If you are close to meeting your goals but need just a little extra push, you might consider two a day workout plans. These plans involve a workout in the morning and another in the evening, with a resting period between them to produce more results effectively. It is essential that you get the rest you need between the two sessions, as it is crucial to recovery and the overall effectiveness of the workout plan.
Establishing a workout plan can be a little daunting at first, with all the recommended guidelines. Working in 5 days of cardio and 2 days a week of strength training per muscle group can be overwhelming. Two a day workouts can help you work in all the required sessions you need to meet your weekly goals. They can also push your performance and results over the top, speeding up your progress.
Here we will explain what two a day workouts are, how to establish a workout routine and the pros and cons of this workout. We’ll also clarify whether working out twice a day is beneficial and if it is better to work out in the morning or the evening. Read on for everything you need to know about these workout plans.
You may have heard the term 2 a day workout plans but are not quite sure what that means. It is the practice of working out twice in one day. The target muscle group in the morning is generally different from the target muscle group in the evening. Often, the type of exercise is different as well. For example, cardio may be performed during one session, while strength training is done during the other. A significant rest period is required between the two sessions of at least a few hours to allow recovery.
This is a typical workout plan for athletes training for a big game. Determining if this plan is right for you depends on several factors. The primary factor is what you hope to achieve from your workouts. Exercising twice a day may not be necessary if you are just exercising for your general well-being. However, if you are trying to reach a specific goal, such as a performance-based one, you may want to consider 2 a day workout plans (1).
While athletes primarily use this form of workout plan, it is not limited to them. You can implement it as needed to achieve your goals. As with any workout plan, you will need to start slowly so as not to overwhelm yourself or cause injury.
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It is essential to have a strong workout plan before entering into a twice-daily workout routine. The risk of burnout is too significant without structure. When developing a beginner workout routine, there are several key aspects on which one to focus, to ensure your ultimate success.
First, you will need to establish your current level of fitness. You do not want to create a plan that exceeds what you are physically capable of doing because this can lead to excessive fatigue and injury. You will also be less likely to continue your workout plan if it is too advanced. While considering your fitness level, also think about your health. Any current health conditions must be accounted for when developing your workout plan. In this situation, it is best to consult your physician before starting any workout routine.
Second, determine your goals. Are you trying to improve your health, or are you trying to become a marathon runner? This will determine the direction in which you will move your fitness plan as you progress. This will also determine if 2 a day workout plans are right for you.
Third, start slowly. Do not just dive head-first into your new routine. If you have yet to work out regularly before establishing this workout plan, you must take it slowly to prepare your body for the activity. You will be able to improve your range of motion, endurance, and strength gradually over time. This is especially true if you plan on adding twice-daily workouts to your plan.
Fourth, determine what variety you can add to your workout. A successful workout plan must have variety, or it will get stale and boring. You will want to change things often while maintaining the schedule you establish for working muscle groups and performing cardio activities (3, 4, 5). Adding things like a pull-day workout may be just what you need.
Finally, you need a solid schedule to make things the most effective. It can be confusing because of all the exercises experts recommend. According to guidelines published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, adults should perform cardio exercises at least 5 days a week and strength training exercises on each muscle group two days a week. Each exercise should be followed by stretching (9). That can be a lot to plan for one week, so making a schedule can be the most beneficial way to keep track of what you have done and still need to do. Adding double workouts can also help you get in all the requirements for your weekly schedule.
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Once you have established your beginner workout plan, you are ready to start working out. The key at this point is ensuring you do not give up.
Start by setting goals that are within reach. Long-term goals are the way to success. For example, cardio is supposed to be completed five days a week. Starting off at that level may be overwhelming, and setting that number of days as your long-term goal would be better. You could start with three days a week for a set period and then work your way up to five days in increments.
Additionally, making the workout routine personal by fitting it to your lifestyle, budget, and schedule is essential to creating a long-term commitment. For example, if you hate running, you should not choose it for your cardio activity. Choose something that you enjoy and will want to do when the time comes around. Don’t set yourself up for failure by choosing something that will not work with your schedule or eventually become a financial burden. All these factors come together to strongly impact how effective you will be at committing to your workout routine.
Keep track of your progress. Choose what you want to measure and maintain a written log of your accomplishments to see how far you have come. When you hit essential milestones, do not forget to reward yourself with that new pair of jeans or the bestseller everyone’s been talking about.
It is essential not to beat yourself up if you stray off track. It happens to the best of us. The important thing is that you work your way back onto the path of your workout routine. You may need to reevaluate your goals and tone down the level of exercise you are performing until you are entirely on track again (11).
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There are several benefits to working out twice a day that genuinely make a difference. Because you will be working out more, you will be reaping double the benefits of exercise on the days you do a two a day workout. This can lead to better strength, greater range of motion, and weight loss. Additionally, risk factors for cardiovascular disease decrease.
Working out twice a day can also positively impact your performance. Attaining goals will be made much easier because of the increased time spent working out. This opens the door to many ways of adapting your exercise routine (2).
Additionally, in a study published in BMC Public Health, shorter runs of high-intensity workouts have been shown to be highly beneficial in workout plans. They keep exercise enjoyable by making it shorter and are just as effective, possibly more, than full medium-intensity workouts that take much longer to complete (6).
There are two a day workout plans for weight loss. According to the National Cancer Institute, breaking up your cardio into three separate sessions throughout the day can be just as beneficial as completing it all in one session (7). The same principle applies to two a day workouts. Breaking your cardio up over two sessions can be beneficial for weight loss.
Completing a shorter, high-intensity exercise session during one of the two workout periods in your day will be just as effective as if you had completed one long medium-intensity workout. However, by doing a two a day workout, you will be able to double the amount of activity you complete in a day, increasing calorie burn, which, under the right circumstances, can result in weight loss (2, 6).
There are risks involved with two a day workout plans for weight loss that can impact your ability to lose weight from them. Overtraining can be a serious problem. Occasionally, when people are just starting a workout routine, they go in too fast and hard, resulting in burnout. Another mistake is they do not get enough rest between workouts, which is highly detrimental to their overall health. Another problem with overtraining is that it can lead to weight gain instead of weight loss (10).
A study published in Sports Health has demonstrated that load and performance increases are negatively impacted without proper rest between workouts. Eventually, the lack of adequate rest will result in what is known as Overtraining Syndrome, causing problems with several of the body’s essential systems (8).
According to the Marshfield Clinic, you should not complete two a day workouts daily. Additionally, you should not perform the same type of workout both times. For example, if you do a cardio workout in the morning, you should follow up with a strength training workout in the evening (13). Following these simple suggestions can help avoid situations such as weight gain and plateaus.
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Generally speaking, the best time to work out for most of us is when we can fit it in. However, there are some benefits to working out in the morning versus the evening. For women, morning workouts tend to result in more fat loss, while evening workouts produce more upper-body strength. For men, the results are generally consistent across the board (14).
Adding any changes to your workout routine should be done slowly and carefully to avoid excessive fatigue and injury. When establishing two a day workout plans, you must take into consideration the rest period between workouts. With a well-defined rest period between the two sessions, you will have enough recovery time, which can positively impact your health and progress.
Two a day workouts can be effective for weight loss as they boost the calories you burn because of the extra activity you are incorporating into your day. However, they should not be performed daily for the best results. Additionally, you should alternate what type of activity you are completing so that you do not do the same kind of exercise twice in one day.
When establishing a workout routine, it is essential to set goals, track them, and reward yourself for completing them. When you step off the track, don’t focus on the negative; just steadily work back to where you were before the mishap. Whether you incorporate two a day workouts or not, it is critical that you set up your schedule to accommodate adequate rest and recovery.
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