Does it matter when you exercise?

Sauleeh

Working retail at this time of year is hectic. Lately I have been able to exercise 3 times per week which is good, but all those days seem to be in a row as my schedule only allows for that. For example this week I went to the gym Monday, Tues, Wed. I could go tomorrow but 4 days in a row seem excessive, with my work schedule and how the gym opens on weekends I won't be able to go again until Monday. Do the days matter, or as long as I am hitting my 3 days I should be ok? I do two arm days and one leg day in the middle to give the muscles rest but I do 20-30 minute cardio on those days depending on my energy.

tinkerbellang83

As long as you don't feel like you're over-doing it and you're eating enough to fuel the exercises I don't see why not. If your aim is weight loss (assuming it is as you're posting in diet and weight loss) then as long as you have a calorie deficit you will lose weight, if it at some point it feels like working out 3 days in a row, cutting it down to 2 days isn't going to hurt for one month whilst you get the festive period at work out of the way.

jemhh

If your goal is just to burn calories it probably doesn't matter.

Carlos_421

Unless you’re hitting the same muscles 3 days in a row, it shouldn’t hurt or matter. Hitting legs in between two arm workouts covers that.
If you have time for a fourth workout so that you’re doing two upper body and two lower body workouts, that wouldn’t hurt either.

joelrivard

Try hitting each muscle only 1x per week. So you can do like chest-tri one day, back-bi, shoulders one day then legs.
On a few of the off days come home and jog in place, shadow box, jumping jacks, whatever, in front of the tv for 30 min.
Muscles don't recover in 2 days the micro-tears are still healing so you can't grow any faster by hitting a muscle 1 or 2 days later.

kenyonhaff

Exercise timing is the same as timing eating: it is what works for you. In the end the math works out the same.

That being said there are probably times that work best. Running immediately after a big dinner is a bad idea. You may love working out at 5 am or maybe not at all. Your favorite yoga teacher may have only evening classes.

cwolfman13

It doesn't matter, but if you're hitting the gym 3x per week you would be far better off with a basic full body program rather than just legs and arms. Right now I'm doing a very basic full body program that takes me between 30 and 40 minutes and then I spend 20-30 on the stationary bike since it's winter and I don't get my rides in like I do in spring, summer, and fall.

batorkin

Exercising every day is OK (cardio, stationary bike, etc) as long as you don't feel fatigued. HEAVY lifting on the other hand really shouldn't be done more than 1-3 times a week. I usually do a 3 day break between my lifting.