Three times per week.
Done.
Haha... this question is easy but also not so easy when you want an answer that fits you... your life... and your body.
The short answer is... as many times as you can as long as your body feels good and you're not doing the same things over and over and over again.
intensity tip
Too much of the same thing... if it's running... biking... rowing... or even pushups or squats...
Repetition can easily cause repetitive stress injuries on joints... ligaments... tendons... and muscles too.
Not to mention your body adapts fast and results slow down.
You have to keep your training well balanced to feel good and to keep results going.
It's about recovery and the right mix of workouts.
And that is where the complexity of this question comes in.
Yet... I will make it easy to understand so let's get into it.
The Short Answer
Work with a trainer.
Online or in person... have somebody who can help you build a plan.
A trainer will:
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Design your workouts...
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Listen to how your body is feeling...
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And make the appropriate adjustments.
This way you don't have to think about what to do. Live your life and follow the plan and see the results happen. Easy.
There's a reason professional athletes have trainers... a good trainer keeps the athlete fit but also injury free over a long period of time.
If you need a trainer... look no further than joining FWW LIVE my online personal training program .
How Often Should You Workout... Answer These 5 Questions
Question 1: What Is Your Fitness Level?
If you're just getting back into exercise... you probably should only workout 2 to 3 times per week.
Recovery... stretching... mobility... and trigger ball therapy are the most important thing as you get started.
Most women get back into exercise and go too hard resulting in injuries and often burnout.
Read this post about trigger point massage to help with recovery .
Read this post about mobility for tight hips .
Respect your body. It's not a race to get fit. You're never done so stop stressing about it.
(It helps if you stay off of toxic social media... the fake fitness gurus who use heavy photo editing. It can distort what you think results should be.)
Read this post about motivation to get to the gym . It's silly but the trick works really well.
What if you workout regularly?
Or... you're more advanced... try to get in 4 to 5 workouts per week.
But also learn to listen to your body.
Sometimes your body just needs a rest day or two to fully recover... so respect that and give your body rest.
big idea
Women who are into exercise struggle with taking a rest day.
We have been conditioned to believe that not working out means our body is getting fatter.
But the truth is... during rest and recovery is when the results we want most are actually materializing.
So listen to your body and take rest days. You'll get better results... I promise.
BTW... I struggle with too much exercise.
What's The Minimum Number of Workouts Per Week?
One.
One is the minimum because here's the rule you need to to start living by...
Doing something is always... ALWAYS... better than doing nothing.
Doing one workout per week is better than doing zero workouts per week.
Will one workout change your body?
No.
But one workout per week will lead to two workouts per week... which will lead to three workouts per week.
And three workouts per week will change your body. Especially if you're following a training plan that leads you towards your goals.
We're not paid the big bucks to perform and score goals... touchdowns... or lift weights for speed.
We aren't paid to workout...
We Workout To Feel Good About Ourselves
Step 1
To feel strong... confident... sexy... to feel like we have some control in this crazy world.
Step 2
To feel good about yourself when you wake up in the morning.
Step 3
To feel good about yourself when you wake up in the morning.
Step 4
To make life easier... use the stairs... pick up bags... children... and have energy to get through the day.
So stop comparing yourself to high level athletes or celebrities who is paid to workout.
Train like a high level woman who wants to dominate her life and feel great.
If that means starting with one workout per week... then start with one workout per week.
That's your job.
Question 3: What's Your Goal?
Here's the deal...
If you have a very specific goal you can build a workout plan... even a timeline... around it.
This plan will probably be more intense... require more workouts... more stretch sessions... and more time to eat healthy.
It will require more from you.
But you can't live in hardcore training mode all the time.
Here's what we can learn from a high level athlete. During the off season they have a recovery period.
They still workout but they don't kill themselves. They workout to maintain a base level of fitness. (Some don't workout at all.)
No matter your goals...
You'll cycle between maintenance mode and goal mode.
You can't sustain either forever. And this is where a trainer and training plan make a difference.
So whatever your goal is... it's a goal but you can't chase it hardcore for the rest of your life.
Be okay with getting your workouts done during the week and not chasing weight loss... or inches lost... or a lifting PR.
Workout because it's part of your life.
Question 4: How Busy Are You?
This question relates to question 2 above... what is the minimum number of workouts you should do per week?
Listen... we're all busy. It's life.
But no matter how busy you are... I know you can workout at least two to three times per week.
And at a minimum you can get in one workout per week.
So if you 're insanely busy... don't quit. Don't procrastinate. Don't think working out isn't for you.
It is.
In fact... and I promise... once you get into a workout habit... you'll feel great and your performance in life will get a lot better.
You'll naturally make more time to workout. You'll crave it.
Question 5: What's Your Real Goal?
We all have short term goals.
Lose inches... lose weight... look more muscular... feel great... get that damn scale to say 148.
But what's your real goal?
What will you do once you hit that short term goal?
Stop working out?
Quit and go back to your old habits?
Of course not.
Your real goal is to feel great your entire life and that requires working out your entire life.
It's like eating.
You must eat to live.
And you must be fit and healthy to be truly happy. (Eat healthy too!)
It's a must. Not a nice to have.
So realize that you're real goal is to be happy with yourself.
And listen if you're overweight and truly happy with yourself... to each her own. That's fine.
But every woman I have every talked to.... wants to be fit. They want to feel good and in control of their body.
It comes back again to that minimum. Hit your minimum every week even if it's one workout.
If you can workout more... and you feel good... awesome. But hit your minimum. You'll never regret it.
And if you hit your minimum every week it will snowball and grow!
Whoa That Got DEEP!!!
Why are you asking me how many times you should workout?
Because you probably don't have a workout habit yet.
You want to workout and get in shape but you don't know what to do yet.
So start small.
Commit to getting one workout in per week.
You know I'm a real online personal trainer ? I will help you hit your goals and build you a plan.
But at the minimum you can commit to one workout per week. Don't tell me you can't... nobody is that busy.
Start there and I promise your life will change and quickly. Never miss that minimum number of workouts and things will snowball like crazy.
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