We get this question a lot when we are on-boarding new athletes and also from those athletes who have been with us but are looking to refine what they’re doing:
“How many days per week should I be working out? How should my weeks look in terms of training splits?”
The answer, as with most things fitness, nutrition and health related, is that it depends.
It depends on a number of things such as your goals, schedule, training age, ability to recover, and to what you adapt best.
If your goals revolve around maintaining your body weight, feeling good and just enjoying life, a lower total volume of training and less training days is likely the best option.
However, if you’ve got body fat loss goals, have competitive desires or another aesthetic goal in mind, you may have to have a more regimented approach with more training days. Not always, but sometimes.
Can you see how individualistic everything is? That’s why if a gym simply tells you, “Come as much as you can,” or “You need to come X days per week,” without first asking you a number of questions to learn about you and the above details, you should run, and run fast.
So when figuring out a training split and setting up a weekly schedule, let’s first ask the above questions about goals and your schedule. The reason we look at schedule is because we need something that you can realistically commit to.
The most important part of all of this is that whatever training split you choose, we need consistent adherence in order to see results. A training schedule that flows with your work and family schedule is therefore a must.
Here are some of our favorite splits:
M-T-Th-F – The rest day on Wednesday breaks things up nicely and allows for awesome workouts on the other 4 days. We like an active recovery day on the weekend such as a hike, swim, biking or yoga which gives us 2 full rest days each week.
M-T-W-F-Sat – This gives us 3 consecutive days in the gym to find a rhythm but by the 4th day it’s time for a rest. Let the body and mind recharge so you can then hit Friday and Saturday with some intensity. Another full rest day on Sunday gives you 2 full rest days in this split.
M-W-F – This split gives us 3 solid days in the gym and allows Tuesday and Thursday to be active recovery days where we stay in motion. We can then take the weekend for rest and reset.
Again these are some options, but the key is to find a training schedule that works for you – your goals, your schedule, and what you like to do. Finding something you enjoy and can stick with long-term is what leads us to the results we’re looking for!
Are you having trouble with your workout schedule or wondering if what you’re currently doing is right for you? Shoot us an email and we’ll be happy to give you a FREE strategy call where break down what you’re currently doing and if it’s serving you in the best way.
