I had a great conversation with a current client of mine.
She had asked me about how long should a workout typically be.
Let's get the boring answer out of the way.
It depends.....
It depends on goals, schedule, ability, and what you enjoy doing.
All of these help make your routine easy to stick to.
But there are some rules that I tend to stick to myself and my clients I am currently working with.
Here was my response when she asked the question: "How long should a workout be?"
For those of you that are working out for general health, fitness, and wellness, 30 - 60 minutes per workout is the sweet spot.
For most people hitting 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercises is enough to make a positive impact on health.
Most people in the United States unfortunately do not hit this amount.
This can be done as either 3 days of 50-60 minute workouts, or 5 days of 30 minute workouts.
If you want to take it one step further, add 1-2 days of strength training to your routine.
Your strength training workouts do not have to be as long as a pro body builder's workout.
If you are new to training, or trying to get back into it, 2 days a week for 30 minutes can be a great way start.
Here is what an example week could look like.
Monday: 30 minute walk
Tuesday: 30-40 minute strength training
Wednesday: 2, 15 minute walks (one in the morning one at night)
Thursday: 30-40 minute strength training
Friday: 30 minute walk
Saturday: 60 minute walk
Sunday: 30 minute walk
Total times Walking: 180 minutes
Strength training: 60 - 80 minutes
As you can see, you don't need countless of hours in the gym to get and stay healthy.
Are you going to crumble and fall apart if if your workouts are taking 75 -m90 minutes, or even 2 hours?
If you are a competitive athlete or someone serious about your performance based goals, you may have to train for this long.
But, if you are training for your longevity, health and fitness, and your workouts are longer than an hour, you may want to make some adjustments.
Does your focus feel off?
Are you spending too much time chatting with your gym friends or on your phone.
Maybe your effort at which you train is not high enough.
Rather than trying to stay an extra 30 minutes to feel like you actually did something, push a little harder in the sets you are doing.
Finish your last set with a drop set if you want to get a great muscle pump with less time (click here for my drop set article).
Lastly, maybe you are taking too long to rest.
Track your rest with a timer your next workout, to keep you honest.
These can all help you become more efficient with your time in the gym to maximize results.
The moral of the story is that the length of the workout will depend on your schedule and fitness level more than anything.
If you have not been doing anything for your personal health and fitness, the above schedule can be a great way to get started.
You can always add more as you make progress, and you should strive to add more.
Your body adapts, you get stronger, fitter, and you start feeling more confident in your own health and fitness.
When you start seeing the results, you will be surprising yourself at what you can accomplish next!
All the best,
Tim
Комментарии