Is 3 days a week enough for a workout?

Yes, it is. As seen above, working out for just 3 days a week has multiple health benefits, including helping you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

Is it better to work out 3 or 4 days a week?

We have proven that physical activity three times a week is good for you. However, if your strength and schedule allows, exercising 4 days a week may be better. When it comes to keeping fit, physical activity three times a week is considered the bare minimum ( 12 , 5 ). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , a good 4-day workout routine could include either ( 7 , 12 ): Vigorous aerobic activity such as jogging or running for 75 minutes twice a week plus strength training that works all major muscle groups twice a week. An equivalent mix of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity 2 days a week and work all major muscle groups 2 days a week. Either option is ideal for someone who’s looking to lose weight and also build muscle. For those who are interested in building muscle mass and strength, a 4-day workout split could also work. A 4-day split workout routine could look like: Day 1 – Lower body quad-focused exercises Day 2 – Upper body push-focused exercises Day 3 – Rest Day – Lower body hamstring-focused exercises Day 5 – Upper body pull-focused exercises Days 6 and 7 – Rest

Is 2 hours in the gym too much?

Remember that experts recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day. Working out for longer is recommended, but even the average time for longer workouts often caps off at 60 to at most 90 minutes ( 3 , 4 ). Exercising for 2 hours or more is a place of diminishing returns where the risk of injury due to overtraining is higher than the benefits from working out for such a long session. If you typically spend 2 hours at the gym, reduce this to 90 minutes. Remember that over-exercising is not good for your health, and if it is not corrected, it can lead to mental health issues, damage to the kidneys and heart, lowered immunity, muscle and joint damage, and sexual dysfunction ( 2 , 10 , 14 ).

Can I do full-body workouts 3 days a week?

Yes, you can. If you’re just working out for those 3 days and taking 4 days off, you can do full-body workouts three times a week. However, if you’re doing three full-body workouts a week plus more, you may want to proceed with caution. Doing this may lead to overtraining certain muscle groups and cause excessive fatigue and reduced athletic and muscle performance ( 8 ). Always make sure to have 1 to 2 full days of rest after exercise to allow your muscles to rest and recover.

What is a 5-day workout split for women?

This is an exercise routine that divides your weekly workouts into five days of training and two days of rest and recovery. Workout splits such as this are often used by intermediate or advanced weightlifters to increase and optimize muscle gains.