The Effects of Strength Exercise Program of Anterior Muscles on Body composition and Serum Lipids

Today one of the most important causes of death in the world and our country is cardiovascular diseases. One of the risk factors of these problems is the pathologic changes in the level of serum lipid and lipoproteins. Scientific evidence shows that over weight and obesity are related to high serum lipid and lipoprotein levels. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of strength exercise program of anterior muscles on the body composition and serum lipids of the students of Azad University. This was a semi experimental study. The volunteer male students of Sanandaj Islamic Azad University were entered into the study selectively after measuring the total subcutaneous fat of subscapular and triceps areas. Finally 27 subjects with a mean age of 20.63±1.09 years and subcutaneous fat of more than 30 mm were selected. They performed Strength exercise on Anterior muscles; 3 sessions per week for a total of 8 weeks (24 sessions). The following measurements, were recorded before and after the exercise program; blood sampling from anticubital vein in order to determine the level of total cholestrol, and triglycerides (TG), subcutaneous fat of subscapular, biceps, abdomen, triceps and pectoral sites of the subjects by using caliper. Waist, buttocks and abdomen circumfrences of the subjects were also measured by a tape. And finally body fat percentage was estimated by using the method recommended by Boileau, Lohman & Slaughter. The collected data were analyzed by use of paired t test. The result of the study indicated that the Strength exercise program of the anterior muscles had significant relationship with reduction of cholesterol, TG and subcutaneous fat of sub-scapular, abdomen, triceps and pectoralis areas, and also decrease in waist, hips and buttock circumfrences, total body weight, body fat, and body fat percentage of the subjects. However these types of exercises did not have any significant effect on subcutaneous fat of biceps and lean body weight. We concluded this specific strength exercise program of the anterior muscles not only decreases TG and cholestrol but also reduces the fat of the abdomen and other sites of the body, which had not been exercised. On the other hand such execise can produce a reduction in the size of waist and butocks in addition to abdomen.