass, and weight (to the nearest 0.1 kg).

•             To ensure accuracy, readings should be taken with minimal clothing on (preferably shorts and a t-shirt). Always instruct subject to remove socks, and be sure the soles of the feet are clean before stepping on the measuring platform.

•             Be sure that the heels are correctly aligned with the electrodes on the measuring platform. Don’t worry if the feet appear too large for the unit, accurate readings can still be obtained if the toes overhang the platform.

•             While readings taken under other conditions may not have the same absolute values, they are accurate for determining the percentage of change as long as the readings are taken in a consistent manner.

•             Turn Tanita scale on, enter participant information (height, gender, age) and put in 0.9 kg (2 lb) for clothing.

•             Measure in “standard” and “athletic” modes, you will record both on the data collection sheet.

•             Record the following: Weight (kg), Fat %, Fat Mass (kg), and FFM (kg) for both “standard” and “athletic”.

•             BMI is listed but will be calculated, you do NOT need to record this measure.

•             Record TIME OF LAST MEAL.

Fitness Testing

Vertical jump (Vertec)

•             The tester will adjust the height of the stack of movable color-coded horizontal plastic vanes to be within the subject’s standing reach height. The highest vane that can be reached and pushed forward with the dominant hand while the subject stands flat-footed determines the standing reach height.

•             The vane stack is then raised by a measured distance (marked on the shaft holding the vanes) so that the athlete will not jump higher or lower than the set of vanes. This requires a rough estimate of how high the particular subject will jump, but a correction can be made on the second attempt if necessary.

•             Without a preparatory or stutter step, the subject performs a countermovement by quickly flexing the knees and hips, moving the trunk forward and downward, and swinging the arms backward. During the jump, the dominant arm reaches upward while the non-dominant arm moves downward relative to the body.

•             At the highest point in the jump, the subject taps the highest possible vane with the fingers of the dominant hand. The score is the vertical distance between the height of the highest vane tapped during the standing vertical reach and the vane tapped at the highest point of the jump. Record the total jump height, we will calculate the difference between the reach height and jump height later.

•             The best of three trials is recorded to the nearest 0.5 inches (the distance between adjacent vanes).

Grip strength - hand dynamometer

•             Grip strength will be measured using a Hand Dynamometer with participant seated, their elbow by their side and flexed to a right angle, and a neutral wrist position, the dynamometer handle position “6” and provision of support underneath the dynamometer.

•             The participant will complete three attempts with 30 seconds in between each attempt. Three attempts will be completed for both hands, note which is the subject’s dominant hand on the data collection sheet.

 

 Muscular Endurance – push-up test

•             The push up test is administered with men starting in the standard “down” position (hands pointing forward and under the shoulder, back straight, head up, using the toes as the pivotal point) and women in the modified “knee push-up” position, (legs together, lower leg in contact with mat with ankles plantar-flexed, back straight, hands shoulder width apart, head up, using knees as the pivotal point.

•             The subject must raise the body by straightening the elbows and return to the “down” position, until the chin touches the mat. The stomach should not touch the mat.

•             For both men and women, the subject’s back must be straight at all times and the subject must push up to a straight arm position.

•             The maximal number of push-ups performed consecutively without rest in 2 minutes is counted as the score.

•             The test is stopped when the subject strains forcibly or is unable to maintain the appropriate technique within two repetitions. The only rest position allowed is in the upright (arms fully extended) position.

Muscular Endurance – squat test

·                     Participants are to complete as many body weight squat repetitions as possible within one minute.

·                     Participants must touch their buttocks to a 9kg medicine ball underneath for a repetition to be counted.

·                     Participants may place their hands wherever they feel comfortable (ie: overhead, in front, down).