HIGH INTENSITY STRENGTH TRAINING IN OVERWEIGHT ADULTS IN THE WORKPLACE: A PILOT STUDY

The aim of this pilot study was to determine (a) the effects of high intensity strength training in the workplace on blood pressure, fat percentage and physical fitness in overweight adults, and (b) the influence of this intervention on the blood pressure in a subsample of hypertensive subjects. Overweight adults (n=15) aged 42.8 years underwent anthropometric assessment (weight, fat percentage, waist circumference, and triceps skinfold), physical fitness assessment (leg extensor power, upper body endurance, hand grip strength and Vo2max) and blood pressure assessment before and after 8 weeks of high intensity resistance training in the workplace. Each training session consisted of 16 sets of 45 repetitions performed at 1 repetition per second, decreasing load at the point of muscular failure starting at 60% of repetition maximum (RM). The effects of the intervention were analyzed by paired sample t-tests. For exploratory purposes, a non-parametric test was also performed (Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank) to examine if this decision could affect the results. Weight, body fat percentage, and triceps skinfold decreased significantly with the high intensity resistance training protocol in the workplace (all P<0.05). Performance in physical fitness tests increased significantly with training (all P<0.05), except for handgrip strength. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly with R-HIRT in the workplace (all P <0.05) in hypertensive subjects (n=10). This protocol performed in the workplace in this pilot study produces health and fitness benefits in overweight and hypertensive people.