Date of Award
Spring 4-22-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Kinesiology (EdD)
Department
Kinesiology
Abstract
This study examined the effects of positional isometric contractions used as a pre-exercise warm-up on upper-body strength in adolescent male athletes. Twenty participants were randomly assigned to either a positional isometric group or a positional stretching group. Peak isometric force was measured using the VALD Force Decks System across three consecutive testing sessions. Data were analyzed using a three-week by two-group mixed design analysis of variance. The results showed no statistically significant differences between warm-up methods or across testing sessions. However, the positional isometric group demonstrated slightly higher initial force values that leveled out with repeated testing. These findings suggest that positional isometric contractions may offer short-term neural activation benefits but do not produce measurable long-term advantages over static stretching in this population. Practical challenges included obtaining completed consent forms, ensuring attendance, and maintaining consistent effort among participants. Despite these limitations, the study contributes to the understanding of warm-up strategies in youth athletics and supports further investigation into positional isometrics as a low-fatigue method for improving neuromuscular readiness and joint stability.