One of the most common questions we get is: “How often should I train?”
Let’s break it down. Training once a week is a great start, especially if you’re new to strength training or if your schedule is extremely tight. It’s a positive step toward a healthier lifestyle. However, if you truly want to see significant improvements in your strength, physique, and overall fitness, increasing your training frequency to 3-4 times per week can make a world of difference.
Benefits of Training 3-4 times per week:
- Accelerated Progress
– Faster strength gains and muscle development due to more consistent stimuli.
– Quicker improvements in endurance, flexibility, and overall fitness.
- Better Muscle Memory and Technique
– Enhanced muscle memory, leading to better form and reduced risk of injury.
– More opportunities to practice and perfect movements.
- Increased Metabolic Rate
– Greater calorie burn throughout the week, even on rest days.
- Enhanced Mental Health Benefits
– More frequent boosts in mood, stress reduction, and overall mental well-being.
– Stronger mental resilience and a greater sense of accomplishment.
- Improved Habit Formation and Routine
– Easier to establish and maintain a consistent exercise routine.
– Greater likelihood of making fitness a regular part of your lifestyle.
- More Accountability and Motivation
– Regular sessions create a built-in accountability system, helping you stay on track.
– Frequent check-ins with your coach keep you motivated and focused on your goals.
- Comprehensive Training
– Ability to target different muscle groups and focus on varied aspects of fitness (strength, cardio, mobility) across the week.
– Reduced risk of overtraining any single muscle group.
- Better Recovery and Adaptation
– More frequent, moderate sessions allow for adequate recovery while promoting continuous adaptation.
– Balanced training loads reduce the risk of burnout and injury.
Struggles and Downsides of Training Only Once Per Week
- Slower Progress
– Significantly slower improvements in strength, endurance, and overall fitness.
– Longer time to reach fitness goals, potentially leading to frustration or loss of motivation.
- Difficulty in Building and Maintaining Habits
– Harder to establish a consistent workout routine, increasing the likelihood of skipping sessions.
– Less frequent training makes it challenging to make fitness a regular part of your lifestyle.
- Minimal Impact on Metabolism
– Limited elevation of metabolic rate, resulting in fewer calories burned throughout the week.
– Less impact on fat loss and muscle gain.
- Limited Skill Development
– Slower improvement in technique and muscle memory, leading to potential plateaus or regression in form.
– Less frequent practice of movements increases the risk of injury due to poor form.
- Lower Accountability
– Fewer check-ins with your coach, making it easier to lose focus on your goals.
– Less motivation and external support to stay committed.
- Reduced Mental Health Benefits
– Less frequent boosts to mood, stress relief, and overall mental well-being.
– Missing out on the regular endorphin highs that come from more frequent exercise.
- Higher Risk of Losing Momentum
– Long gaps between sessions can lead to losing momentum, making staying motivated harder.
– Greater likelihood of feeling like you’re starting over with each session.
- Inadequate Training Variety
– Limited ability to vary workouts and target different muscle groups.
– Risk of overtraining a specific area if the same exercises are repeated each week.
