How many days should one workout

kmart20
kmart20 Posts: 72
edited September 22 in Fitness and Exercise
How many days a week should one workout when they want to lose weight and get tone. Right now I work either 5-6 days a week for and hour to and hour and a half. I have friends who only workout 3 days a week for an hour and watch what they eat and are losing more weight then I am with working out 5-6 days a week. Any advice?

Replies

  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    On advice from an older acquaintance who is in excellent shape and looks much younger than his years, I try to do something active every day. I try to limit my hard workouts/long runs to 3 to 4 times a week. Usually my body tells me when I need to do a light workout and when I can do a harder one!
  • wifeyplus6
    wifeyplus6 Posts: 28
    bump. I too would be interested to know...
  • deannarey13
    deannarey13 Posts: 452
    I was working out as hard as you are too, but have since cut back. I work out about 3 or 4 days per week now. There are a couple of reasons that may be happening.

    First of all, you are likely burning a ton of calories. If you are not eating enough to support that intensity of workout (depending on what you are doing) then your body is going to store your food because you are depriving it. My personal trainer has recommended that I actually eat about 400 more calories than I was eating if I want to LOSE weight.

    Also, if you are working out above your fat burning target heart rate - you are not burning the type of calories that you want to. I found that my workouts had me at a heart rate of about 160 to 180, where my fat burning zone is from 120 to 135. Basically, I was working TOO hard.

    What type of workouts are you doing?
  • chacaruso
    chacaruso Posts: 261 Member
    Definitely listen to your body but my rule is 5/6 days a week is great when you want to burn calories and lose weight. 3 days a week is good for maintenance.
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
    The biggest difference for me wasn't so much how much I worked out, or how often, but what I ate. Period. When I hit a plateau I revved up the intensity of my workouts and worked out more, while eating all of the calories I was burning. It got me through every time.
  • sallyLunn
    sallyLunn Posts: 381
    I exercise every day, but I actually do what I would call a workout 4 days a week. On the other days, I walk, garden or do some other activity.
  • smuehlbauer
    smuehlbauer Posts: 1,041 Member
    I work out or do something every day.
    And remember, not everyone is going to lose the same way.
    We are all different and will have different results.
    The improtant thing is to MOVE. Just keep moving!
    Steph
  • ErinMarie25
    ErinMarie25 Posts: 733 Member
    I workout 6 times a week. The time ranges from 30-60 mins. I am doing Turbo Fire, though so it's just a schedule I follow.
  • miqisha
    miqisha Posts: 1,534 Member
    Everyones body is different...5-6 times a week is good

    Do they have more weight to lose than you do? Becaue one tends to lose weight faster, when they have more weight to lose in the beginning.....

    Have you measured? You could be losing inches

    Just stick to what you are doing? I don't think minimizing your workout, is going to give you a more positive workout....
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    check out 'exercise.about.com'. I get a lot of my workouts from there (treadmill and strength). You can even find some sample routines which I have used.

    They give a lot of info on how many days per week to work out. I try to look more at how long I'm working out - and the intensity - each day rather than how many days per week.
  • heatherpyle
    heatherpyle Posts: 2
    I follow the workouts in the book for the Body Scuplting Bible for Women. It is excellent and I stand by it. He starts you at weight lifting 3 days a week. When you are where you want to maintain, he has you lifting 6 days a week. On days I am not lifting, I am running outside or on the treadmill for a minimum of 30 minutes (5.8-6 mph around 3 miles).
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