Breaking strength training into short bouts throughout the day may produce results comparable to completing the same exercises in one workout, according to a study published in the Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness in October 2026. The approach, sometimes called “exercise snacking,” could also be more enjoyable for some people, potentially helping them fit activity into a busy schedule.
Researchers assigned 45 male college students at Tongji University in Shanghai to one of three groups: traditional resistance training, fragmented resistance training, or a control group. The two training groups exercised three days a week for eight weeks. One group completed three sets of 20 squats in a single session; the other did one set of 20 squats at three separate times during the day, with at least an hour between sessions.
Both training groups showed comparable improvements in muscular strength compared with the control group. The exercise-snacking group scored slightly higher on a questionnaire about how much participants enjoyed their workouts, according to Craig Pille, a sports medicine physician at NYU Langone who was not involved in the research.
The findings have limitations. The study included only 45 participants, all of whom had some weight-training experience, and tested just one exercise: the back squat. The researchers also noted that women were not included, so the results may not apply as well to them.
Pille said the evidence is not yet sufficient to establish exercise snacking as a suitable option for everyone, but trying brief bouts of movement may help people fit activity into a busy day. Examples include climbing stairs between meetings or doing short mobility or strength sessions when time allows.
Sources: Outside.