CORRELATION BETWEEN STRENGTH INDICATORS OF MEN ENGAGED IN HEALTH-ORIENTED FITNESS AND THEIR ARM CIRCUMFERENCE

Abstract

The article examines the correlation between strength indicators of men engaged in health-oriented fitness and an anthropometric parameter – arm circumference. The relevance of the study is determined by the need for scientific justification of exercise selection that most effectively promotes upper limb muscle hypertrophy in men training to improve physical condition and body proportions. The research involved 11 men aged 27–33 years with 3–10 years of training experience. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between variables. Participants performed strength tests that included both compound and isolation exercises: bench press, back squat, barbell biceps curl, lying French press, cable triceps extension, and seated machine arm curl. A statistically significant correlation was found between bench press performance and arm circumference (r = 0.69; p < 0.05), as well as between lying French press and arm circumference (r = 0.88; p < 0.05), indicating the leading role of these exercises in developing arm muscles. No significant correlations were observed between arm circumference and other exercises, such as barbell curls, triceps extensions on the cable machine, seated machine curls, and squats, which may be due to their lesser involvement of the target muscle groups influencing arm circumference. The results enable the identification of the most effective exercises for arm muscle development in health-oriented fitness programs and the optimization of men’s training processes targeting hypertrophy of the biceps and triceps brachii. The practical significance of the study lies in applying the established relationships to design training programs that consider individual morphological features and fitness levels, contributing to more harmonious muscular development and prevention of overtraining.