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THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE, Vol. 28, No. 5
© 2000 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
From the ‡Laboratory for Sports Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, University
Park, Pennsylvania, *The Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University, Muncie,
Indiana, and the §Department of Sport Science, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado
626
Vol. 28, No. 5, 2000 Volume Effects on Resistance Training for Women Tennis Players 627
were familiarized with each test over a 2-week period and months (percent body fat data are shown in Fig. 1). No
repeat testing established a baseline. This was followed by significant differences were observed in either the single-
two separate testing times where the same test was ad- set or the control groups.
ministered under the same conditions with the same in-
vestigators or technicians who would perform the tests in Anaerobic Power
the study. This resulted in test-retest reliability of the
measures to demonstrate good stability in the measures Changes in the peak power for the Wingate cycle ergome-
with intraclass correlation coefficients of r ⱖ 0.95. The ter power test are shown in Figure 2A. A significant in-
control group was used to examine the stability of the crease in power output was observed at 9 months for the
measures over time. Nevertheless, in calculating intra- periodized training group. No significant differences were
class correlations in the control group the r values were observed for the single-set or control groups. Changes in
ⱖ0.90, again showing solid stability over time in the de- the counter-movement vertical jump height are presented
pendent measures. Prior work also demonstrated a good in Figure 2B. Significant increases above pretraining val-
test-retest reliability for the measures used.22 Using the ues were observed at 4, 6, and 9 months for the periodized
nQuery Advisor software (Statistical Solutions, Saugus, training group. No significant differences were observed
Massachusetts), we found the statistical power for the n for the single-set or control groups at any time point.
size used ranged from 0.79 to 0.92. Statistical significance
was chosen as P ⱕ 0.05. Dynamic Muscular Strength
Anthropometrics
DISCUSSION
Few data exist concerning the long-term resistance train-
ing adaptations in women.37 The primary findings of this
investigation were that a high-volume, periodized, multi-
ple-set resistance training program elicited superior
1) increases in upper and lower body maximal strength,
2) increases in muscular power, 3) increases in lean body
mass, 4) decreases in percent body fat, and 5) increases in
tennis serve velocity when compared with a low-volume,
Figure 3. The effects of low-volume and high-volume, peri- single-set circuit program in competitive collegiate women
odized resistance training on muscular strength. Panel A tennis players during 9 months of training. A secondary
indicates differences in bench press. Panel B indicates dif- finding of interest was that both groups increased muscu-
ferences in free-weight shoulder press. Panel C indicates lar strength during the first 4 months of training, but only
differences in leg press. *, significant increase from pretrain- the periodized training group continued to improve signif-
ing. #, significant increase from pretraining and 4 months. @, icantly beyond this point. Of particular importance for
significant increase from pretraining, 4 months, and 6 women tennis players was the finding that the periodized
months. See the legend at Figure 1 for abbreviations. training group was the only group to see sport-specific
changes in the maximal ball velocity in the tennis serve.
These findings may significantly affect program design
icantly increased their one-repetition maximum strength and long-term prescription of resistance training pro-
at 4, 6, and 9 months for all of the exercises. The single-set grams for women tennis players. It appears that a volume
group significantly increased strength only at 4 months of exercise threshold may be vital for some parameters to
for all exercises. No further changes were observed beyond continue to change over time and be integrated within the
this point. No difference in strength for any exercise was athlete’s physiologic profile as it relates to performance.
observed in the control group. Our data demonstrated a distinct difference in the pro-
gression of maximal strength over the 9-month training
period. The group undergoing periodized training had a
significantly different pattern of change when compared
Serve Velocity with the low-volume single-set group after the first 4
months. Our data indicate that program differentiation
Changes in serve velocity are shown in Figure 4. A signif- may take longer than a few months in women tennis
icant increase above pretraining values in serve velocity players because of the rapid increases observed in the
was observed at 4, 6 and 9 months in the periodized early phase of training (that is, first several months) to
training group. No significant changes were observed in almost any overload.37, 38 Such separation may be very
either the single-set or control groups. volume-specific. Direct comparisons of single- and multi-
Vol. 28, No. 5, 2000 Volume Effects on Resistance Training for Women Tennis Players 631
ple-set protocols have produced conflicting results. Sev- long-term performance improvements compared with sin-
eral studies have reported superior increases in maximal gle-set17, 33 and nonperiodized multiple-set programs.42
strength and vertical jump performance when multiple- Therefore, these data demonstrate that short-term im-
set protocols were used with untrained subjects.1, 3, 33, 39, 41 provements in muscular strength may be attained with
In addition, the increases observed in groups who trained either single- or multiple-set programs during the first
with multiple sets were significantly greater when vol- few months. However, periodized multiple-set programs
ume and intensity were periodized.33, 41 In contrast, are superior for transfer specificity in the carryover to
several studies have reported similar strength increases long-term performance enhancements of multiple-joint,
using both single- and multiple-set protocols in un- whole-body, closed kinetic chain activities in women ten-
trained subjects.3, 4, 15, 24, 29, 31, 34, 36 To date, no study nis athletes.
has reported superior performance enhancement using Fat-free mass increased significantly at 4, 6, and 9
single-set programs in untrained or trained subjects. months for the periodized training group, but no changes
However, from a practical perspective not all exercises were observed for the single-set group. Kraemer17 re-
have to be performed for the same number of sets, and ported similar results in football players who trained with
thus the key factor appears to be the volume of exercise either a single-set or periodized multiple-set training pro-
performed for a given joint’s musculature as the number gram. Muscular hypertrophy in women, as a result of
of sets only contributes to that volume equation (sets ⫻ resistance training, has been reported in previous stud-
repetitions ⫻ intensity). ies.37, 38 These studies used multiple-set programs during
Limited data are available comparing single- and mul- resistance training. Limited data exist examining differ-
tiple-set programs in athletes. The results of the present ences in fat-free mass resulting from single- versus mul-
study support previous findings in trained men where tiple-set training in women. A possible explanation is al-
high-volume, periodized, multiple-set resistance training terations in hormonal concentrations conducive to
programs were superior to low-volume, single-set pro- anabolism. Acute increases in growth hormone have been
grams for increasing muscular strength16, 17 and fat-free reported during high-volume resistance exercise.18, 20 In
mass.17 In the present study, muscular strength increased particular, multiple-set programs were shown to be supe-
significantly in both groups during the first 4 months of rior for rapid increases in growth hormone and decreases
training. However, only the periodized training group in cortisol in women.26 Therefore, it appears that the
showed further improvement beyond this point. These volume of resistance exercise may be significant for hor-
findings have direct implications for resistance training monal alterations and, consequently, increases in fat-free
exercise prescription oriented toward long-term progres- mass in women.
sion in training tennis players with the goal of improve- A significant difference between groups was also ob-
ment in these parameters. Kraemer17 reported greater served for lower-body power. The periodized training
increases in muscular strength, power, endurance, and group significantly increased in the nonspecific Wingate
lean body mass when multiple-set programs were used in power output test at 9 months and in vertical jump height
collegiate football players versus nonperiodized low-vol- at 4, 6, and 9 months, whereas no significant differences
ume programs. Kramer et al.16 reported significantly were observed for the single-set group for either anaerobic
greater increases in one-repetition maximum squat using power test. Part of this variance may be accounted for by
multiple-set programs in resistance-trained college men. total training volume. Kraemer17 and Stone et al.39 re-
In contrast, Ostrowski et al.28 reported no significant dif- ported significantly greater increases in muscular power
ferences in maximal strength between training with ei- and vertical jump performance when high-volume, multi-
ther one, two, or four sets per exercise in moderately ple-set programs were used. Sanborn et al.33 reported an
trained men. Considering that continued improvement in 11% increase in vertical jump after 8 weeks of training
weight training becomes more difficult with experience,10 with multiple sets compared with a 0.3% increase ob-
it appears that multiple-set, high-volume resistance exer- served in a single-set group. Interestingly, Ostrowski et
cise protocols are most effective for long-term performance al.28 reported an insignificant decrease for the vertical
enhancement in athletes. These findings may also support jump after 10 weeks of single-set training. In addition, a
the use of greater time commitments for resistance train- large percentage of this variance may be accounted for by
ing in athletes. repetition velocity. The periodized training group per-
Our data demonstrate limited transfer of the training to formed their repetitions with moderate-to-explosive mus-
power and maximal ball velocity in the tennis serve with cle actions and velocities whereas the single-set group
the single-set circuit program. Previously, Kraemer17 also performed each repetition in a slow, controlled manner.
reported limited improvements in various muscular per- Proponents of low-volume training typically prescribe one
formance variables between the 3rd and 6th months of set of 8 to 12 repetitions performed to momentary muscu-
training using a single-set program in football players. lar failure at a slow velocity for predominantly single-joint
This may have been due to either a lack of variation in exercises.29, 36 Thus, the single-set group performed each
program design16, 17, 40 or inadequate volume needed to repetition in accordance with this training approach. It
produce further increases that transfer to the skills be- has been reported that fast contraction velocities are most
yond that of the initial adaptations.16, 17 It could also be effective for increasing muscular power.5, 25, 27 Therefore,
due to the speed of movement used in the exercise. Mul- training solely with slow movements may have limited
tiple-set periodized programs have demonstrated superior power development in the single-set group, but explosive
632 Kraemer et al. American Journal of Sports Medicine
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17. Kraemer WJ: A series of studies: The physiological basis for strength
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18. Kraemer WJ, Fleck SJ, Dziados JE, et al: Changes in hormonal concen-
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These findings have direct implications for program de- and growth factor responses to heavy resistance exercise in males and
sign for collegiate women tennis players where training females. Int J Sports Med 12: 228 –235, 1991
21. Kraemer WJ, Patton JF, Gordon SE, et al: Compatibility of high intensity
goals are related to long-term continued improvement in strength and endurance training on hormonal and skeletal muscle adap-
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 221–230, 1998
26. Mulligan SE, Fleck SJ, Gordon SE, et al: Influence of resistance exercise
This study was supported in part by a grant from United volume on serum growth hormone and cortisol concentrations in women.
States Tennis Association, Key Biscayne, Florida. We J Strength Cond Res 10: 256 –262, 1996
thank all of the athletes and coaches who supported this 27. Newton RU, Kraemer WJ: Developing explosive muscular power: Impli-
cations for a mixed methods training strategy. J Strength Cond 16: 20,
sport science project. In addition, we thank all of the 1994
laboratory staff and trainers who helped with the testing 28. Ostrowski KJ, Wilson GJ, Weatherby R, et al: The effect of weight training
and training of these subjects and Coach Sue Whiteside volume on hormonal output and muscular size and function. J Strength
Cond Res 11: 148 –154, 1997
for her support. 29. Pollock ML, Graves JE, Bamman MM, et al: Frequency and volume of
resistance training: Effect on cervical extension strength. Arch Phys Med
Rehabil 74: 1080 –1086, 1993
30. Powers SK, Walker R: Physiological and anatomical characteristics of
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