Use of Resistive Exercise Snacks to Improve Upper Body Fitness in Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Authors

• Zachary Abouelkawaam, New York Institute of Technology - Old WestburyFollow
• Kevin Vaughan, New York Institute of Technology - Old WestburyFollow
• Alexander Rothstein, New York Institute of Technology - Old WestburyFollow
• Abdelmohsen Mossolem, New York Institute of Technology - Old WestburyFollow
• Jean-Paul Dodier, New York Institute of Technology - Old WestburyFollow
• Carlos Africa, New York Institute of Technology - Old WestburyFollow
• Freddie Leong, New York Institute of Technology - Old WestburyFollow
• John Handrakis, New York Institute of Technology - Old WestburyFollow

Abstract

Graduate/undergraduate students lack time for consistent physical activity, leading to declines in fitness. Exercise snacks (ExSnck), short bouts of submaximal exercise performed throughout the day, may offer a solution. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of a 6-week upper body ExSnck program on endurance, strength, power, and enjoyment compared to a 1-set maximal exercise (MaxEx) protocol and a control group. METHODS: 43 participants were randomly assigned to ExSnck (n=15), MaxEx (n=16), or Control (n=12) groups. The ExSnck group performed 33% of their maximal push-ups and plank time for 3 sessions/day (sessions ≥2hrs apart). The MaxEx group performed the same 2 exercises for 1 maximal set daily. Both groups exercised 3 days/week for matched volume. Outcomes included push-up repetitions, plank time, isometric push strength (IPS), normalized push-up power (NPP), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), adherence, and exercise enjoyment (Likert scale survey question). Mixed-model ANOVA analyses were used to assess pre-post change for all outcomes for the 3 groups and to assess push-up and plank changes over 4 timepoints for the 2 exercise groups. Post hoc analysis included pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction. RESULTS: ExSnck and MaxEx groups increased push-up repetitions (10.9±7.8, p<0.001 and 12.9±12.3, p<0.001) and plank time (32.9±24 sec, p=0.003 and 60.3±57.8 sec, p<0.001), respectively. There was no change in either measure for Controls. IPS analysis demonstrated a main effect of time (p<.001). All groups increased with no differences among groups. NPP analysis demonstrated a main effect of time (p<.034). Only the MaxEx group had a significant within-group increase (p=.002). The ExSnck group reported greater enjoyment than the MaxEx group (χ²=5.00, p=0.025). Average RPE reported after all exercise sessions was 10.24±1.25 for the ExSnck group vs. 15.53±1.48 for the MaxEx group, p<.001. Exercise session adherence was 100% for both exercise groups. CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the increase in pushups and plank time between both exercise groups, despite the ExSnck group reporting lower RPE and greater enjoyment. Therefore, ExSnck provided a viable, enjoyable, and less physically demanding alternative to maximal effort exercise. Future research should investigate long-term effects of resistive ExSnck protocols across diverse populations.

Recommended Citation

Abouelkawaam, Zachary; Vaughan, Kevin; Rothstein, Alexander; Mossolem, Abdelmohsen; Dodier, Jean-Paul; Africa, Carlos; Leong, Freddie; and Handrakis, John (2026) "Use of Resistive Exercise Snacks to Improve Upper Body Fitness in Undergraduate and Graduate Students," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 15: Iss. 8, Article 12.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol15/iss8/12