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

July 15, 2026 updated by: Zhao Fangyuan, Chongqing Normal University
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of a weekend warrior exercise pattern on muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary female university students. Forty participants were randomly assigned to either a weekend warrior group or a regular exercise group. Both groups completed 150 minutes of moderate-intensity jogging and resistance exercise per week for 8 weeks, but the weekly exercise sessions were distributed differently. Body composition, functional muscular performance, and aerobic capacity were assessed before and after the intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

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.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Chongqing Municipality
      • Chongqing, Chongqing Municipality, China, 401331
        • Chongqing Normal University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Female university students aged 18 to 25 years.
  2. An average daily sedentary time of at least 8 hours, as assessed using the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire.
  3. 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.
  4. Regular menstrual cycles without the use of hormonal contraceptives.

Exclusion Criteria:

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

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Weekend Warrior Group
Participants completed an 8-week weekend warrior exercise program on two consecutive days per week. Each session consisted of 50 minutes of moderate-intensity jogging and 25 minutes of resistance training, totaling 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Behavioral: Weekend Warrior Exercise
Participants exercised on two consecutive days per week for 8 weeks. Each session included 50 minutes of jogging and 25 minutes of resistance training. Exercise intensity was maintained at a Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion of 13-14 and monitored using the talk test. The total weekly exercise duration was 150 minutes.
Active Comparator: Regular Exercise Group
Participants completed an 8-week regular exercise program on three days per week, including two 50-minute moderate-intensity jogging sessions and one 50-minute resistance-training session, totaling 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Behavioral: Regular Exercise
Participants exercised on three days per week for 8 weeks, completing two 50-minute jogging sessions and one 50-minute resistance-training session. Exercise intensity was maintained at a Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion of 13-14 and monitored using the talk test. The total weekly exercise duration was 150 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Knee Push-up Performance
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
The number of correctly completed knee push-ups performed continuously until volitional fatigue was recorded. Higher values indicate better upper-body muscular performance.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Sit-up Performance
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
The number of correctly completed sit-ups performed continuously until volitional fatigue was recorded. Higher values indicate better abdominal muscular performance.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Body-weight Squat Performance
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
The number of correctly completed body-weight squats performed continuously until volitional fatigue was recorded. Higher values indicate better lower-body muscular performance.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
12-minute Run Distance
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
The total distance covered during the 12-minute run test on a flat outdoor track was recorded in meters. A longer distance indicates better cardiorespiratory fitness.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Body Weight
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Body weight was measured using the InBody 770 bioelectrical impedance analyzer and reported in kilograms.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Change in Body Mass Index
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Body mass index was assessed using the InBody 770 and reported in kilograms per square meter.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Body Fat Percentage
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Body fat percentage was assessed using the InBody 770 bioelectrical impedance analyzer and reported as a percentage.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Waist-to-hip Ratio
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention
Waist-to-hip ratio was calculated by dividing waist circumference by hip circumference. Lower values generally indicate lower central adiposity.
Baseline and immediately after the 8-week intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Chongqing Normal University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 5, 2026

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 20, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 15, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 15, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 15, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CNU-WW-2026-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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