One of the most asked questions that I get from those starting an exercise program is how often should I workout? Exercise frequency is dependent on a number of factors; the biggest factor being how much time that you have to exercise.  When your daily schedule is cluttered with work, kids, chores, and extra circular activities it can be hard to fit in a workout.  While all of these distractions are important you must ask yourself if you are willing to risk having major medical problems as you grow older?  Work and kids are extremely important, not being healthy enough to work or enjoy your time with your kids can be emotionally devastating.

 

Exercise frequency is dependent upon several factors.  But the most important question that you need to ask yourself is what am I trying to achieve by starting an exercise program?  So let’s start with one of the biggest motivators which is fat loss.  The term how to lose weight is searched over 550,000 times per month according to Google.  So that statistic right there tells me this is one of the biggest reasons why people start an exercise program.

 

So the how frequently do you have to exercise to lose weight, or burn fat?  If you are just starting out then you will need to first figure out what your target heart rate is.  This is essential to losing weight or burning fat.  If you do not get your heart rate up then your body will not burn enough calories to make a change.  The easiest way to determine your maximum heart rate is to follow this formula; 220 – your age.  But you’re not done yet.  Now take your answer and multiply it by .85 (85%).  That final number will be 85% of your maximum heart rate. If your goal is to lose weight or burn fat then you will want to do at least 30 minutes of exercising reaching 85% of your maximum heart rate three to four times per week.  Keep in mind you should sustain your 85% maximum heart rate for the full 30 minutes.

 

What if your goal is to gain lean muscle mass?  Gaining muscle mass can be achieved several different ways depending on how much muscle you want to build.  Building muscle takes a progressive resistance (weight) training program followed up by a diet that is high in protein.  Exercising with weights will actually cause your muscle tissue to break down.  But if you are eating a diet that is high in protein your body will build the muscle tissue up to be stronger and larger.  Exercise frequency, when it comes to building muscle, is a bit more complex.  You must consistently stress the muscle tissue in order for it to grow.  If you train often with weights you are telling your body that it needs to grow more muscle in order for it to handle the next round of resistance. Then your body responds by building more muscle.

For most beginners working out 3 days per week is enough to build muscle and strength.  If you break your program down to a seven day week it would look something like this; weight training Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you would then perform intense cardio exercise Tuesday and Thursday.  Saturday and Sunday would both be rest days.

 

However if you goal is to lose body fat then your exercise frequency would be a bit different.  On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday you would perform intense cardio exercise with Tuesday and Thursday being your weight training days.  Then Saturday and Sunday would be your rest days.

 

After several weeks your body will begin to adjust to the extra demand you are placing on it and you will need to change things up a bit to continue to progress.  You may need to train each body part twice per week in order to continue to gain strength and muscle and then add in your cardio after your resistance training.  This would be the same thing that you may need to do for cardio exercise for losing weight and burning fat.

 

Things can get a bit confusing during the transition from being a beginner to an intermediate.  The one and only thing that you need to do is to make sure you continue to progress.  If you continue with the same exercise frequency each and every month your body will no longer feel the need to adjust and therefore stop progressing.  This is where having a Fitness Trainer comes in handy.  I am trained in program creation and knowing which exercises will help your body to progress and keep you reaching each of your goals.

So take the guess work out of your workouts and sign up for one of my Online Training programs that you will keep on your phone and have with you every day.  There will be no more guess work as I will give you the road map to where ever you are trying to take your body.  Below are the advantages to joining my Online Fitness Training:

 

-Workouts developed that will get your body to where you want it

-Detailed video and text description of each exercise-you will know exactly how to perform each exercise correctly

-Accountability- you will check in with me every day you start your workout, IN REAL TIME!

-Body Progression-I will be able to see how well you are improving and adjust accordingly

-Continuous support-text and app communication whenever you need it

-Affordable-programs starting out at just $25 per month

Whether you are a member of a fitness center or have a home gym your programs are designed around the equipment you have access to.

Click HERE to see my Fitness Training packages!