Impact of Resistance Training on Agility among Female Volleyball Players

Abstract

The current experimental research study investigated the impact of resistance training on agility of female volleyball players. Total 40 female volleyball players were selected purposively from Government College for Women Township Lahore (GCWT) and University of the Punjab aged between 18-24 years. The participants followed 8-week resistance training program four days a week, following volleyball practice, and they gradually increased the intensity of the training from 60% to 80% of 1RM. The standardized T-test agility protocol was used to evaluate agility performance before and after the intervention. The data was analyzed descriptively, normality test (shapiro Wilk) and paired sample t-test. Both pre-test agility (W = .972, p = .384) and post-test agility (W = .979, p = .612) scores were normally distributed as evidenced by the results. There was a significant improvement in the mean agility score from 19.09 seconds pre-test to 17.71 seconds post-test, suggesting an improvement in agility performance after the training intervention. Additionally, the paired sample t-test showed that the difference between the pre-test and post-test scores was statistically significant, t(39) = 34.91, p < .001. The results indicate that resistance training has a significant effect on agility in volleyball players, which may be attributed to the improvement of lower body strength, coordination, balance and neuromuscular efficiency. Thus, resistance training can be recommended as an effective approach to enhance agility and overall athletic performance of female volleyball players.