How Many Days a Week Should I Work Out?

In order to hit your fitness goals, you can't work out too little or too often. But figuring out the perfect workout frequency doesn't have to be rocket science.

We break down the factors you should consider, from personal goals to expert recommendations, when planning your ideal workout schedule.

Key Takeaways

• Exercising regularly is great for your general health.
• Experts recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.
• They also recommend working out between three and five days per week.
• A professionally designed workout program should help you figure out what number of days a week is right for you and your fitness goals.

See More: What Does a PR Mean in the Gym?

Building an Effective Workout Routine

Carriejune, founder of Minibeast, says:

"Most people try to work out between three and five times per week. How often you work out will depend on your schedule and fitness goals."

Often, the hardest part of working out is actually starting. And the next hardest part is doing so again.

Consistency is absolutely vital if you want to reach your fitness goals. That's true no matter what your fitness level is.

But how often do you need to work out in order to be consistent? Every day? A few days a week?

Ask five people at your gym this question, and there's a chance you'll get five different answers. In part, that's because different people have varying schedules, which sometimes place hard limits on your workout frequency.

It's also because the answer depends on your fitness goals. For example, cardio and strength training for weight loss can look very different than for building muscle.

Fortunately, once you understand your goals, you can quickly figure out how many days a week you should work out. You'll be able to put together an effective workout routine that fits in with your schedule rather than overwhelming it.

Regular Exercise for Overall Health

Before we break down the specifics of workout frequency, we need to outline the big picture. How long should you spend working out over the week as a whole?

There isn't necessarily a single "perfect" figure. That said, experts widely agree that regular exercise is crucial for overall health. Exercising regularly provides many potential health benefits.

One figure often cited is 150 minutes. For example, the American Heart Association recommends aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.

Heart Rate

Moderate intensity means physical activity that gets your heart pumping without wiping you out. Think brisk walking, light cycling, or swimming.

Technically, it's defined as activity that elevates your heart rate to 50% or 60% of your maximum heart rate. Vigorous aerobic activity, in contrast, might increase your heart rate by 70% or 80% or even more.

There's a trick to help you stick within this sweet spot of workout intensity. You should be able to carry out a conversation with someone. Being a little out of breath is to be expected, but if you're so winded you can't converse, chances are you're pushing too hard.

Things to Consider

Note that this 150-minute figure is recommended as a minimum. Doubling it to 300 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity can make a noticeable difference, especially if you're trying to improve your cardio fitness level or lose weight.

Another thing to note is that this moderate exercise doesn't have to happen all at once. You can break it up into chunks.

Even short periods of activity, like walking up the stairs, can count as moderate physical activity. The key is that you try to get yourself moving for at least a few hours total per week.

Of course, cardio exercise is just one part of the story. A truly balanced workout routine should include other exercises, like stretching and strength training.

How Often Should You Work Out?

So, could you just condense all of that into a single three-hour workout?

Technically, sure. But it's likely not the best idea.

Experts generally recommend spreading your activity out over the week. For most people, three to five days of exercise per week will work great.

There are a few reasons for this.

First, remember that you're human. What sounds more manageable: A few short workouts, or a marathon session every week? Chances are that steady, manageable workouts will be more manageable than the alternative.

In the same vein, your body also has to be able to handle your workout schedule. Recovery is crucial to progress. It's when your body repairs the damage from a workout, which includes building new muscle.

On the one hand, working out too infrequently can be inefficient and undermine motivation.

And on the other hand, working out too often can be overwhelming and undermine recovery.

That leaves a sweet spot in between. For most people, it's between three and five days a week.

As you probably noticed, that means there are days when you aren't supposed to exercise. These are called rest days.

Rest days aren't a sign of laziness or a lack of discipline. The opposite, in fact. They're a crucial part of any workout schedule.

That's because recovery time can often stretch beyond 24 hours. For example, after a particularly intense strength training session, the specific muscle group you focused on might need 48 hours to recover.

Skip too many rest days, and you're more likely to risk fatigue, burnout, and even injuries that can completely derail your progress.

Experts generally recommend aiming for one or two rest days per week.

Adjusting to Your Fitness Goals

So far, we've spoken in ranges. That's because the specifics of your workout schedule depend on the specifics of your life.

That includes your schedule. As much as we might like to dedicate ourselves completely to our training, there are other responsibilities to consider.

It's important to keep these in mind when planning your training schedule. If you only have time to work out three days a week, there's not much point making a workout plan that involves five training sessions per week.

After all, your workout plan needs to be sustainable in order for you to be able to follow it in the long-term. That's the key to seeing results.

You should also consider your fitness level and fitness goals.

If you're new to exercise, you might need to start at a lower intensity compared with someone who's already exercising regularly and wants to ramp up. Starting too intensely can increase the chance of injury or burnout.

Consider why, exactly, you are exercising. Do you want to lose weight? If so, how fast do you want your weight loss to proceed? How much weight do you want to lose in total?

Or are you interested in building muscle? Improving your cardio fitness?

Or maybe just improving your overall health?

General Health

As we mentioned, regular exercise provides many potential health benefits. Many people exercise precisely for those benefits.

If that's you, chances are you can keep things simple. Try to balance strength training and cardio so you get the potential benefits of both.

A good place to start is 150 minutes of moderate exercise plus two days of strength training per week. There are plenty of ways to divide that overall goal into three, four, or five workout days a week.

Losing Weight

Exercise and a healthy, balanced, calorie-deficit diet are key to losing weight. If weight loss is your goal, you might want to increase the volume.

At the least, make sure to hit that 150-minute minimum. One easy way to do that is to do a thirty-minute moderate-intensity workout five days per week. If you can manage an hour per workout, you'll hit that higher figure of 300 minutes per week.

For people with less time to spare, consider increasing the intensity. The World Health Organization's guidelines recommend either 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense exercise (or a combination of both).

It's also important not to forget strength training. Actually, you might want to do more strength training than someone exercising for general wellness.

That's because strength training and building muscle can contribute to fat loss.

Bonus: How to Work Out at Home With No Equipment

Building Muscle

If you want to build muscle, then strength sessions need to be your priority. That doesn't mean foregoing cardio, of course. But it does mean more focus on the tenets of muscle-building, like progressive overload.

At first, it might be a good idea to limit your sessions to three or even two days a week. That gives your muscles plenty of time to recover as they adapt to this new routine and you learn proper form on your exercises.

It's also a good idea to start with full-body exercises. Once you've mastered these and become accustomed to a regular workout routine, you can start to target specific muscles.

As you advance, you can increase the frequency of your workouts to four or five days a week. To accommodate that, you might split your workouts to target different muscle groups on different days.

For example, if you work your upper body one day, you might target your lower body the next day. Your upper body muscles can recover while you focus on your lower body.

How to Build the Perfect Workout Routine

As you can see, building a workout routine can be complex. There are many things to consider.

So what if you let an expert do it all for you?

Minibeast's 8-Week Workout Challenge comes with five full workout programs, split into different fitness goals so you can choose the perfect one for you. You get access to custom calories based on your body composition and goals, example meal plans to follow, and a 24/7 private support group with the Minibeast team.

"I have seen more transformation in my body during those eight weeks," one participant said, "than I had almost the entire time that I was trying to do this on my own. And more importantly, I feel like I've learned so much. They make it so easy."

Conclusion

How many times you work out in a week depends on your schedule, your fitness level, and your fitness goals. Generally, experts recommend aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, plus strength training and stretching, split into three to five workouts per week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Exercise 4 Times a Week Enough?

Yes, exercising four times per week is enough to achieve many fitness goals. Experts generally recommend working out three to five days per week.

What Is the 3-3-3 Rule for Workouts?

The 3-3-3 rule is a simple framework for planning your week. It calls for doing three days of resistance training, three days of cardio, and three days of rest or active recovery, like stretching. You can combine strength training and cardio in a single day.

Is Working Out 2 Days a Week Enough?

Working out twice per week should provide health benefits, especially if you are hitting the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise. It's definitely better than doing nothing at all. But many fitness routines call for working out at least three times per week.

Keep Reading: Why Do My Leggings Keep Falling Down? 5 Fixes

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