Working out 3-4x a week, not daily....

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  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    So I'm curious - why do so many work out EVERY day?

    Because they feel they have to. The popular image of "fitness" is spending hours on the treadmill every day. The longer you spend on the treadmill, the more fit you are. It's insane.

    Um right. Because you totally know me and my reasons for doing what I do.

    I workout every day because I like to. I love lifting weights. I love doing my cardio. I feel awesome, energized and accomplished when I'm finished. I love the way I feel sore the next day. I love the gains I make. I love it when every week I lift a little bit more and break my own PR's, I get crabby when I don't or can't workout. I like being active. I like the muscles that I have from my exercise.

    I just plain like working out.

    Oh and I don't spend "hours on the treadmill." In fact my daily cardio is 30 minutes long followed by an 60-70 minutes of lifting.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
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    A newbie but I go on my days off work. So 2 weeks ago it was Sunday (previous week), Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday. Last week it was only Monday as I went away and this week it is Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday.
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
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    So long as you've got your calories under control, I'm not sure if it matters how much you work out--I'm certain that if I ever have kids I'll lose all my free time and have to focus on maintaining without my current exercise routine. I workout 5 days/week just b/c I enjoy the stress-release, but I'm a 25 y/o with a regular job and no kids. If it's working for you and not damaging your body, keep at it!
  • pwnderosa
    pwnderosa Posts: 280 Member
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    I workout every day but often the days are gentle, maybe half an hour of dancing or yoga. I really push for a long, hard workout once a week and mix it up the other days with shorter workouts and just yoga or walking if I am really low on energy. One of my main reasons for working out is stress relief/relaxation and I find that doing something every day is very helpful with that.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    So I'm curious - why do so many work out EVERY day?

    Because they feel they have to. The popular image of "fitness" is spending hours on the treadmill every day. The longer you spend on the treadmill, the more fit you are. It's insane.

    Um right. Because you totally know me and my reasons for doing what I do.

    I wasn't talking about YOU, I was generalizing about most people who go to the gym every day based on my experience.

    Yes, some people have better reasons. Some love working out. Some are training for a specific sport or event. Whatever. Those are fine.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
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    So I'm curious - why do so many work out EVERY day?

    Why not? To some people its not working out. To some people exercise is a daily activity thats part of their lifestyle which they have adapted to over time.

    What are you so busy doing every day that makes working out sound like a chore? Whatever that is, is probably the answer to your question. While some people choose to exercise daily, you choose to do [insert your activity here].
  • underwater77
    underwater77 Posts: 331 Member
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    I personally workout every day for 3 reasons:
    1. It keeps my diet in check
    2. It keeps me sane. I used to have to take freaking sleeping pills because my insomnia was so bad and since I started this routine almost a year ago, I have slept like a baby every night.
    3. It makes me happy and in amazing moods all day every day!

    For me, it has absolutely nothing to do with weight loss, but has everything to do with how it makes me feel.
    Who doesn't like endorphins??
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
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    I wasn't talking about YOU, I was generalizing about most people who go to the gym every day based on my experience.

    Are they really there at the gym working out? Or socializing taking up space? :bigsmile:
  • underwater77
    underwater77 Posts: 331 Member
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    Oh and lollerz at the guy saying it's for image. Sure, buddy.

    I don't care if I lose another pound. I just want to feel good all the time.

    I do spin 4x a week and yoga 3x, but my yoga burns nearly as much as spin.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I wasn't talking about YOU, I was generalizing about most people who go to the gym every day based on my experience.

    Are they really there at the gym working out? Or socializing taking up space? :bigsmile:

    Man, I see it all the time. People decide to get in shape and lose weight, whatever, then bust their butts every day on the treadmills and maybe some strength machines 6-7 days a week.

    They hate it. They keep it up for a few weeks, few months, whatever..... then one day just quit. Of course they quit; no one wants to torture themselves forever. It's not worth it.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    nm.
  • DostThouEven
    DostThouEven Posts: 148
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    It depends on what kind of 'working out" you are doing and what your current training level is with whatever type\s of working out you do. I personally prefer to work out as little as possible while still getting results as fast as possible. What anyone else thinks about that is of no import to me.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    I wasn't talking about YOU, I was generalizing about most people who go to the gym every day based on my experience.

    Are they really there at the gym working out? Or socializing taking up space? :bigsmile:

    Man, I see it all the time. People decide to get in shape and lose weight, whatever, then bust their butts every day on the treadmills and maybe some strength machines 6-7 days a week.

    They hate it. They keep it up for a few weeks, few months, whatever..... then one day just quit. Of course they quit; no one wants to torture themselves forever. It's not worth it.

    Quit or joined another gym? Or moved? Or perhaps have decided to do other things like workout at home?

    I don't see the gym as "torture" and to say it's not worth it is rather funny. The benefits of being in shape are long term.

    Are there people out there who do dislike working and probably quit? Yes but probably because they were looking for a quick fix and weren't getting the results fast enough so they gave up.

    And yes, I know you're "generalizing based on your experience."
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I workout 6x weekly, but intensity varies. I only do 3x weekly in an aerobic zone for 30 min...another 3x weekly in a recovery zone (usually just a 30 min walk) on lift days, and I lift heavy strength training 3x weekly.

    I would agree that many people simply over train..they don't really have training specific goals, they just think they have to do a gazillion hours on an elliptical to lose weight (even though a deficit is built into their diets)...it's pretty f'ing ridiculous. Really, your fitness goals should dictate how you train...if you want to run a marathon, you have to do a lot of running and various endurance cardio...if you want to make strength gains and build lean body mass, you have to spend time in the weight room and chill out a bit on the cardio. If you want to body build, you have to spend a substantial amount of time in the weight room. Those are all training specific goals. Most people "train" because they think they need to do so for weight loss...just silly and generally a waist of time from that standpoint as they don't get as much benefit from their fitness program as they could if they trained for a specific purpose outside of weight loss.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I wasn't talking about YOU, I was generalizing about most people who go to the gym every day based on my experience.

    Are they really there at the gym working out? Or socializing taking up space? :bigsmile:

    Man, I see it all the time. People decide to get in shape and lose weight, whatever, then bust their butts every day on the treadmills and maybe some strength machines 6-7 days a week.

    They hate it. They keep it up for a few weeks, few months, whatever..... then one day just quit. Of course they quit; no one wants to torture themselves forever. It's not worth it.

    Quit or joined another gym? Or moved? Or perhaps have decided to do other things like workout at home?

    I don't see the gym as "torture" and to say it's not worth it is rather funny. The benefits of being in shape are long term.

    Are there people out there who do dislike working and probably quit? Yes but probably because they were looking for a quick fix and weren't getting the results fast enough so they gave up.

    And yes, I know you're "generalizing based on your experience."

    Mostly quit.

    I don't see the gym as torture either. I'm talking about the people who don't like the gym, or don't like the things they do at the gym, but go anyway because they feel like they have to. In my experience with friends and with people I meet at the gym that's how it goes more often than not.

    So many people go torture themselves on the cardio machines day in and day out because they feel that's what fitness is.

    I'm not talking about people who enjoy what they do there. There aren't many people who enjoy physical activity yet go to the gym every day, since most of them either recognize the value of rest, spend time playing sports or participating in other outdoor activities, etc. Those people do exist, and they tend to be in excellent shape. But I don't see many of them.

    Look how many posts we see on MFP saying things like "I work out 3 hours every day and I'm not losing weight!" They talk about how much time they spend on the elliptical or whatever. Typically if you ask them how much they enjoy it, they don't. Those people are better off doing much less exercise, but exercise they actually enjoy.
  • difabu
    difabu Posts: 143
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    I've been working out every WEEKday for the past month because, first, it's easier for me that way. I workout before work and it's done. I don't have to worry about fitting it in during my evenings when things are really busy. And I love the "high" going into my day! Second, my goal is overall fitness for the upcoming backpacking season. I am a member of a women's mountain-bike racing team and the season is NOW. So I need to step it up so I'm ready for the races. Third, I'm trying to lever myself out of a year-long rut.



    From what *I* see about equal numbers of MFP members working out 3-4x or 5-6 times. I haven't noticed any "pressure" to workout every day (all 7). But if that's what some members want/need, then whatever. Why judge?
  • JJordon
    JJordon Posts: 857 Member
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    Why work out six days a week? I've got weight to cut and every little bit of that progress pushes the scale for me in the right direction. Oh yeah.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    I don't see many examples of people getting looked down upon for working out 3-4 days per week. Actually, that's far and away the most recommended workout frequency on this site. You're seeing something that isn't there....
    It's there. The other day, I suggested someone take one rest day a week, and another poster called me "lazy."
  • seena511
    seena511 Posts: 685 Member
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    i work out about 6 times a week, often for more than an hour at a time. i also don't have any kids, and am training for running and biking events. you do what you can, according to what you want out of your workouts. not everyone has to turn fitness into a lifestyle - it can just be something you do to make yourself a little healthier.
  • PeekABooGirl
    PeekABooGirl Posts: 218 Member
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    I exercise 3-5 times a week, depending on my schedule. When I exercise too much (daily), I get run down. When I exercise too little, I don't have that "pep" that endorphins give me. I exercise for fitness and health. I exercise to look good naked. I exercise so that when I get to my goal weight, I'll be happy with what I see in the mirror, instead of feeling disappointed.

    Some people exercise every day because they've set their calorie goals pretty low and need the extra cals from working out. Some people have been convinced by shows like "The Biggest Loser" that the only way to lose weight is to go all out and exercise like crazy every day. Some people simply like to exercise that much. There are a lot of reasons.

    The body needs rest though. It's just as important as healthy food and exercise. So, take your rest days and don't feel guilty! They're good for you.

    Edit to add that actually building muscle is very difficult. It typically takes a calorie surplus, lots of protein, a heavy lifting program and time - especially if you are a woman. It's not easy. People who are new to exercising may see a small gain due to muscle (newbie gains) but beyond that, you really have to work to gain muscle.
    When the scale goes up from exercising, it's because your muscles are retaining fluid in order to repair themselves. So, drink plenty of water and get some rest and the scale will go back down.

    Thanks! Makes total sense!

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