The Effect of a Period of Fitness-Kickboxing and Fitness-TRX Training on Some Anthropometric Indices and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight Women

Background & objectives: Recently, fitness (bodyweight workout), kickboxing and TRX training have become very popular. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of a period of fitness-kickboxing and fitness-TRX training on some anthropometric indices and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight women. Methods: Forty overweight women were randomly divided into three groups. The control group included fitness training and the experimental group included fitness training with kickboxing and fitness training with TRX. Subjects performed the training for two months (3 sessions per week). Then anthropometric indices with body composition analyzer and blood samples (to measure blood lipid profile) were measured on two occasions (before the beginning of the course and 48 hours after the end of the course). For analyzing data, paired sample t-test and one-way analysis variance with the significant level of p<0.05 were used. Results: There was a significant difference between body weight (p=0.001), BFM (p=0.009), BMI (p=0.0001), %BF (p=0.037), WHR (p=0.024) and also total cholesterol (p=0.011) in fitness group, a significant difference between BFM (p=0.012), %BF (p=0.003) and WHR  (p=0.002) and also total cholesterol (p=0.009), HDL (p=0.016) and LDL (p=0.0001) in fitness-kickboxing group and a significant difference between body weight (p=0.0001), BFM (p=0.001), BMI (p=0.0001), %BF (p=0.001), WHR (p=0.0001) and also total cholesterol (p=0.001) and LDL (p=0.004) in fitness-TRX in the pre-and post-test (p<0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant difference between %BF (p=0.003) and also HDL (p= 0.021) and LDL (p=0.0001) in three groups after a period of training. Conclusion: All three trainings somehow influenced anthropometric indexes and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight women. With the comparison of the three groups, it can be concluded that fitness training is more effective on decreasing %BF and LDL, fitness-kickboxing on decreasing %BF and increasing HDL as well as fitness-TRX training on reducing LDL.