Differences in Female Lift Quality During Back Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift Compared to Standardized Percent of 1RM and Repetitions Allowed

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the difference between the current norm repetition-intensity recommendations and the performed repetitions of females at concurrent intensities. Females (n = 17) with six-months of consistent resistance training experience completed five testing sessions. Session-one consists of one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing for the squat (SQ), bench press (BP), and deadlift (DL). Sessions 2-5 involved repetition-maximum testing at 65, 75, 85, and 95% 1RM, in the order of SQ, BP, then DL, with 10-15 minutes of rest between exercises. A 3 (exercise) x 4 (percentage-intensity) Mixed Factorial ANOVA determined significant differences in repetitions performed between exercises at each intensity level. A series of one-sample t-tests were performed to indicate female differences between established target repetitions for each exercise across all intensities (65% = 15, 75% = 10, 85% = 6, 95% = 2). Significance level was set at p < .05. There was no significant main effect (p=0.14) between repetitions completed during SQ, BP, or DL at 65% (26.1±6.8, 21.3±6.8, 23.4±6.3, respectively), 75% (18.0±6.2, 14.4±4.2, 15.7±4.7, respectively), 85% (10.3±3.7, 9.0±4.6, 9.6±4.1, respectively), nor 95% 1RM (4.1±2.4, 2.5±2.0, 3.4±2.0, respectively). No significant difference was recognized (p = 0.09) between current norms and female BP repetitions at 95%. Significantly higher repetitions were completed by females at all other percentages during SQ, BP, and DL. These results suggest different resistance training intensity-repetition ratios should be prescribed for females in comparison to current norms; meriting future research aimed at establishing a sex-specific intensity-repetition ratio.