The Effects of a Novel Quadrupedal Movement Training Program on Functional Movement, Range of Motion, Muscular Strength, and Endurance

Buxton, JD, Prins, PJ, Miller, MG, Moreno, A, Welton, GL, Atwell, AD, Talampas, TR, and Elsey, GE. The effects of a novel quadrupedal movement training program on functional movement, range of motion, muscular strength, and endurance. J Strength Cond Res 36(8): 2186–2193, 2022—Quadrupedal movement training (QMT) is a form of bodyweight training incorporating animal poses, transitions, and crawling patterns to reportedly improve fitness. This type of training may improve multiple facets of fitness, unfortunately, little evidence exists to support commercial claims and guide practitioners in the best use of QMT. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a commercially available QMT program on functional movement, dynamic balance, range of motion, and upper body strength and endurance. Forty-two active college-age (19.76 ± 2.10 years) subjects (males = 19, females = 23) were randomly assigned to a QMT (n = 21) or control (CON) (n = 21) group for 8 weeks. Quadrupedal movement training consisted of 60-minute classes performed 2×·wk−1 in addition to regular physical activity. Active range of motion, Functional Movement Screen (FMS), Y-Balance Test (YBT), handgrip strength, and push-up endurance were assessed before and after the intervention. The QMT group showed significantly greater improvements than the CON group in FMS composite score (1.62 ± 1.53 vs. 0.33 ± 1.15, p = 0.004) and FMS advanced movements (0.81 ± 0.87 vs. 0.01 ± 0.71, p = 0.002) ...
Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Original Research Source Type: research