Three One-Minute Squat Sets Built Similar Strength to One Long Session, Study Finds

Splitting a workout into short bursts spread through the day built about as much leg strength as doing it all at once, according to a small new study reported by ScienceAlert. The only clear difference was that the short bursts were more fun.

The research was led by scientists at Tongji University in China and published in the Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness. It adds to growing interest in so-called exercise snacking, the idea of fitting small bouts of activity into a busy day.

How the squat experiment worked

ScienceAlert reported that 45 male students aged 18 to 25, all of whom already lifted weights regularly, took part in an eight-week squatting program. Researchers randomly assigned them to fragmented training, continuous training or no supervised training at all.

Three times a week, one group did three 1-minute bouts, each made up of 20 weighted squats. The other group did a single continuous session of 60 weighted squats. Everyone squatted on a Smith machine under expert supervision, and the weight rose gradually for each person over the two months.

Strength and endurance were tested at the start and end. For endurance, participants squatted as many times as they could at 40 percent of their maximum squat weight. They were asked to avoid alcohol and hard exercise for at least 24 hours beforehand and to get enough sleep.

What the researchers found

Muscular strength, isometric squat force and relative muscular endurance improved in both exercise groups compared with the group that did no supervised training. The traditional session produced slightly larger gains in strength and endurance, but ScienceAlert said the differences were not statistically significant.

The authors wrote that their hypothesis that traditional training would do better was not supported. They said the results do not back the view that continuous training is superior and indicate that several short bouts spread across the day produce comparable muscle and nerve adaptations.

The one difference was enjoyment. Participants who split up their squats reported having more fun than those who did the long session. The authors suggest that dividing the same amount of training into brief sessions may make exercise feel less burdensome and give people more flexibility to fit it into their schedules.

What this means for people short on time

According to ScienceAlert, the results suggest that fragmented exercise could be a practical alternative for people who are pressed for time. Earlier work on exercise snacking, it noted, has mostly looked at aerobic activity such as climbing stairs or brisk walking, and has linked small bouts of movement with better cardiorespiratory fitness, blood sugar regulation and several other health markers.

Resistance training has been less studied. ScienceAlert pointed to a large study suggesting that 90 to 119 minutes of resistance training per week is the sweet spot for lower mortality risk, though that does not require all of it to happen in one gym visit. Breaking minutes into small chunks may also delay fatigue and allow better-quality repetitions. Another recent study found that holding a squat or plank a few times a week can lower blood pressure.

Limits of the study

The study was small and involved only young men who were already used to lifting weights, so the results may not apply to other groups. ScienceAlert also noted that continuous training might still build better endurance than short snacks, which was one of the outcomes the researchers set out to test.

The authors say more research is needed to compare the two approaches over longer periods and in more varied groups of people. Until follow-up trials confirm the findings, they remain preliminary. It is possible, ScienceAlert adds, that shorter sessions make workouts feel easier to start, which could boost people's sense of autonomy and achievement and make exercise more enjoyable.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ScienceAlert