A method of generating a magnetic resonance image of a subject, the method comprising: - detecting respiratory motion of the subject; - acquiring k-space samples by - fully sampling an elliptical central area of the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, wherein the k-space has a plurality of points, each point being representative of a potential sample and where each point of the (k y,k z) -plane corresponds to a full sampling of a line in k-space along k x; - subsequently partially sampling in a number of subsets of segmented acquisitions an elliptical peripheral area of the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, wherein the elliptical peripheral area surrounds the central area; - said partial sampling of the elliptical peripheral area in each one of the subsets of segmented acquisitions according to: - random or pseudo-random sampling using a Poisson-disk sampling and a variable density decreasing outward in the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, at a pre-set sampling reduction factor; and - selection of sampling positions outside a pre-selected minimum distance from an already sampled point and minimising the distance between points acquired in immediate succession; - repeating the partial sampling of the elliptical peripheral area of the (k y,k z)- plane, while increasing the elliptical peripheral area and successively reducing the pre-set sampling reduction factor, as well as detecting respiratory motion of the subject in parallel, until: - (a) a pre-set maximum resolution of the acquired k-space samples is reached or - (b) respiratory motion of the subject is detected - reconstructing using a compressed sensing technique, the magnetic resonance image of the subject using the k-space samples acquired until the pre-set maximum resolution of the acquired k-space samples is reached, or before the detection of respiratory motion. - detecting respiratory motion of the subject; - acquiring k-space samples by - fully sampling an elliptical central area of the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, wherein the k-space has a plurality of points, each point being representative of a potential sample and where each point of the (k y,k z) -plane corresponds to a full sampling of a line in k-space along k x; - subsequently partially sampling in a number of subsets of segmented acquisitions an elliptical peripheral area of the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, wherein the elliptical peripheral area surrounds the central area; - fully sampling an elliptical central area of the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, wherein the k-space has a plurality of points, each point being representative of a potential sample and where each point of the (k y,k z) -plane corresponds to a full sampling of a line in k-space along k x; - subsequently partially sampling in a number of subsets of segmented acquisitions an elliptical peripheral area of the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, wherein the elliptical peripheral area surrounds the central area; - said partial sampling of the elliptical peripheral area in each one of the subsets of segmented acquisitions according to: - random or pseudo-random sampling using a Poisson-disk sampling and a variable density decreasing outward in the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, at a pre-set sampling reduction factor; and - selection of sampling positions outside a pre-selected minimum distance from an already sampled point and minimising the distance between points acquired in immediate succession; - random or pseudo-random sampling using a Poisson-disk sampling and a variable density decreasing outward in the (k y,k z) -plane in k-space, at a pre-set sampling reduction factor; and - selection of sampling positions outside a pre-selected minimum distance from an already sampled point and minimising the distance between points acquired in immediate succession; - repeating the partial sampling of the elliptical peripheral area of the (k y,k z)- plane, while increasing the elliptical peripheral area and successively reducing the pre-set sampling reduction factor, as well as detecting respiratory motion of the subject in parallel, until: - (a) a pre-set maximum resolution of the acquired k-space samples is reached or - (b) respiratory motion of the subject is detected - (a) a pre-set maximum resolution of the acquired k-space samples is reached or - (b) respiratory motion of the subject is detected - reconstructing using a compressed sensing technique, the magnetic resonance image of the subject using the k-space samples acquired until the pre-set maximum resolution of the acquired k-space samples is reached, or before the detection of respiratory motion.