S.N. Rychkov, candidate. Omsk state medical academy, Omsk

 

Key words: physical qualities, strength, strength endurance, static endurance, individual approach, physical training.

On the one hand, the issue of estimation of the level of development of physical qualities is rather well studied. There are many effective tests convenient in use. But it refers only to sports training, but the situation is quite different in physical culture of higher vocational training.

The sample physical education curriculum for higher educational institutions of 1994 [7] contained control tests to determine the level of development of physical culture not always corresponding to the qualities. While standard tests do not take into account the individual features of physical development, the standards are the same for students with different height, body weight and physical fitness. It is most clearly seen in strength fitness tests. For example, if a thin student does 15 pull-ups it characterizes his strength endurance, but speaks little on his strength abilities. If a student with overweight can do only one pull-up it characterizes his strength and fails to show any strength endurance. Absolute strength of the latter can be much higher than his strength qualities but still estimated as low. Such an evaluation method puts students in the uneven conditions and can decrease significantly the motivation to physical education classes. The assessment of athletes’ total endurance by the result in 2 or 3 km running is also not objective enough due to a number of reasons. For example: reluctance to endure at a distance, lack of skill of correct allocation of forces, some students just cannot run the distance to the finish.

In the modern system of education universities elaborate their own basic curriculum that is to correspond to the federal state educational standard 03. According to the part 4 of Physical culture in the quoted standard, a graduate is to:

Know the social role of physical culture in personality development and her training for professional work;

Understand the matters of physical culture used for prevention and treatment;

Be able to use methods of physical self-improvement and self-education [5].

Proceeding from the above, the federal state educational standard 03 lacks any reference to the level of development of physical qualities and practical skills and abilities, which is assumed not completely correct, on the one hand, but, on the other, - provides for every university to define the requirements based on individual conditions.

In the modern educational system higher schools elaborate their basic curriculum to correspond to the federal state educational standard 03.

Therefore we kept to the individual approach to estimation of physical qualities of every student and to design tests for the new basic educational program.

Every physical quality can be estimated quantitatively irrespective of the others and should be measured in different physical units due to their isolation [3].

The purpose of the research was to design the technology of organization of physical education classes for students in gym conditions and estimate physical qualities.

Materials and methods. Proceeding from the above, we took the tests where the Kgs (kg-strength) or weight of the lifted load in kg, but not the number of reps, is a measure to estimate strength. Endurance and all its kinds are measured by the time of work of set intensity or the number of reps, which is can also be estimated by physiological responses: pulse, pressure, time for recovery.

We suggest using tests below for assessment of physical qualities.

Absolute strength is estimated in the exercises: bench press, lat pull down and deadlift, where maximal static strength is estimated using a dynamometer. Bench press is performed in the following way:  a dynamometer is fixed with chains to the grip of Smith machine. The length of the chains is regulated so that the elbow joint angles were 90⁰ in the starting position. The grip is located strictly under the lower area of greater pectoral muscles. The subject makes a radial grip at shoulder length, elbows down and presses upon command, gradually increasing effort to maximum, for approximately 3 – 5 s.

Lat pull down is performed in the following way: a dynamometer is fixed with chains to the upper part of the corresponding training simulator. The length of the chains is regulated so that the elbow and shoulder joint angles were 90⁰ in the starting position. The subject sits on a training simulator with hips fixed under the support rollers and performs a radial grip of the dynamometer, elbows straight and pulls upon command, gradually increasing effort to maximum, for approximately 3 – 5 s.

At deadlift the knee and hip joint angles should be 90⁰ in the starting position.

Strength endurance is estimated in the same exercises but the loading set is half of the shown result in absolute strength exercises with the number of reps being fixed. Such a method ensures estimating strength endurance, for the loading is chosen individually for every student and the result is not influenced by his body weight in this case.

Static endurance is estimated using two tests with time of performance of an exercise as a criterion. The first one – side holding body in a prone position, face down, hips on a vaulting buck, hands up, legs fixed. This test assesses the level of development of static endurance of almost all back body muscles.

The second one – angled hang. Here static endurance of the upper body is estimated.

Using these tests one can not only estimate static endurance, but speak on the harmony of development of muscle groups. The simultaneous, coordinated tension of many different groups of muscles is required to do the tests correctly, and the weakest muscles get tired first, being the limiting factor of development of static strength endurance in this exercise. It is confirmed by the results of the students’ questionnaire after exercises. Some mention first of all leg fatigue, others – lower and upper back and abdomen muscles etc.

As classes are most frequently held in a gym, total endurance is suggested to be estimated using the step test. The textbook “Physical culture and health” edited by V.V. Ponomareva contains the description of the experience of I.M. Sechenov Moscow medical academy in the use of the step test with the calculation of physical working capacity, maximal oxygen uptake and functional age [6]. The step test technology is easy and well described in textbooks. We have introduced some changes in the methods of recording of tested characteristics to minimize the inaccuracy of measurements.

Step rhythm in the recommended variant is voiced by a teacher. But it is inconvenient to count to four within three seconds so we use the software with a sound leader.

In order to calculate the level of physical working capacity (PWC₁₇₀) the parameters of constant, known values of the held test were entered to the formula of V.L. Karpman [2] for convenience of the calculations and the formula was as follows:

PWC₁₇₀ = 7,8Р+3,9Р((170-p₁)/(p₂-p₁)),

where Р – subject’s body weight;

7,8 – relative power of the first loading proceeding from the produce of bench height (0,3 m), climb rate (20 per minute) and the 1,3 coefficient;

3,9 – the variance between the power of the second and the first loadings;

p₁ – pulse after the first loading;

p₂ – pulse after the second loading.

The application of this test is assumed to ensure the objective assessment of total endurance, for the main criterion here is body’s physiological response to a standard loading, easily controlled and deprived of deficiencies, stipulated in the beginning of the paper. 

It was resolved to develop strength and strength endurance using three various technologies with 1-year students who did not do sports on a regular basis before, but attended school physical education lessons.

Based on the test results, the students were distributed into three groups by the level of strength qualities. The first group with the low level of strength qualities used the strength training technology; the second group with the average-low level of strength qualities kept to the technology of development of strength and strength endurance; the group 3 with the average level of = strength qualities used the strength endurance development technology.

The classes in each of the groups were alternated by exposure orientation on muscle groups of specific body parts: group 1 - developing and supportive strength loading, group 2 – strength loading and developing strength endurance; group 3 – developing and supportive strength endurance.

In the group 1 the technique of strength development was as follows: in the first training session developing strength loading for lower limb muscles and lower back muscles and supportive loading for upper limb muscles, shoulder girdle and abdomen; in the second training session the developing and supportive loadings for body parts were swapped.

The technique of development of strength and strength endurance in the group 2 was as follows: in the first training session - developing strength loading for lower limb and lower back muscles and developing exercises for strength endurance for upper limbs, shoulder girdle and abdomen; in the second training session the orientation of loading for same body parts was changed.

The technique of development of strength endurance for the group 3 was arranged according to the plan of the group 1: developing strength endurance exercises of the same muscle group of some body parts were alternated with supportive strength endurance for muscle groups of other body parts.

Only regional and global exercises [4] were used in all the groups, performed using the repeated and interval methods and the method of maximal efforts [1]. The duration of the training period was 15 weeks (II semester), 2 training sessions a week.

Every student had an individually selected loading based on the test results. The whole training period was put down in the record that included a list of exercises, planned and executed loading and dosage. The loading during the whole training period varied in the following way: 5 cycles 3 weeks each, every third week is unloading, followed by 10% increase of loading next week.

Results of the study. The final test at the end of the training period showed, that the indices have reliably increased on the average in every group (р<0.05). Strength tests: group 1 – by 5,3 %, group 2 – by 4,8%, group 3 – by 2%. In strength endurance tests: 14; 11 and 8% respectively. In static endurance tests – of back body muscle groups - by 7; 9 and 5% respectively, front body – by 22; 17 and 10% respectively in every group. 

The reliability of the intergroup variance before and after using the experimental technology has preserved in all test indices, except for the unreliable variance between the first and the second groups of students in initial and final indices of strength and static endurance.

Physical training of students from three groups with low, average low and average levels of development of strength qualities revealed the positive transfer of some physical qualities to other and conjugate development of strength and strength endurance.

Conclusion. First-year students are to be differentiated by three groups by the indices of physical fitness: low, average low and average, using the subjected individual approach in improvement of their physical qualities. It promotes more accurate assessment of the individual level of development of physical qualities and objective monitoring of their changes. The quoted technology is a serious motive for students to be engaged in physical culture.

References

1. Verkhoshansky, Yu.V. The basics of special physical training of athletes / Yu.V. Verkhoshansky. – Moscow: Fizkultura i sport, 1988. – P. 175, 229. (In Russian)
2. Karpman, V.L. Test in sports medicine / V.L. Karpman, Z.B. Belotserkovsky, I.A. Gudkov. – Moscow: Fizkultura i sport, 1988. – P. 75–80. (In Russian)
3. Korenberg, V.B. The problem of physical and motor qualities / V.B. Korenberg// Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury. – 1996. – № 7. – P. 2–5. (In Russian)
4. Sports physiology: textbook for institutes of physical culture / Ed. by Ya.M. Kots. – Moscow: Fizkultura i sport, 1986. – P. 6. (In Russian)
5. Federal state educational standard of higher vocational training on the specialization 060101 – "Medical business" (qualification - degree - specialist). – Moscow, 2010. – P. 34. (In Russian)
6. Physical culture and health: textbook / Ed. by V.V. Ponomareva. – Moscow: ARESMC, 2001. – P. 231–237. (In Russian)
7. Physical culture. Sample educational program for higher institutions. Instruction on organization and content of work of physical education departments of higher educational institutions. – Moscow, 1994. – P. 54. (In Russian)

Author’s contacts: rsn76@bk.ru