Examining Affective Experiences And Current Resistance Training Behavior In Young Adults

Current theory and evidence support affective experiences as contributors to future exercise behavior. Most research pertains to aerobic exercise, warranting increased understanding of affective experience regarding resistance training (RT). PURPOSE: To examine general affective experiences regarding RT, current RT behavior, and gender differences. METHODS: Surveys were distributed that contained the Affective Exercise Experiences (AFFEXX) Questionnaire with modified instructions to capture perceptions for RT across 10 subscales (score range = 1-7). Additional items captured dimensions of self-reported RT behavior (target muscle groups, repetition range). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were used to examine the internal consistency of AFFEXX subscales. Frequency and basic descriptive analyses were used to summarize RT behavior. Independent t-tests examined gender-related differences. RESULTS: 91 respondents (21 ± 1.8 years old, 69% women) completed the survey. Most subscale scores demonstrated sufficient consistency (>0.70) with relatively favorable scores across affective dimensions (see table). No gender differences were observed for RT frequency (2.7 ± 1.7 vs. 3.4 ± 1.6 d/wk; t = -1.974, p = 0.744) or the total number of exercises per session (5.3 ± 3.4 vs. 5.5 ± 2.7; t = -.283, p = .237) for females and males, respectively. Most respondents, females (56%) and males (61%), completed 8-14 repetitions per set in a single session. 86% of respondents targeted at least one muscle group per week for RT, with 36% of males and 18% of females targeting all major muscle groups at least two times per week.CONCLUSION: Retained psychometrics and observed effects of gender warrant additional research using the AFFEXX specifically for RT. Research should also assess if including specific survey items for RT dimensions (vs. frequency only) improves accuracy of self-report to compare behavior to national recommendations.