How Many Days Should I Workout Per Week?

Going to the gym everyday (along with eating right) is the mindset of every person just starting out with fitness.  But does days logged in at the gym equate to better results?  Well, that depends on a few things. 

First - What are your intentions? 

Namely, are you looking to maintain/improve health & lose weight, gain strength, or a combination of the three? 

If you’re interested purely in your health and losing weight (the two tend to go hand in hand), then going to the gym every day is great.  However, going to the gym isn’t your only option.  Be active.  Resist dormancy as much as you can, everyone needs down time, but what we’re talking about here is movie marathons, video games, or whatever keeps you from moving around and being active; not ever having a reason to move around is the most dangerous activity you can do to yourself - I’d say even more dangerous than smoking!  So, yes, move around and move around often.  If this means going to the gym, amen I say to you, go to the gym every day!

Now, gaining strength is where things change.  There are many options you can take.  You can choose the tried and true method of gaining strength and losing weight - 5 days per week which emphasizes one muscle group per day (Arm Day, Chest Day, Back Day, Leg Day, Shoulder Day).  There is another 5 day per week workout program which alternates between Pushing Movements (Bench Press, Push Up, Shoulder Pres, Leg Press, Squat, etc.) and Pulling Movements (Deadlift, Pull-ups, Rows, Bicep Curls, etc.).  There are also 3 day per week workouts that alternate between workout day and rest day (Monday – Workout Legs, Tuesday – Rest, Wednesday – Workout Back, Thursday – Rest, Friday – Workout Chest, Weekends Off); a workout like this is great for purely strength training, you’re hitting big muscle movements with a lot of weight and low reps!  Then there is the 6 day per week workout, where you take on the 5 day per week workout program but add on a purely cardio day on Saturday: hit the treadmill, go for a bike ride, go to the park, play a sport, etc.  The point of this day is to have fun and embrace that active lifestyle!

Now that you’ve decided what your intentions are, let’s get a scope of how intense your sessions are.

Second - How intense are your gym sessions?

If you’re gym sessions are very intense, let’s say you’re doing the big compound movements (Squat, Deadlift, Benchpress, Overhead Press, Clean, Jerk, etc.) at weights that are near your one rep max, the best option for you may be the 3 day workout schedule with alternating workout/rest days. 

Again, following the 5 day workout program may suit you as well, because it allows you to focus all of your efforts on one muscle group or movement type, and do an active rest on the next day.  An active rest refers to performing movements that don’t demand much effort form the resting muscle.  

So, if you find yourself doing more Olympic style lifts and full body compound movements stick with the 3 day workout, otherwise the 5 day workout schedule will suit you well! 

Now that we’ve got our intentions and we have our intensity level.  The last deciding factor of how many days per week you should go to the gym would be…

Third - How long are your gym sessions?

The duration of your sessions ties into the intensity of your sessions.  If you’re lifting heavy weight and burn out quick, that’s a short session but you got a lot of work in.  If you’re doing 15 minutes of light cardio mixed with some moderate weight training that’s nowhere near your maximum limits (in regards to weights or rep count) then going to the gym every day is great for your health.  Also, going to the gym to socialize doesn’t count as working out; so if you find yourself in the gym for 2 hours but your working your jaw more than your muscles…before you can isolate your muscle groups perhaps you should isolate your priorities! 

Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger has said that he could do more work in 10 minutes than most people could in an hour.  What it comes down to is how you’re exercising.   If you find you’re only at the gym for a total of 15 minutes, but you’re completely burning out a specific muscle group during that time then give that muscle group a day of rest (active rest as well). 

 To sum it up:

1.        Workout Everyday – If you want to maintain health and lose some weight.

2.       Workout 3 Days Per Week – If you are looking just for strength.

3.       Workout 5/6 Days per Week – If you just love being active!

Remember that whenever you train - always listen to your body. If your shoulders are tight, take it easy. If the weight feels too heavy, take it easy. It’s better to train smart, than it is to train hard. If you’d like to figure out what your potential is in terms of the amount of weight you can lift, head to our article covering What Weight Should I Use?

It’s better to train smart, than it is to train hard.