Date of Award
Spring 2-14-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Kinesiology (PhD)
Department
Kinesiology
Abstract
This study examined the effects of an eight-week Muscle Endurance Exercise Training (MEET) program on body composition (BC), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and muscle endurance (ME) in healthy adults. Thirty-one participants (M_age = 39.03 ± 13.82 years) completed pre- and post-intervention assessments of body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), CRF via the 3-minute YMCA Step Test, and ME using push-up and sit-up tests to failure. Paired-samples t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to determine statistical significance. Results revealed no significant change in BMI (p = .103), while BF% (p = .020) and WHR (p = .004) decreased significantly, indicating favorable changes in adiposity and fat distribution. CRF improved significantly (p < .001), as evidenced by enhanced heart rate recovery. Both push-up (p < .001) and sit-up (p < .001) performance increased substantially, reflecting gains in upper-body and core endurance. These findings suggest that MEET can effectively improve BF%, WHR, CRF, and ME within a short training period, even in the absence of significant BMI change, a result consistent with literature indicating BMI’s limitations as a sole measure of BC changes in physically active populations (Rothman, 2008). The results have practical implications for designing resistance-based endurance programs targeting cardiovascular health, muscular endurance, and regional adiposity reduction. Future research should examine long-term outcomes and individual variability to enhance the generalizability of these findings.