ABSTRACT
This study is designed to examine the effects of eight week plyometric training on the trunk flexibility of undergraduate female human kinetics students of the University of Benin. To attain this, the four variables of trunk flexibility were taken into consideration; trunk flexion, trunk extension, trunk abduction and trunk rotation after which the pretest and posttest results were subjected to independent T-test analysis.
This study raised four research questions and formulated four hypotheses using the four variables and tested these hypotheses and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population of female students of the department of human kinetics and sport science as at the time of the study was 93, which formed the total target population of the study from which 14 participants formed the sample of the study, which is 15.1% of the target population which is sufficient for generalizing results of the study to the target population of the study.
After the analysis, three of the four variables were found to be statically significant while one was found not to be statistically significant. This therefore goes to say that three of the hypotheses were rejected while only one was accepted. This is due to the fact that the plyometric training was sufficient to have altered three of the four variables tested in the study.
In conclusion therefore, the findings of the study submits that plyometrics has a significant role to play in improving the trunk flexibility of females who engage physical activities. However, the administration of plyometric training should be done with proper supervision by an expert and care should be taken to determine the mode and frequency of plyometric exercise to be administered to minimize the incidence of injuries.
