Boy oh boy! How many different answers can you get out there for this question?!
Kazillions! Some right, some wrong but I guess ultimately the answer lies in what results you want to achieve and also in what time frame.
If you are desiring a massive and cut body and you want it in 6 months, then you can be pretty sure you will need to be training extremely hard at least 5 times a week if not every day.
The opposite also applies whereas you may want to just tone up a bit and lose 10 pounds. Eating right and “proper training” once a week as well as some active play will certainly do the trick.
Here at BestFitnessChoices.com, my whole site is geared mainly towards the average Joe or Jill who is very busy with work, children, families and other commitments etc. People that are willing to work hard but don’t have the time to go to the gym or train 5 or 6 days a week and who want to see results for their hard work.
For this reason, scheduled workouts must check the following boxes:
- Be able to actually fit into an already busy schedule
- Allow enough time for rest between workouts
- Are programmed on days that you will actually be more likely to do them
- Keep y0u looking forward to your sessions
- Take advantage of “Weekend Confessional” or “New Leaf” days! – eg Mondays!
I feel the best amount of training days for us normal, busy lives people is simply 3 days a week of scheduled, specifically designed and planned workout or exercise sessions. I also believe that the best days for this training are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Here’s why!
One of the biggest challenges many people face on exercise programs is of course, motivation. 3 days a week keeps it fun and not a daily chore and there are also plenty of days off for you to recover or do other active exercise that is more “fun” such as playing sport, hiking or even just relaxing.
You also want to be looking forward to your workouts which will mean that you will enjoy them more and won’t dread your workouts. Win, win, and win!
Training on these days also keeps your weekend free because so many of us either don’t quite get to our weekend session due to work commitments, you just don’t feel like it or the fact that there is often other things on. Small tip though, if you can, a quick cardio session early on a Saturday morning can not only burn off a few calories but also provide you with motivation to be good for the rest of the day!
One of the keys to training especially when just starting out is not to overdo it with crazy enthusiasm and sometimes this is very hard to do. Who is the person who will ultimately see the best long term results? The one who goes nuts and trains hard, 5 to 6 times a week and then gets burnt out or dreads their workouts after just a month or two and then quits altogether or the person who trains hard 3 times a week, does “fun exercise” on other days of the week (if they even want to!), looks forward to their workouts and follows this routine for a year? I think we both know the answer to that one.
So to conclude, of course more exercise is certainly better in the short term (in most cases) if you can keep it up and not lose motivation. However, I know you will get the best results by keeping yourself fresh, adequately recovered and interested, enabling you to follow your programs and routines much more long term.
This one factor alone will result in getting you in much better shape over the long run which is of course what we all want. How many times have we seen people eat and exercise really hard for 3 to 6 months, lose heaps of weight and get in fine shape, only to see them go back to their old patterns and ultimately, back to their old bodies!
Basically, keeping yourself in shape should be a lifelong goal and the more you make exercise a regular and normal part of your day, the better your life will be!
To learn more about effective exercise programs and fat burning workouts that are specifically designed and targeted for just 3 sessions a week, click here and check out a trial membership at Turbulence Training which gives you FULL ACCESS to all they have to offer, for 21 whole days for less than $5!
Exercise hard but safe and have fun!
Cameron Abel
