The effectiveness of specific weight training regimens on simulated aerial combat maneuvering G tolerance.

To assess the effectiveness of muscle-strength (weight training) on simulated aerial combat maneuvering (SACM) G tolerance, seven young men were exposed to a 12-week program of whole-body weight training in which were measured, strengths of various muscle groups, body circumferences, body mass, and the percentage of body fat. The magnitudes of the weights used in training were used to measure muscle strength and were compared and correlated with each subject's SACM tolerance--defined as the total time that a subject could withstand continuous exposure to a 4.5 and 7.0 + Gz centrifuge profile using fatigue as his voluntary endpoint. Chest and biceps circumferences increased 4.2% and 3.1%, respectively; abdomen and thigh circumferences did not significantly change; body fat decreased 16.8%; and body mass increased 2.3%. Abdominal (sit ups) and biceps (arm curl) strengths increased 99% and 26.2%, respectively, and were highly correlated with SACM tolerance time (p less than 0.01); leg (leg press) and chest strengths (bench press) made less significant contributions to the SACM tolerance time. A net increase in SACM tolerance times of 53% resulted from weight-training. Multiple regression analysis of all four muscle groups between weeks 1 and 12 with the SACM tolerance had a correlation of determination of 0.61.