The Effects of Autonomy and Perceptions on Resistance Training Outcomes

Participants will rest in a relaxed seating position for five minutes. Then their blood pressure and resting heart rate will be taken using an Omron M7 (HEM-780-E) blood pressure measuring device.

The blood samples will be collected by single-use disposable needle. A total of 20 mL of blood will be collected at each time-point in two, 10 mL Vacutainer® tubes: a plasma tube containing anticoagulant and a serum tube where the blood is allowed to clot. Plasma samples will be stored in ice until centrifuged twice at 1,500g for 10 minutes at 4° Celsius. Serum will be kept in room temperature for 60 minutes then centrifuged at 1300g for 10 minutes. Both samples will be divided into separate 1.8-mL microcentrifuge tubes and will be frozen at -80° C for later analysis.

The blood samples will be collected by single-use disposable needle. A total of 20 mL of blood will be collected at each time-point in two, 10 mL Vacutainer® tubes: a plasma tube containing anticoagulant and a serum tube where the blood is allowed to clot. Plasma samples will be stored in ice until centrifuged twice at 1,500g for 10 minutes at 4° Celsius. Serum will be kept in room temperature for 60 minutes then centrifuged at 1300g for 10 minutes. Both samples will be divided into separate 1.8-mL microcentrifuge tubes and will be frozen at -80° C for later analysis

Fat free mass will be measured using the SECA mBCA 515 (Seca, Hamburg, Germany), a valid and reliable analyzer of body composition. Participants will drink 400 ml of water before the examination which will take place in the morning. Drinking will be stopped 30 minutes before the examination and participants will be instructed to urinate and remove any jewelries before the examination.

Waist circumference will be measured according to WHO protocol: Participants will expose the area between their ribs and pelvic. The same investigator will measure the distance between the lower end of their ribcage and the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and measure the waist circumference three times, midway between the two anatomical landmarks. The average value of the three measurements in centimeters will be documented for analysis.

Participants will perform a dynamic warmup including mobility and calisthenics exercises, followed by specific warm up sets of each of the exercises: Horizontal leg press, knee extension and seated chest press (performed on weight-stack machines). Then, up to five attempts will be made to complete one repetition sets with increasing load until the participant either fails to complete the full range of motion or declares she cannot attempt the next set. The load (in kg) of the final successful attempt for each exercise will be documented for analysis. Two to three minutes rest will be provided between the attempts. The order of the exercises will be maintained throughout the assessment points and between participants. The assessments will be carried out by the same experimenter at the same time of day ±2 hours.

Participants will perform a dynamic warmup including mobility and calisthenics exercises, followed by specific warm up sets of the knee extension and the chest press exercises. Then, 70% of the participant's identified maximal load (1RM) will be used to perform repetitions until task-failure (i.e., not able to complete another repetition). The number of completed repetitions will be documented for analysis. The same reference load will be used at six weeks. The order of the exercises will be maintained throughout the assessment points and between participants. The assessments will be carried out by the same experimenter at the same time of day ±2 hours.

Isometric knee extension (using the knee extension machine) - will be assessed in a 90° angle using a link device (Kinvent, Link pull dynamometer) attached to a ratchet belt.

The self-efficacy questionnaire is an eight items questionnaire. Respondents are required to read the statements and rate their level of agreement with each statement on a three points Likert scale. Score-range is 8-24. Higher scores indicate higher levels of self-efficacy.

Participants will respond to an online survey examining their levels of enjoyment from the training sessions via a bi-polar scale ranging from -50 ("did not enjoy at all") to 50 ("extremely enjoyed").

Number of entries to the gym, documented by the gym front desk

Number of entries to the gym, documented by the gym front desk

The blood samples will be collected by single-use disposable needle. A total of 20 mL of blood will be collected at each time-point in two, 10 mL Vacutainer® tubes: a plasma tube containing anticoagulant and a serum tube where the blood is allowed to clot. Plasma samples will be stored in ice until centrifuged twice at 1,500g for 10 minutes at 4° Celsius. Serum will be kept in room temperature for 60 minutes then centrifuged at 1300g for 10 minutes. Both samples will be divided into separate 1.8-mL microcentrifuge tubes and will be frozen at -80° C for later analysis

Horizontal row (using the T-bar machine) - will be assessed in a 60° elbow angle using a link device (Kinvent, Link pull dynamometer) attached to a ratchet belt. Participants will lean their chest against the padded cushion with their feet stable on a designated built-in platform. They will pull the T-bar arm using a narrow grip. Their elbow angle will be measured using a goniometer. Then, three attempts will be made using 40%, 70% and 90% of their estimated MVC, followed by three attempts of 100% (i.e., MVC). 60 seconds rest will be provided between attempts. The average of the two high results will be documented for analysis.

The blood samples will be collected by single-use disposable needle. A total of 20 mL of blood will be collected at each time-point in two, 10 mL Vacutainer® tubes: a plasma tube containing anticoagulant and a serum tube where the blood is allowed to clot. Plasma tubes will be stored in ice and a complete blood count will be done within 60 minutes via Yumizen H500 analyzer.

Isometric horizontal row will be assessed in a 60° elbow flexion angle on the T-bar machine (Nautilus, WA, USA). The same link device will be secured using ratchet belts to match the desired setup for each participant.

The blood samples will be collected by single-use disposable needle. A total of 20 mL of blood will be collected at each time-point in two, 10 mL Vacutainer® tubes: a plasma tube containing anticoagulant and a serum tube where the blood is allowed to clot. Plasma samples will be stored in ice until centrifuged twice at 1,500g for 10 minutes at 4° Celsius. Serum will be kept in room temperature for 60 minutes then centrifuged at 1300g for 10 minutes. Both samples will be divided into separate 1.8-mL microcentrifuge tubes and will be frozen at -80° C for later analysis.

The blood samples will be collected by single-use disposable needle. A total of 20 mL of blood will be collected at each time-point in two, 10 mL Vacutainer® tubes: a plasma tube containing anticoagulant and a serum tube where the blood is allowed to clot. Plasma samples will be stored in ice until centrifuged twice at 1,500g for 10 minutes at 4° Celsius. Serum will be kept in room temperature for 60 minutes then centrifuged at 1300g for 10 minutes. Both samples will be divided into separate 1.8-mL microcentrifuge tubes and will be frozen at -80° C for later analysis.

Participants will wear an FDA approved wristwatch (Biobeat technologies, Petah Tikva, Israel) while resting in a seated position. Measurements will be taken in an urgent mode - every minute for five minutes.

Fat percent will be measured using the SECA mBCA 515 (Seca, Hamburg, Germany), a valid and reliable analyzer of body composition. Participants will drink 400 ml of water before the examination which will take place in the morning. Drinking will be stopped 30 minutes before the examination and participants will be instructed to urinate and remove any jewelries before the examination.

Participants' height will be measured using SECA stadiometer, and body weight will be measured using the SECA mBCA 515 (Seca, Hamburg, Germany), a valid and reliable analyzer of body composition. Participants will drink 400 ml of water before the examination which will take place in the morning. Drinking will be stopped 30 minutes before the examination and participants will be instructed to urinate and remove any jewelries before the examination.

Participants will perform a dynamic warmup including mobility and calisthenics exercises, followed by specific warm up sets of each of the exercises leg curl and shoulder press (performed on weight-stack machines). Then, up to five attempts will be made to complete one repetition sets with increasing load until the participant either fails to complete the full range of motion or declares she cannot attempt the next set. The load (in kg) of the final successful attempt for each exercise will be documented for analysis. Two to three minutes rest will be provided between the attempts. The order of the exercises will be maintained throughout the assessment points and between participants. The assessments will be carried out by the same experimenter at the same time of day ±2 hours.