Research
Adherence
Spreading total training volume across more sessions (higher frequency) reduces the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) for high-fatigue exercises like the barbell back squat, particularly in the middle stages of a training block.
If you find squats extremely exhausting or difficult to recover from when training them only twice a week, try splitting your squat volume across more sessions (e.g., 3-4 times a week). This will lower your perceived exertion per session without reducing your strength gains, making your training more sustainable.
GoodSupportsMEDIUM confidence
The RPE result in this study suggests that it could be favorable to spread the total training volume in several training bouts throughout the week, especially for training the muscles in the lower body. The group with a training frequency of four reported a lower RPE for barbell back squat than the group training with a frequency of two.
Why this rating
Statistically significant interaction effect found for RPE after squat, though sample size is small.
Source
Effects of training frequency on muscular strength for trained men under volume matched conditions
Emil Johnsen et al. · PeerJ · 2021
rct · n=21Cited 9×
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