Research summary · Training and performance
Splitting squat training into short daily bouts
Forty-five recreationally trained male students completed eight weeks of volume-matched Smith-machine squat training: three short daily bouts, one continuous session, or a time-matched control condition.
- Publication year
- 2026
- First published online
- Publication type
- Randomized controlled trial
- Journal
- Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness
- Population / context
- Recreational resistance training · Young men
What the publication reports
Both training schedules improved maximal strength, isometric force and relative muscular endurance more than control. No clear performance difference separated the training schedules, while enjoyment was higher with fragmented sessions.
Limits and interpretation
The sample was restricted to young men and one exercise performed at relatively light loads. Nonsignificant differences do not prove equivalence, and greater reported enjoyment does not establish improved long-term adherence.
Read the source
Consult the original record for the full author list, methods, references, funding and competing-interest disclosures.
Fragmented versus traditional resistance training: a randomized controlled trial on muscular strength, endurance, and enjoyment in recreationally trained young adults
Original publication / indexed recordPMID: 42729992DOI: 10.1016/j.jesf.2026.200521Full text at the sourceReader discussion
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