UCalgary Researchers Find that Low Frequency, High Intensity Exercise Pays Off for Fitness Goals
By Health Correspondent
New study finds two intense workouts a week can be just as effective as four
If your busy schedule keeps you out of the gym during the week, don't worry—your weekend workouts still count.
According to Dr. Martin MacInnis, associate professor at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Kinesiology, exercising just two days a week can deliver the same fitness benefits as four, as long as intensity and total volume stay the same.
“Over the course of our study, we saw no drop-off in fitness benefits from only working out two days a week versus four,” says MacInnis. “The key is keeping the effort and duration consistent.”
The study, recently published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, followed 28 adults over eight weeks. Participants were assigned to either train four times a week or complete longer sessions twice a week—primarily using interval and continuous cycling workouts.
Both groups saw similar gains in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle performance, and fatigue resistance.
MacInnis hopes the findings ease guilt for busy individuals and encourage more people to stay active, even if they can only commit on weekends.
“Doing something is better than nothing,” he says. “If weekdays are packed, pick a day and get moving—your body will thank you.”
The study was published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
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