Static and dynamic strengths of males and females in seating and standing postures

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in strengths of individuals on three strength tasks, a bicep lift, shoulder lift and shoulder pull. Nine male and twelve female subjects performed a series of exertions in static and dynamic conditions while either standing or seated. The effect of gender was as expected, female subjects recording, on average, 57.43% of that of male subjects in all conditions. The highest forces were generated for the shoulder lift strength task by male subjects in the static condition while standing (Mean = 130.55 kg, SD = 38.67 kg) and the lowest for the shoulder pull strength task for female subjects, also in the static condition while standing (Mean = 11.39 kg, SD = 3.99 kg). When expressed as a percentage of the force in the corresponding seated posture, female subjects recorded the largest change in force for the shoulder lift strength task in the static condition while standing (Mean = 167.78%). However, in the shoulder pull strength task, male subjects generated more relative force in the seated posture, static condition, tile force in the standing posture being a small fraction of that while seated (Mean = 48.58%).