Effects of "Weekend Warrior" Exercise on Muscle Strength and Cardiorespiratory Finess in Sedentary Female University Students

This was an 8-week, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial involving 40 sedentary female university students aged 18 to 25 years. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a weekend warrior group or a regular exercise group.

The weekend warrior group exercised on two consecutive days per week, completing 50 minutes of jogging and 25 minutes of resistance training per session. The regular exercise group exercised on three days per week, including two 50-minute jogging sessions and one 50-minute resistance-training session. Both groups completed 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Exercise intensity was maintained at a Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion of 13-14 and monitored using the talk test.

Assessments were conducted before and after the intervention. Body composition was evaluated using the InBody 770. Muscular performance was assessed using knee push-ups, sit-ups, and body-weight squats, while aerobic capacity was assessed using the 12-minute run test. All assessments were performed by the same trained assessor under standardized conditions.

Inclusion criteria

• Female university students aged 18 to 25 years.
• An average daily sedentary time of at least 8 hours, as assessed using the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire.
• Less than 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity or less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, as assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.
• Regular menstrual cycles without the use of hormonal contraceptives.

Exclusion criteria

• Identified as being at risk for participation in physical activity based on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire.
• Current smoking or drug use.