The effect of eight-week strength training on speed, vertical jumping and strength in handball players

Aim: Is to examine the effect of 8-week strength training applied to handballers on speed, vertical jump and strength Tool and Method: This study consists of 17 male handball players playing in Manisa Celal Bayar University Sport Sciences Faculty. After randomly divided into two groups of volunteers as training group (n=9) and control group (n=8), training group received technical and tactical training as well as pyramid strength training whereas control group only received technical and tactical training. Body height, weight and body-mass index measurements of participants were realized. In pretest and posttest, participants took 1 maximum bench press and 1 maximum squat test, vertical jump test, and 20 meters speed test. Data were analyzed in SPSS 23.0 working under Windows 10 operating system. For analysis, Wilcoxon signed ranks test and Man Withney u tests were applied. Findings: As a result of analyses and obtained data; while there is a significant difference in level in 1 maximum bench press and squat tests in training group (p< 0.05), there is a significant difference only in vertical jump test in level in control group (p< 0.05). When we compare between groups, there was a statistically significant difference between the results of the pre-test groups in only 1 maximum bench press test (p <0.05), bench press, squat and vertical jump tests show no significance in (p< 0.05) level. Results: According to obtained results, it is determined that pyramid strength training applied to handballers has positive effects. Keywords: Handball, Strength, Pyramid Training, Speed