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Workout regimes can vary from person to person. There are countless opinions about how much you should work out to build muscle, get shredded and get stronger.
However, is there a formulaic pattern you must follow to achieve your goals? On that note, we'll examine all the factors determining your workout frequency and what is right for you.
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How Often Should You Work Out?
Whether you're trying to build muscle, lose body fat or get stronger, remember that fitness isn't a get-fit-quick scheme.
You have to put in the hours and stay focused and dedicated to your workout regime. While there isn't a set number of days you should hit the gym in a week, there is an optimal amount of load you should be putting on your muscles in a seven-day timeframe.
Before you craft a training regime for yourself, remember that it isn't the number of days you put in or the kind of exercise split you follow; it's the consistency that adds up over a prolonged period that makes all the difference.
If you exercise five days a week and then go through a slump, don't panic. That's because eventually, even if you show up to the gym for two or three days, it makes a massive difference in your long-term goals.
Now, the question of how often you need to work out arises. Not everyone has the time to exercise six times a week. Everyone you ask for advice will have something different to tell you.
People with busy lifestyles can only afford to hit the gym two to theee times a week. Meanwhile, people with more free time can easily work out on a six-day split.
Before you jump to a conclusion about your workout frequency, take into account all the factors that your life revolves around, such as your goals, lifestyle, age, etc.
The amount you work out largely depends on your goals. So, to ascertain how much you need to work out to achieve your goals, try placing yourself in one of these brackets: weight loss, muscle building and health maintenance.
Working Out For Weight Loss
If your goal is to lose weight and bring down your body fat percentage, working out three to four times a week is ideal.
For weight loss, you'll want to couple strength training with cardio to burn a sufficient amount of calories, while also keeping your muscles nice and strong.
Work on getting stronger and staying flexible with your regime, as working out three to four times gives you ample time to pursue other personal goals. Aim to ramp up your cardio every single day to increase your endurance.
On your days off, stay away from the gym, but try to stay active, in general. The occasional swim or brisk walk won't hurt. As mentioned earlier, it's your consistency that adds up to give you the best results.
Take the stairs instead of the lift, and cycle to work, if you can. Staying active in your daily life outside the gym will edge you closer to your goals.
Working Out for General Health and Fitness
If you're someone who works daily and has little to no time for the gym, finding the motivation to go lift when you're mentally and physically drained can be exhausting and demoralising.
For those on the go, a four-day split is ideal. No, it isn't a standard four-day split. Find balance in your workouts. Alternate between weightlifting and cardio. Work out on the weekends. Work out at home. The choice is yours.
If lifting weights is too taxing on your body after a long day at work, try some bodyweight exercises you can do at home. Push-ups, squats, planks and so forth are your best friends.
For cardio, train in intervals, and exercise in short bursts of explosiveness (HIIT). You can try other forms of cardio like biking, cycling, running or even walking.
However, if you decide to make the trip to the gym, the elliptical and treadmill, if used keeping the same principles of HIIT in mind, can help you achieve your weekly goals.
For general health, focus on setting small goals, weekly or bi-weekly, and try to achieve them consistently rather than planning for the whole year at once.
Working Out to Build Muscle
If you're trying to build your physique you've been dreaming of or that instagram-worthy body, you'll need a lot more free time on your hands.
Try to hit the gym five to six times a week, but that shouldn't be your primary goal. Your largest muscles, i.e., the back, chest, shoulders and legs require the most attention and load.
For optimal muscle growth, you need to be hitting the muscles twice a week. Sure, you could do three full-body workouts, and call it a week.
Nevertheless, studies have shown that a weekly load spread out over two training days rather than one keeps the muscles in question fresh and allows you to work out harder than if you were doing it all on one day.
To make it simpler to understand, if you're doing 20 sets of back on your designated pull/back day but only training it once a week, you're missing out on untapped potential.
Split those 20 sets into ten and ten, and train your muscle groups twice a week, while focusing on a steady progressive overload. As for cardio, try to cut back, but don't fully eliminate it from your workouts. No, it doesn't kill your gains.
However, it does deplete energy resources that would have otherwise allowed you to lift more and reduces the rate at which your muscles grow and recover. Make sure you rest well, as that gives you the energy to go even harder during your next lifting session.
Takeaway
There are thousands of workout routines you can follow to achieve your goals. You must find what works best for you, and optimise it to suit your needs and goals.
Remember not to divulge into the optics of your split, and just maintain general consistency in the long run, because eventually that will reward you.
