How many days a week should you be working out?
There are a few different factors that go into what type of training split you should have:
Your goals: Are they physique related, strength related, health related, or a mixture of all three? Someone who is looking to achieve specific strength goals will likely need to work out more than someone who is just looking to be more active.
Schedule: What does your work schedule look like? How many days do you have off per week? Do you have a pretty open week or are you booked from the early morning to late at night?
Training age: This is related to how long you've been working out in a gym. Beginners can typically work out less per week versus someone who has been training for 5+ years
Biofeedback: Do you get enough sleep to recover from your workouts? What do your energy levels look like right now?
Nutritional intake: Are you current eating enough to support your training days? Have you been chronically under-eating?
Most clients we train average about 3-5 workouts per week! This can look like all strength training or a mix of strength, functional, cardiovascular training and group classes. Here are some options for well rounded full strength training splits:
3 DAY WEEK
Option 1: Full Body x 3
Option 2: Lower Body, Upper Body, Full Body
4 DAY WEEK
Option 1: Upper Body x 2, Lower Body x 2
Option 2: Upper Body, Lower Body, Full Body x 2
Option 3: Full Body x 4
5 DAY WEEK:
Option 1: Lower Body x 3, Upper Body x 2
Option 2: Lower Body x 2, Upper Body x 3
Option 3: Lower Body x 2, Upper Body x 2, Full Body x 1
Within these options, you can also have muscle group specific days. For example, if training 2 days of upper body per week - you can split them into muscle groups that work together: Day 1 (Back, Biceps, Rear Delts) and Day 2 (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps) or you can keep them as full upper body days and train all muscles each day.
Bottom line, your training program should be customized to you!
