Effect of Weight Training on Agility among Handball Players: An Experimental Study

Abstract: The present study aimed to examine the effect of weight training on agility among handball players. A total of 100 male handball players aged between 14–19 years were selected and randomly divided into two groups: experimental (n=50) and control (n=50). The experimental group underwent a structured weight training program for 12 weeks, while the control group did not receive any specialized training. Agility was measured using the SEMO Agility Test before and after the training period.

The results indicated that the control group showed negligible change in agility performance, with mean scores slightly increasing from 13.10 to 13.18 seconds. In contrast, the experimental group demonstrated noticeable improvement, with mean scores decreasing from 13.87 to 11.99 seconds, indicating enhanced agility performance. However, the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) revealed that the differences between groups were statistically not significant at the 0.05 level. Despite the lack of statistical significance, practical improvements were observed in the experimental group, suggesting that weight training may contribute positively to agility performance in handball players. The findings highlight the importance of structured training programs in enhancing physical fitness components essential for handball performance. Future studies with larger samples and longer duration are recommended to establish stronger evidence regarding the effectiveness of weight training on agility.

Keywords: Weight Training, Agility, Handball Players, Physical Fitness, Experimental Study