Effect of a 12-Week Exercise Training Programme on Physical Fitness among Male Intercollegiate Football Players

Abstract

The present study examined the effect of a 12-week structured exercise training programme on selected physical fitness components among male intercollegiate football players. One hundred male football players aged 18–27 years, representing affiliated colleges of Punjabi University, Guru Nanak Dev University, and Panjab University, Chandigarh, participated in the study. Physical fitness variables such as upper-body strength, abdominal muscular endurance, agility, explosive leg power, speed, and cardiovascular endurance were assessed using selected items of the AAPHER Youth Physical Fitness Test. A single-group pre-test–post-test experimental design was adopted. Following the pre-test, subjects underwent a systematic training programme for twelve weeks. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and paired sample t-test. The results indicated significant improvement in all selected physical fitness variables at the 0.01 level of significance, confirming the effectiveness of the training programme.