Many individuals believe that to achieve amazing results, they must spend hours at the gym every day. It's true that dedication and consistency are key to achieving your fitness goals, but it's equally important to recognise that training three times a week can be more than sufficient to achieve great results.
Three times a week is definitely enough for you to achieve strength training goals. Many of the world's best powerlifters and old-school bodybuilders worked out three times a week. They use full-body routines.
Exercising three times a week can be sufficient for maintaining general health and fitness, especially when combined with other physical activities throughout the week. However, the effectiveness of a workout regimen depends on factors like intensity, duration, and individual fitness goals.
According to their research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, the optimal length of exercise per week is: minimum of 5 to 10 hours of moderate physical activity (42 minutes to an hour and 25 minutes daily) minimum 2 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours of vigorous physical activity (21-42 minutes daily)
Your Training Frequency: 3 times per week
Keep it simple: Aim for three full-body workouts per week, resting at least one day between workouts. “You want to spend two-thirds to 75 percent of that time strength training, and the other 25 percent to one-third on heart rate work,” he says.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, keep off lost weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Cutting down on sitting time is important, too.
The general rule of thumb is that you should be working out at the gym 3-5 times per week, with each session lasting between 45 minutes to an hour. However, if you're just starting out, it's important to ease into things and not overdo it.
While it's important to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, you don't want to overtrain and push yourself too hard. Sometimes, when you overtrain, your body can produce too much cortisol — a stress hormone linked to belly fat. So, overtraining may actually make it harder to burn off belly fat.
Does a three-day workout routine to get ripped sound impossible? Trust me, this isn't a scam or “miracle” workout. Research has shown that performing full-body exercises three times a week may be more beneficial for muscle growth than working out single muscle groups just once a week.
As a rough guide, you'll probably notice some initial changes in the first four to six weeks, but longer-term changes (what you're working toward) will often take around eight to 12 weeks. The good news is that you're likely to start feeling better quickly.
Share of Americans who exercise three times a week 2023
During a survey in the United States in 2023, around 58 percent of respondents stated that they exercised at least three times a week. In the same survey, some of the most popular physical activities in the U.S. were hiking, biking, and running.
Muscle and Cardio
Noticeable changes (2-4 months): More noticeable changes typically occur within several months, including weight loss and muscle tone. Your genetics, muscle fiber makeup, and the quality of your workouts affect your strength if you are well-conditioned.
For heart health and weight loss
Or if you're looking to do more with less time, ramp up the dial. The ACSM says 20 minutes of high-intensity exercise three days a week will bring on the same heart-healthy benefits.
Strength training helps you lose weight and keep it off by building muscle tissue. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate tends to be. More muscle also helps your body burn more fat than muscle, which is important if you want to lose weight and keep your strength.
Absolutely! It isn't necessary to have a daily workout routine, as we've explored, but having daily gym sessions can become a valuable part of your daily routine, regardless. As long as you're going to the gym two to three times a week, you will see (and feel) the effects.
Is one hour in the gym enough to get fit? When it comes to building strength, an hour-long session is more than adequate for both beginners and intermediates. It will allow you time for a 5-10 minute warm-up, 40-45 minutes of weight training and 5-10 minutes of cooling down and stretching.
Rapid weight loss may lead to weight regain through metabolic changes, muscle loss, hormonal changes, and possibly frustration with the restrictions associated with dieting. With that in mind, for many people, 3 months is a realistic timeframe for losing 30 pounds. That amounts to losing a little over 2 pounds a week.
Your body uses resources more efficiently during evening workouts, allowing you to sustain energy levels and perform at your best. Quickened reaction time during the late afternoon and evening also makes it an ideal time for exercises that require speed, agility, or high-intensity intervals.
According to Gam, you can—and should—do light cardio, like walking, every day; however, engaging in moderate-to-high intensity cardio seven days a week is not advised. “I would recommend everyone, even the fittest athletes, be taking at least one rest day per week for recovery,” says Gam.
Stage 1: Fast weight loss
In the beginning, weight loss happens pretty rapidly. Over a period of 4-6 weeks, you'll likely see a noticeable difference in your body weight [1] — either on the scales or by the way your clothes fit.