Date
7-22-2025
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Michael Olson
Keywords
Resistance training, football, long-term athletic development, physical education
Disciplines
Health and Physical Education
Recommended Citation
Mullins, Daniel, "Evaluating Velocity-Based Training Compared with Percent-Based Loading in High School Football Athletes" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7235.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7235
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate velocity-based training (VBT) compared with percent-based training (PBT) protocols in high school American football (AF) athletes. This study evaluated the improvements in 1RM back squat, countermovement jump (CMJ), and linear sprint (LS) times from a 6-week resistance training protocol. The study also compared the total time under tension (TUT) each group experienced throughout the intervention. This randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-measures of all dependent variables included participants (n = 19, age: 16.0 ± 0.9 years, training experience: 1.7 ± 0.7 years) who were enrolled in a physical education class specifically designed for off-season training for AF athletes. Participants were randomly assigned to either the VBT group or the PBT group, and an independent samples t-test confirmed that no between-group differences were present for any variable. The PBT group used a fixed load for each set, whereas the VBT group adjusted the load based on set mean velocity. The VBT software recorded TUT data for post-intervention analysis. After the 6-week intervention, participants completed post-testing, and the data were analyzed. Data analysis included one-way ANOVA and dependent t-tests for each variable. An independent samples t-test was conducted to compare differences in total TUT. Results revealed significant (p < 0.05) improvement in all variables for both groups. However, the VBT group showed significantly greater improvement in 1RM and CMJ, with no between-group difference present for LS. Additionally, the VBT group experienced significantly less TUT. The findings of this study suggest that VBT offers youth AF athletes an effective means of improving 1RM back squat, CMJ, and LS while reducing total TUT. Future research should compare VBT with PBT for in-season development. Studies should also investigate the use of these methods in a high-intensity protocol, incorporating a low-intensity comparator.
