How many days a week do you train?

jessicagrieshaber
jessicagrieshaber Posts: 167 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 5'5", 120 pounds and female. My job consists of "light activity" as I work at a pharmaceutical company, so I walk around sometimes but spend the majority of my time either doing light chemistry work in the laboratory or crunching data at my desk.

My current workout schedule is this:

Lift weights 2-3x a week:
Day one: Shoulder press, bicep curls, two arm tricep extension, dumbbell bench press and halos.
Day two: Goblet squats, dumbbell lunges, calf raises, sumo squats, deadlifts and side bends.
Day three usually changes, but a combination of: Reverse delt flys, dumbbell flys (sometimes incline), lat pulldown, cable row, front raise, lateral raise

Some days I will do some ab work if I feel like I have the energy.
I also run most every day I am at the gym.

Lift days: 2 mile warm up prior to lifting
Non-lift days: Usually a longer cardio session... 4 mile run on average, or a 3 mile run and hop on the bike for a little.

I normally take one day off a week, usually on the weekend. This amounts to training 6 days a week. Do you think I am overtraining, and overdoing it? How many days a week do you guys train? I really enjoy the gym and feel better after I go, but I don't want to hurt myself in the process. Thanks!

Replies

  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Train 6 days a week taking 1 day off.... I listen to my body if I feel I need a second rest day that week I will take it... Lift 4 days with cardio after and the other 3 days do weighted core work and some form of cardio (Biking, Jogging, Basketball, Swimming, Hiking, etc).
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    5-6 days minimum three weights, 2 cardio.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I lift 3-4 days/week 40 min sessions (Wendler 5/3/1), and sometimes will do cardio once/week, plus play sports once a week.
  • GatorDeb1
    GatorDeb1 Posts: 245 Member
    Seven.

    Monday: Recovery spin and BodyPump
    Tuesday: Mid run (5 miles now) and spin
    Wednesday: Short run (3 miles now) and spin and BodyPump
    Thursday: Short run (3 miles now) and Pilates (active recovery/rest day)
    Friday: BodyPump
    Saturday: Mid-run (5 miles now)
    Sunday: Long-run (9 miles now) and Yoga.

    Total mileage for the week increases 1-2 miles a week.

    I've been working out for over 5 years so I've built up to it. I've had 18-hour training weeks while training for the full Ironman.
  • Spaghetti_Bender
    Spaghetti_Bender Posts: 509 Member
    4-5 days
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
    Bottom line it is different for everyone, based on age, other workload, exercise intensity, and the individuals ability to recover. Listen to your body. In the book "body by science", the author talks of clients that requires up to two weeks of recovery after an intense workout. If they train the same bodypart more often that that, they actually plateau.

    I was trying to do hard workout four days a week. In addition, my business requires I do a moderate amount of physical labor. I stayed tired ALL the time. I didn't want to do anything fun, just sit on the couch and rest. Even my libido took a nosedive (maybe TMI, but you get the point). What's the point of exercising if you feel like crap all the time? Anyway, I cut back to 1-2 workouts per week(depending on intensity) and have much higher energy levels.

    So, if you're body is sending you signals that it's too much, it probably is. If you enjoy what you're doing and your energy levels are good, keep doing it. If you want to cut back, you can and not compromise your health.. You can get by with much less than you are doing now and stay healthy. Find something you enjoy more with your spare time.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Bottom line it is different for everyone, based on age, other workload, exercise intensity, and the individuals ability to recover. Listen to your body.

    there is a lot of truth to this.

    I only lift 3 times a week- and I try to incorporate 2 extra pure cardio sessions in some form or another- cardio is not a focus- so I don't care HOW I make it happen- as long as it happens.
    I train at my dance studio 3-4 times a week for 2-3 hours at a pop. so when I have down days- I have DOWN days- where I do absolutely jack all.

    usually it's a wise decision to take a day off. at least one to let your body just really chill out. Recovery takes longer than you think- so it's good to give it a day to recollect before you hammer it again.
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    I do full body compound lifts 3x a week, train for field hockey & play 1 day each per week, short run or HIIT 2-3x a week, and just be generally active in my days. I take 1-2x a week off.
  • SunofaBeach14
    SunofaBeach14 Posts: 4,899 Member
    4
  • jessicagrieshaber
    jessicagrieshaber Posts: 167 Member


    I was trying to do hard workout four days a week. In addition, my business requires I do a moderate amount of physical labor. I stayed tired ALL the time. I didn't want to do anything fun, just sit on the couch and rest.

    This basically sums everything up right now. I'm so tired after work and the gym that I don't want to go out with friends or anything, and even on weekends I feel like just laying around and relaxing. Do you think I should cut back on my workouts?
  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
    I started with 4 but my new program has me in the gym 7 days a week. 2 days are only cardio though.
  • liftnlove_
    liftnlove_ Posts: 112 Member
    I lift 6 days a week. Cardio every day. Took a while to work up to my current schedule though. I have probably had 10 or so days off in the last 3 years. I just feel "off" if I don't get a workout in now.
  • berkayaliulker
    berkayaliulker Posts: 43
    lift 6 days a week
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    3-6, but usually 4-5 most weeks. I have a tendency to be very active on weekends and not require a formal workout.
  • RonnieLodge
    RonnieLodge Posts: 665 Member
    Doing the T25 workouts (25 mins of calisthenics) 5 - 6 days a week, first thing when I get up in the morning. :smile: Best condition I have ever been in, even when I was going to the gym 45mins 5 x a week for cardio and weights.

    I sometimes think about going to a gym to lift heavy but I love having a work out that is over in 30mins. No excuses not to do it as it is so short and I don't have to leave the house. Like someone has said above, if I miss a day now I feel worse for it.

    And I enjoy working out in my underwear!
  • pilotricky
    pilotricky Posts: 37
    6 days a week......rest days are ususally sundays... have my cheat meal sat night
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Mon: lower
    Tue: upper
    Thu: full body
    Sat: circuit training

    and I randomly plod away on a recumbent bike when I watch tv/youtube to burn extra cals so I can eat more :smile:
  • drazani
    drazani Posts: 98 Member
    I do bodyweight training 6 days a week, but will sometimes have a 2nd rest day if my body needs it. I started to feel tired about a week after starting it but increased my carbs and that seems to have helped, however that works for me and may not necessarily work for you.
  • paulperryman
    paulperryman Posts: 839 Member
    2-4 a week at the gym doing a mix of cardio and weights.
    the other days i usually go for long walks on weekends i do Gym and long Bushwalks
    i also have a job that allows me to be active and walk a fair bit most of the time
  • BenjaminS_Fitness
    BenjaminS_Fitness Posts: 70 Member
    6-7days a week. (sometimes i could have a rest day after 6 but i don't fell like it)
    In offseason i alternate between cardio (30minutes) or abs post workout.
    during a cut i alternate between 60minutes of cardio and 30-45minutes of cardio +abs
  • alska
    alska Posts: 300 Member
    I try to do something 6 days a week, n try my best to take a rest day once a week.

    I either go to the YMCA or I walk, hike, or do intervals of walking/running ... however I don't have any set days of doing things ... its whatever I feel like that day as to what I do :)
  • amorfati601070
    amorfati601070 Posts: 2,890 Member
    Training? I don't know if what I do constitutes training. I don't even know why I do it to be honest. I have no long term goal...

    I run >= 5K a day.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I incline walk/do short bursts of running almost daily with the odd day off when I don't feel like it.
    Twice a week I do resistance training
  • silvaxx
    silvaxx Posts: 4
    I aim to workout 5 days a week for an hour every evening and try to balance out my regime having 3 days split into 30 mins HIIT/30 minutes total body strength training and on the other two days of the week i will do either low impact cardio or kickboxing and may add another upper or lower body strength routine to bump up workout time.
    I follow alot of FITNESSBLENDERS workouts ,they are all full free workouts ,check them out at www.fitnessblender.com
    you can select your length of workout ,difficulty,and how many calories you want to burn.

Categories