Figuring out how many times you should work out in a week can be quite confusing. As a beginner, you may feel overwhelmed with so much information on how often working out should be.
The same thing goes for gym goers and advanced athletes. Getting the right number of days for working out can lead you to success and help you achieve results faster.
Too many sessions can harm your body while an insufficient number of days will make your progress slower. Here’s a quick guide on how often you should really work out and what factors you should consider.
The Basics
The Department of Health and Human Services state that healthy adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity in a week.
Moderate aerobic activities include brisk walking while vigorous activities include aerobic dancing, swimming laps and running. You can divide the numbers and do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise for 5 days in a week.
You can also go for a shorter number of days with vigorous aerobic activities. You can also try both activities alternatively and increase the number of minutes in the following weeks or months. Meanwhile, strength training should be performed at least two times weekly.
If you’re a beginner, you can start out with 30 minutes of resistance training for each day and increase the numbers as you go along. Assess yourself and try to find a perfect balance between cardio and strength training exercises for better results.
Factors to Consider
Remember the numbers mentioned previously are only general rules. The exact number of workout sessions per week will still vary depending on a lot of factors. The first thing to consider in determining the number of days for work out is your fitness level.
A beginner should never have the same number of days as an intermediate or advanced bodybuilder for their bodies have different needs and capabilities. As a beginner, you should start with a fewer number of days to get your body to warm up and adapt to your program.
Your fitness goals also matter for the number of work out days for losing fat and the frequency of work out for building muscles differs greatly. Basic factors such as age and type of workout should also be noted in determining how often you should hit the gym or train in a week.
Conclusion
Scheduling and planning your workout sessions can be quite confusing with a lot of factors to consider and things to remember. The easiest way is to determine your goals, know your body’s capabilities, check your health and choose what type of workout will work best for you.
Following these steps will set you up for success and help you achieve your target weight or ideal body in no time. Setting clear goals and knowing how much you can handle can prevent you from going overboard when it comes to your workout routine.
Get help from a personal trainer and visit your health consultant so you can easily figure out what workout plan is recommended for you and if it is something that your body can easily adapt to. While there is a standard number of minutes recommended for workouts, it’s always best to have a program customized for you and your body type.