There's a lot to consider when it comes to developing a weekly workout plan, and it's easy to get overwhelmed, which can make it difficult to start and stick with an exercise routine. One of the first questions you may ask yourself is: How often do I need to work out?
Exercise is a key component to good health, no matter who you are. Your goal could be to lose weight, build muscle, improve your endurance or reduce your risk of disease and injury. Exercise is an important part of achieving all of these goals. And the number of days you exercise during the week can play an important role.
You've probably heard about setting a goal of working out a certain number of minutes a week. For example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, such as brisk walking, biking or swimming. Or if you prefer more vigorous aerobic activity, like running or Jazzercise, then shoot for 75 minutes a week, or a combination of the two types.
But that doesn't answer the question of how many days a week to workout out. So, here’s what to know about how often to exercise, including both cardio and strength training.
And keep in mind that if you’re new to exercise, you can start with three days a week to focus on making exercise a habit first — and then steadily increase your workouts per week.
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How many times a week should you work out?
The number of days a week I would recommend working out depends on what your health and fitness goals are.
To lose weight
If you want to lose weight, I recommend working out five days per week to my clients. This is in line with general World Health Organization exercise guidelines that recommend adults age 18-64 perform 75 minutes of intense exercise or 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. It makes sense to break that down into five, 30-minute moderate-intensity workouts per week.
The CDC's Physical Activity Guidelines suggest vigorous exercise for 20 minutes three times a week. But if intense exercising is too much for you, the CDC also recommends moderate exercise sessions with a minimum of 30 minutes five days a week for weight loss.
To build muscle
As a personal trainer, I recommend strength training at least three times per week. I like to include strength training every other day to see the most muscle gains without overdoing it. Adding a rest day in between each strength workout will allow your muscles to recover, rebuild and repair.
Cardio can also help build muscle, but usually walking, biking, swimming, aerobics and the like are more about cardiovascular fitness. And if you're trying to lose weight, I recommend adding a cardio element to your strength-training routine to burn more calories and speed up your metabolism. Try bodyweight exercises like mountain climbers and burpees, adding light hand weights to jumping jacks or lunges, or light weights to your walk or jog.
Strength training generally focuses on large muscle groups, like the glutes, legs, back and arms, so those muscles require a recovery day. If you’re strength training your abs or core, which consist of smaller muscles, you can technically work them every single day. However, unless you really enjoy exercising every day, I recommend tacking on core exercises to your regular strength training and performing them every other day for a total of three times per week.
Sample workout routine
For each workout, whether it’s focused on upper body, lower body or full body, I recommend a circuit of five exercises followed by 10 minutes of cardio — or you can choose to incorporate cardio exercises throughout your strength routine.
For example, for an upper-body strength workout plus cardio, I’d recommend either of the following:
- 10 bicep curls
- 1 minute of walking in place (or any cardio!)
- 10 tricep kickbacks
- 1 minute of walking in place
- 10 modified pushups
- 1 minute of walking in place
- 10 overhead presses
- 1 minute of walking in place
- 10 side extensions
- 1 minute of walking in place
- Repeat for three total rounds
Or:
- 10 bicep curls
- 10 tricep kickbacks
- 10 modified pushups
- 10 overhead presses
- 10 side extensions
- Repeat for three total rounds. Finish with 10 minutes of walking in place or cardio of choice.
Sample weekly workout plans
Here are some sample weekly workout plans for guidance:
Option 1 (3 days a week)
- Day 1: Upper-body strength plus cardio
- Day 2: Rest
- Day 3: Lower-body strength plus cardio
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Full-body strength plus cardio
- Day 6: Rest
- Day 7: Rest
Option 2 (4 days a week)
- Day 1: Upper-body strength plus cardio
- Day 2: Lower-body strength plus cardio
- Day 3: Rest
- Day 4: Upper-body strength plus cardio
- Day 5: Lower-body strength plus cardio
- Day 6: Rest
- Day 7: Rest
Option 3 (5 days a week)
- Day 1: Upper-body strength plus cardio
- Day 2: Lower-body strength plus cardio
- Day 3: Rest
- Day 3: Full-body strength plus cardio
- Day 4: Rest
- Day 5: Upper-body strength plus cardio
- Day 6: Lower-body strength plus cardio
- Day 7: Rest
