How often should you exercise in the gym?

For the vast majority of ordinary fitness enthusiasts, going to the gym 3-5 times a week is the most cost-effective option. There is no need to get in vain because the training volume is not enough to see the results, and there is no need to endure the training frequency and injure oneself.

I went through this pitfall two years ago when I first entered the pit. I got excited when I saw the divided plan of six exercises a week by an online blogger. I squeezed in time to go to the gym after get off work. As a result, my muscles did not grow a few taels in two months. I caught colds frequently and developed tenosynovitis in my wrists. It was only later that I realized that I had to work every day. Ordinary people who spend 8 hours and play with their babies for two hours at home cannot recover at such a high frequency of training. Instead, they train their shoulders, back and core twice in the middle of the week, and train their lower limbs and chest and arms once on two weekends. With a rhythm of four times a week, they have lost 3 points of body fat in three months, and their wrist problems have gradually healed.

Of course, this does not mean that 3-5 times is the absolute standard answer. There are different opinions in the fitness circle. If you are a bodybuilder preparing for a competition or have a clear need to achieve results in a short period of time, practicing 6 times a week or even twice a day is a routine operation. The cost of recovery and diet will also be high. Ordinary people do not need to apply this standard to themselves. On the other hand, if you are really busy, working in investment banking or sales, and it is difficult to squeeze in time even three times a week, then it is completely fine to practice twice a week. Each time you go through the major muscle groups of the chest, back, and legs, and the movements are in place, it is better than lying still. I have a friend who is a consultant next to me. He can only practice 40 minutes each on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday nights a week. After half a year of persistence, his abdominal muscles have appeared.

In fact, the frequency of fitness is just like watering the green plants at home. There is no unified standard. Water the plants that like humidity more, and water the plants that tolerate drought less. If you water too much, the roots will rot. If you practice for an hour every time, and don't hold your phone for half an hour between sets, then three times a week will be enough to make you sore for two or three days. ； If you go to practice for 20 minutes every time and then lie there and play with your phone for 40 minutes, it's useless to go 7 times a week.

If you are a newbie to the gym and haven’t even figured out the standard of movements yet, then 2-3 times a week is enough. First practice the basic movements of squatting, pushing and pulling correctly. Otherwise, the frequency will suddenly increase as soon as you start, and the movement will be deformed and hurt your waist or joints. Instead, you will have to rest for several months, which is not worth the gain. Don’t always think that if you practice too little, there will be no effect. Fitness is a gradual thing. If you can insist on practicing three times a week for a year, it is much better than if you practice seven times a week on a whim and then give up after two months.

It’s really easy to find the frequency that suits you best. You won’t be so tired the next day after practicing that you even have to type on the keyboard at work. You can cope with things in life normally. If you stick to it for a month or two and you can see positive changes in weight, circumference or physical fitness, then this frequency is just right. You don’t need to compare with others who have practiced more. The one that suits you is the most effective.