How Often Should I Workout?
Perhaps you are just getting ready to start lifting, and you are trying to decide on how many times you're going to hit the gym. Or maybe, you've been going to the gym but worried that perhaps you're working out too much or not enough. There are a few different aspects we need to examine to determine how often we workout.
Let's Define What We Mean
When we say, "how often should I workout", we are talking about how many times a week should you go to the gym. The most crucial factor of this is how much time you can commit to the gym. Effective training splits exist ranging from just 2 days a week to training 6 days a week.
While training more than 2 days will be more optimum, if 2 days is all you can commit to, we can design an excellent program to fit those time constraints. At the same time, don't think that using a program that trains you six days a week will help you if you can only make it four times a week.
Be honest with how often you can go and then design a program using the variables below.
The Importance of Volume
When it comes to muscle adaptation, the total volume is king. By volume, we merely mean how much overall load that is placed on a muscle. This can be seen in the simple equation:
Weight X Sets X Reps = Total Volume
Dr. Brad Schoenfeld demonstrated a dose-relationship exists between overall volume and muscle adaptations in a 2016 Meta-Analysis. This simply means that more volume equals more growth. In 2019, Dr. Brad Schoenfeld demonstrated this again in another meta-analysis. When the overall volume was equated for, similar hypertrophic muscle gains were seen in people who trained a muscle group once, twice, thrice, or even four times a week.
While this seems simple, there are other factors at play. When we attempt to train a lot of volume for one muscle group in the same day, we can accumulate a lot of fatigue. This results in "junk volume", a term used for reps that are just going through the motion. If we accumulate too much fatigue, our ability to perform solid work diminishes.
The Role of Frequency
What I didn't mention in the above 2019 meta-analysis is what was shown for the studies which didn't equate for volume. It was found that when people trained a muscle group more frequently, they naturally performed more volume. This extra volume then manifests itself through greater muscle growth.
Yet another meta-analysis from Brad Schoenfeld also reached this same conclusion. He determined that major muscle groups should be trained at least twice a week due to the extra volume which more frequency allows. While more research needs to be done, there may even be benefits to training each muscle group 3 times a week.
Spreading your training amongst several sessions can help manage fatigue, allow greater total volume, and allow a more high-quality workout.
What This Means For You
As mentioned, you first need to decide how many times you can make it to the gym in a week. As you can see, the more often you can get in the gym, the more volume you will place on your body.
Then, hit each main muscle group at least 2x a week. If you can only go twice a week, this may mean only doing 1 exercise per muscle group each session. That's fine, but you should have plenty of energy, so hit it hard.
The most important factor is choosing the right amount of time that you can get into the gym AND give 100% effort. It doesn't matter if you go 7 days a week if you half-ass it. I have found that most trainees thrive hitting the gym 4 days a week or using a 2 day on/1 day off split. This offers a great balance of work and rest.
If you need help in figuring out what type of program would work best for you based on your personal goals and circumstances, send Prepare for Performance a message or just stop on by if you're nearby. Try out our program for 2 weeks for free!