How many days per week should i train?
Whether you are a newbie first starting out at the gym or you are an experienced gym-goer, almost everyone at some point will ask the question, “How many days per week should I be training?”
When I take on a new client I go through an intake process that covers among many things, their availability to train. Sometimes they ask the question to me in the form of “How many days should I be training.”
There are many factors to take into account when this question needs to be answered. Some of these are:
What are their goals?
Are their goals on a timeframe? (for example, an upcoming wedding or trip)
What is their training experience?
How much time could they even devote to training given their other commitments (job and family).
Simply, off the cuff, I would stay you have to train a minimum of 2x per week to make even a modest change, but ideally you would devote at least 3x per week to effectively get the most out of your time.
If they are relatively new to training I would actually like to see them in the gym more than less because I feel that they need to create the habit of going, learning the gym and the various machines, weights, etc.
Now just because they come in 2-3x per week to the gym doesn’t mean that they won’t do more outside of the gym. This is usually in the form of cardio or sometimes a metabolic workout that can easily be done at home or simply with dumbbells.
If they are on a specific schedule (let’s say an upcoming wedding in 3 months) then I would encourage them to be hitting the gym more like 4-5x per week, but again this is all determined by their goals.
Next is looking at their life outside of the gym. If they have an incredibly demanding and stressful job or if they have a family that expects them to be present, it’s going to be hard to stay compliant. Not impossible, just harder.
Finally, what is their training experience? Are they just now getting back into the gym after a long layoff or is it that they are just now learning about the gym and what it offers. This is called their training age.
Once I have all this information gathered I will generally approach them with a “Let’s start with less than more” approach. Why? Well because many people tend to over estimate how much they can really train. Instead we look at it from the perspective of “How many day’s could you train under the worst circumstances?”
The point is that we can always add more sessions, but if we build out a program based on more and then they cannot achieve that then the program becomes almost pointless as they will miss too many sessions.
Every client is different, even if they share the same goals. Their bodies are different and they will react differently in the training. My job is to help someone find a blend between them setting and achieving their goals and keeping them interested enough that they build in routines to stay consistent, over time, with their workouts.
My goal as your Coach / Trainer is to help you become fitter and stronger by building a plan that works for your lifestyle. It’s also about building the workouts that don’t just crush you (something we are seeing way too much of on social media). The objective is building you up, not tearing you down.