How often should you train each week?

I often get asked: "How many days a week should I work out?" The answer, as with many fitness questions, is: it depends. Let's break down what influences your training frequency and how to find the right balance for you.

First and foremost, your training frequency hinges on your personal goals, fitness level, and lifestyle. If you're a beginner, starting with two to three sessions a week might be ideal to build a solid foundation. On the other hand, if you're an experienced athlete or someone looking to compete, five to six sessions may be necessary to meet your goals.

Regardless of your experience, varying the intensity of your workouts is crucial. Not every session needs to be a high-intensity sweat fest. Incorporating a mix of resistance training, moderate cardio, and low-impact recovery sessions can help optimise performance and prevent burnout. For example, with Emma who does 3x a week with a goal of building and maintaining muscle, her current routine looks like this:

Monday: Posterior chain (rear muscles from toe to head). Here we do a lot of pulling movements, mostly using rings, and TRX with body weight.

Wednesday: Anterior chain (front muscles from toe to head). Here we do mostly pushing movements, mostly using dumbells and kettlebells.

Friday: Whole body, making sure to work her priority muscles. On this day we a higher volume of cardio too.

This is a great split which allows adequate rest for her muscles to rest, repair and adapt (grow in size and strength). I tailor the intensity based on her current fitness, how's she's feeling that day and what stage she's at in her program. It's not sustainable and realistic to hit personal best's in every session. Wednesday's intensity is typically lower as it is sandwiched between 2 other sessions.

I have a few clients than train with me once a week too. Although it isn't optimal, once a week is better than 0x a week. With these clients, we usually keep the intensity high, to bring about the most out of our 60mins. I make sure to let the client know that session won't produce huge gains, but will do enough to keep a good level of maintenance. One benefit here is the client has a lot of rest. You can think of rest days as growth days, provided you've worked hard enough of course!

Now, let’s talk about rest. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking more workouts equal better results. However, recovery is just as important as the workouts themselves. Overtraining can lead to fatigue, increased injury risk, and even burnout. As a general rule, you should allow at least one to two rest days each week, even more if you're just starting out. On the other side of the spectrum, there are athletes, especially in combat sports who train up to 3 times a day to reach goals. This can only be achieved by advanced athletes who deliberately rest, usually by having naps between each workout. Not to mention nutrition being one of the most crucial factors to achieve this.

There's interesting ways to tell If you’re over reaching, such as a grip test using a hand dynamometer, but generally listening to your body - feeling for fatigued or soreness is. good indicator for wether you need an extra rest day or a lighter week. Everyone’s body responds differently to training, so tuning in to what feels right for you is key to long-term success, you get better at this the more experience you have.

In summary, the optimal training frequency is highly individual. Vary your workout intensity, prioritise rest, and stay attuned to your body’s signals. Whether you're just starting out or looking to elevate your fitness game, finding the right balance will lead you to achieve your goals effectively and sustainably. Happy training!