Short-term effects of cardiorespiratory parameters on 2 resistance training programs prescribing exercise intensity through the RPE

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess cardiorespiratory parameters by comparing a traditional strength training program under stable conditions with another unstable strength training program, prescribing training load from perceived exertion. A randomized control trial was performed by 36 healthy men assigned to two experimental groups (n = 24) and one control group (n = 12). One experimental group (or was it both? - it is not clear what the difference in programme was for both experimental groups) performed a strength circuit training program, (strength training with free weights and weight machine exercises along with exercises with BOSU® and TRX®), Strength programs lasted 7 weeks (3 sessions per week), measuring cardiorespiratory variables with an incremental exercise test before and after training. For the ventilatory threshold 1 values, the results indicated a significant reduction in heart rate after the training period in both the time factor (F = 12.777, p < 0.01) and the interaction (F = 4.718, p = 0.016), with no statistical significance between the three groups (F = 1.279, p = 0.293). A significantly reduced oxygen consumption to ventilatory threshold was also shown, this decrease being more pronounced in the traditional group (F = 5.401, p = 0.027). Therefore, it is concluded that the values of the cardiorespiratory variables after 7 weeks of strength training in different conditions (stable and unstable) and prescribing training loads through the RPE are similar.