How Many Times Should We Be Training Per Week and Why?

When it comes to fitness, one of the most common questions people ask is, “How often should I be training each week?” While the answer can vary depending on your goals, fitness level, and personal preferences, there are general guidelines that can help you structure a balanced workout routine. In this blog post, we’ll explore how many times a week you should train, the benefits of different training frequencies, and the factors that influence how often you should work out.

The Basics of Exercise Frequency

First, it’s important to understand that exercise frequency refers to how many times you train per week. For optimal health and fitness, most fitness experts agree that training 3 to 6 times per week is ideal for most people. However, the specific frequency and type of training you should aim for depend on several factors, such as:

• Your fitness goals (e.g., weight loss, strength building, general fitness).
• Your current fitness level and experience.
• The type of exercises you’re doing (e.g., cardio, strength training, flexibility work).
• Your recovery needs and ability to rest.

Let’s break it down further and look at how often you should train for different goals and fitness levels.

General Health and Fitness: 3–5 Days Per Week

For most people, the goal is general health and fitness. Whether you’re looking to improve cardiovascular health, build strength, or just feel better overall, training around 3 to 5 times per week is typically sufficient. This frequency strikes a good balance between exercise and recovery, helping you stay fit without risking burnout or injury.

Benefits of 3–5 workouts per week:

• Improved cardiovascular health: Regular cardiovascular exercise (like walking, running, or cycling) can reduce the risk of heart disease and improve overall heart function.
• Increased strength and muscle tone: Strength training a few times a week helps you build lean muscle, which improves metabolism and supports bone health.
• Weight management: Consistent training helps with calorie burning and fat loss while maintaining muscle mass.
• Better mental health: Exercise is a natural mood booster. Regular physical activity can help reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression.

Sample Routine for General Fitness:

• 3–4 days of a mix of cardio and strength training.
• 1–2 days of flexibility training or active recovery (e.g., yoga, Pilates, or walking).

Building Muscle and Strength: 4–6 Days Per Week

If your primary goal is to build muscle or increase strength, you’ll likely need to train more frequently. For strength-focused goals, most people aim to train 4 to 6 times a week. This frequency allows for enough volume (sets and reps) to stimulate muscle growth and strength gains, while also incorporating rest days to avoid overtraining.

Benefits of 4–6 workouts per week:

• Muscle growth: Strength training more frequently provides the stimulus your muscles need to grow larger and stronger.
• Improved power and endurance: A higher training frequency can lead to improvements in overall strength and performance.
• Better focus on different muscle groups: A split training routine (e.g., focusing on different muscle groups each day) can help target specific muscles more effectively without overloading them.

Sample Routine for Strength Building:

• 3–4 days of weight training (upper body, lower body, full-body splits, etc.).
• 1–2 days of lighter, active recovery or cardiovascular work (such as light jogging or cycling).

Weight Loss: 4–6 Days Per Week

For those focused on fat loss, a combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training is ideal. 4 to 6 days of training per week is typically recommended, depending on your fitness level. The key to fat loss is creating a calorie deficit, and exercise can help you burn more calories while preserving muscle mass, which is critical for maintaining a healthy metabolism.

Benefits of 4–6 workouts per week for weight loss:

• Increased calorie burn: Cardio exercises (like running, cycling, or high-intensity interval training) help burn a large number of calories.
• Muscle preservation: Strength training can help maintain lean muscle while losing fat, ensuring that weight loss doesn’t come at the expense of muscle mass.
• Improved metabolism: The more muscle mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which helps you burn more calories at rest.

Sample Routine for Weight Loss:

• 2–3 days of high-intensity cardio or interval training (HIIT).
• 2–3 days of strength training (focus on full-body workouts or split routines).
• 1–2 days of active recovery (e.g., walking, yoga, or light swimming).

Flexibility, Balance, and Mobility: 2–3 Days Per Week

While many people focus on strength or cardiovascular fitness, improving flexibility, mobility, and balance is just as important for overall health. Training for flexibility and mobility typically involves practices like yoga, Pilates, or stretching routines, which can be done 2 to 3 times per week.

Benefits of flexibility and mobility work:

• Improved range of motion: Regular stretching and mobility exercises help keep joints and muscles supple, reducing stiffness and improving movement quality.
• Injury prevention: Improving flexibility and mobility can reduce the risk of injury, especially during strength or cardiovascular workouts.
• Better posture and balance: Flexibility training can improve your posture, especially for those who spend a lot of time sitting or working at a desk.

Sample Routine for Flexibility and Mobility:

• 2–3 days of yoga, Pilates, or dedicated flexibility training.
• Incorporate stretching into your warm-up or cool-down on strength or cardio days.

Rest and Recovery: The Key to Progress

While training is essential, rest and recovery are just as crucial to any fitness programme. Overtraining without enough recovery can lead to fatigue, injury, and stalled progress. For most people, taking at least 1–2 days off per week is necessary to allow muscles to repair, rebuild, and grow stronger.

Why recovery is important:

• Muscle repair: After intense exercise, muscles need time to recover and repair. This process helps them become stronger over time.
• Injury prevention: Resting reduces the risk of overuse injuries, which are common when muscles are continually stressed without adequate recovery.
• Mental rejuvenation: Rest days help prevent burnout and keep you motivated in the long run.

How to Listen to Your Body

While having a general guideline for training frequency is helpful, it’s also important to listen to your body. Some days you may feel more fatigued or sore than others, which may indicate the need for more rest. Other days you may feel energetic and motivated, which might mean you can push yourself a little harder.

Signs you may need more rest:

• Persistent soreness or joint pain.
• Feeling excessively fatigued or mentally drained.
• Decreased performance during workouts.

Signs you may be overtraining:

• Increased risk of injury.
• Trouble sleeping or trouble recovering after exercise.
• Feeling unmotivated or “burned out.”

Conclusion

So, how many times should you train per week? The ideal number of training days depends on your fitness goals, current fitness level, and recovery needs. For most people aiming for general health and fitness, training 3–5 days per week is ideal. If you’re focused on building strength or losing weight, 4–6 days might be more appropriate. However, always prioritise recovery, listen to your body, and adjust your routine as needed.

If you're unsure about the right frequency or type of exercise for your goals, working with a fitness professional or personal trainer can help you create a balanced, sustainable routine that fits your lifestyle and objectives. The key is consistency, variety, and ensuring that you enjoy the process — that way, you’ll stick with it in the long run.