Relationship of Knowledge of Strength Training to Adolescent Perceptions of Appropriateness and Attractiveness of Female Muscularity

According to the Theory of Reasoned Action people act according to intentions (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980). An individual’s perception of an activity influences intention to act, and can predict if a person will choose to engage in that activity. Although strength is identified as one of the five health-related fitness components (Corbin, Lindsey, & Welk, 2000), females often avoid the activity of strength training because of the assumed outcome: a large increase in muscle mass (Chepyator-Thomson & Ennis, 1997). It is clear that weight lifting is considered a male-appropriate activity (Csizma, Wittig, & Schurr, 1988; Koivula, 2001). Women are much less likely to identify strength training as an activity that would be self-descriptive (Harrison, Lee, & Belcher, 1999). Despite some negative attitudes, girls that have participated in strength training have not only improved physical strength, but have also shown significant increases in confidence about their bodies, self-efficacy in weight training, and overall self-esteem (Holloway, Beuter, & Duda, 1988).