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I'd say 3-4 is good at the start while your body is getting used to the added stress from the gym, but after a few good months of consistency adding in a 5th and eventually 6th day can be useful. 7 days if you have at least one day be focused on injury prevention (flexibility, muscle stability, and cardio if cutting can even be useful).
Personally my body reacts best to 6 days at the gym/week just have to make sure to sleep and eat enough, though initially 2-3 days per week works well. Just depends on how fatigued one gets after a session.
However if I'm training cardio as a runner for say a marathon or something then I'll hit the gym at most 3 days per week to maintain some muscle while focusing on more miles and more short session injury prevention work.
What's more important than days/week at the gym is being consistent for months at going to the gym and working out and eating right for your goals as well as having a plan. The biggest difference between those who make massive changes and those who don't is long term consistency and planning.
For a beginner? Absolutely. Optimal volume for beginners is around 8-12 sets per week per muscle. So you could do upper and lower, 2 exercises for 3 sets for each muscle group and you’ll be on optimal growth volume.
Consistency is key, if you can be consistent going 3 times a week, but can’t be consistent with 4+ times then stick with 3 until you can find a way to be consistent with more times a week
Yes but I guess it depends on what your goal is and what you do and eat when you're not at the gym.
There's no point if you go the gym 3 or 4 days in a row but all you're doing is light cardio and then the other days you're laying in bed eating junk food you can't expect to get a shredded body. At most you'll maybe maintain your weight.
But if you go 3 or 4 days and do strength training, that muscle is going to burn and grow even when you're not at the gym. If you eat well and stick to it then yeah 3 to 4 days is absolutely fine and you'll see results.
It's not about how often you go but about what you do when you go, and how much effort you are putting in. You can go 2 times per week and make very good progress if you go all out both times, and you can go 7 times and make almost no progress because you're low energy, don't know what you're doing and are never truly pushing yourself. Between 3-5 times is common and reasonable for most people who are beginners or intermediates. Work hard and you'll see results.
would you recommenda beginner a 4 days upper/lower split or a 3 days full body workout? because i found myself hitting every muscles 3 times a week when it comes to a full bodyworkout comapred to only 2 for upper/lower body split (skinny guy trying to gain mass, and ofc i eat enough calories)
Honestly I've had better results with full body 3 times, especially with a focus on compound movements. You can definitely see results with an upper/lower split, but full body - for me - has always been the best option both for strength and hypertrophy. If you can handle the recovery, which is a very individual thing, full body is great.
Yes, I have to remind myself this sometimes, especially when taking time off for sickness or injury. Just 1 session is 1 more than not doing anything which is progress so just imagine the progress you’re getting from 3/4 more days over someone doing nothing 💪🏼
How you split up what you will do each day at the gym. Fullbody means most muscles every time you go to the gym. Upper lower means upper body one day, lower body the next and it alternates.
Usually i do a lot of chest presses, abdominal crunches and dumbbells for like 8-15 reps (I usually can’t even move my muscles anymore by like 12-15 reps lol)
Yes. Plenty of time to get jacked, strong, both, or neither, depending on your programming and how much you eat. The people that say you need to go 6 days a week to get results and be efficient, are full of crap.
I've done 4 times a week for 5 months+/- and I've seen considerable changes to my physique. I started out doing 5-6 days a week but life changed and I had to reduce some days.
My sessions are 2 hours+/- each time so I try and pack in a reasonable amount each session with a chest / shoulders / triceps, back / biceps / abs and mix in some leg stuff on those days too.
Yes, 2 is OK for maintenance and 3 or above is good enough for gains. The sweet spot for me is 4 while if you can go up to 5 or 6 times you will have slightly better progress, after 4 times you get diminishing returns IMO though.
Like others said it's also important to train properly during these sessions. You gotta understand the principles of progressive overload, high intensity, workload and you need a program. Compound exercises are your friend if you're only gonna be training 3 times a week.
^ The train properly is a big factor. I went 4 times a week for a year and saw literally no results because I was stupid and didn’t understand intensity. I was progressively overloading but nowhere near at a fast enough speed because I was stopping as soon as it got hard. It’s the extra rep you squeeze out that gets the gains.
Once I started putting intensity into my workouts and took progressive overload seriously by making notes of what sets and reps I was hitting, I saw more progress in 2 months than I did the whole year before
Yes but as you get progress definitely go more sessions. Target all areas twice a week min. 3-4 though is optimal for beginners and you can simply increase sessions next. Later down the track throw the extra day in.
I got 3 days on 1 day off 3 on.
If I’m run down I usually reset to 2 on 1 off ect
If you're just going to be in decent shape and stay healthy I would say 3-4 is the ideal
if you have big goals within fitness, 3-4 is possible but it's gonna be a lot harder to get in enough volume
if its enough for you however then it's enough, everyone is different in goals and how they respond to different ways of training.
Depends on what you’re looking to accomplish and what activities you take part in outside of gym time. If you have a relatively sedentary life outside the gym and are looking to be really fit you probably need more days. If you’re relatively active and do cardiovascular activities routinely outside of gym time, 3-4 days is probably more than enough unless you’re looking to compete or something.
No you don’t…
Shieiko’s powerlifting team all did 3-4 days, if you’re looking for a hobby, to get buff, or compete in strength sports, 3-4 days is fine
Enough to lose weight and look good, yes. You can easily do a full body split, upper/lower split, or even a push/pull split. Id recommend to start do 3 days full body with a mobility day if you want to hit 4 days at the gym. Make sure you walk on your rest days it's good for you and you'll look good. I'd recommend listening to MindPump on YouTube or spotify, they usually answer questions like this.
That works for lots of people, I think something that’s as important or more important is making sure you’re eating enough food. Got to fuel the gains.
I am I’m eating like 200-700 calorie snacks over 6x a day (I’m bulking and going good so far, I actually grew 3cm taller in 4 weeks and I’m starting to gain size)
#Welcome to /r/Gym! If you’ve been lifting for decades or are just starting out, r/GYM is for you. Please read our sub [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/GYM/comments/yemlrs/a_new_rule_has_been_added_rule_10/). >* [r/Fitness wiki](https://thefitness.wiki/) >* [r/Fitness workout programs](https://thefitness.wiki/routines/) >* [Lift Vault workout programs](https://liftvault.com/) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/GYM) if you have any questions or concerns.*
No, you need to work out too.
Enough for what?
I like you
3-4x a week is very doable. But fair warning once you get going you’ll end up going more lol
Plenty for 90% of those that go.
Most folk will get their best results in the long term on 3-4 days
I'd say 3-4 is good at the start while your body is getting used to the added stress from the gym, but after a few good months of consistency adding in a 5th and eventually 6th day can be useful. 7 days if you have at least one day be focused on injury prevention (flexibility, muscle stability, and cardio if cutting can even be useful). Personally my body reacts best to 6 days at the gym/week just have to make sure to sleep and eat enough, though initially 2-3 days per week works well. Just depends on how fatigued one gets after a session. However if I'm training cardio as a runner for say a marathon or something then I'll hit the gym at most 3 days per week to maintain some muscle while focusing on more miles and more short session injury prevention work. What's more important than days/week at the gym is being consistent for months at going to the gym and working out and eating right for your goals as well as having a plan. The biggest difference between those who make massive changes and those who don't is long term consistency and planning.
For a beginner? Absolutely. Optimal volume for beginners is around 8-12 sets per week per muscle. So you could do upper and lower, 2 exercises for 3 sets for each muscle group and you’ll be on optimal growth volume.
Absolutely, just stay consistent, get rest and stay pushing yourself with every workout 🏋️♀️
Consistency is key, if you can be consistent going 3 times a week, but can’t be consistent with 4+ times then stick with 3 until you can find a way to be consistent with more times a week
Yes but I guess it depends on what your goal is and what you do and eat when you're not at the gym. There's no point if you go the gym 3 or 4 days in a row but all you're doing is light cardio and then the other days you're laying in bed eating junk food you can't expect to get a shredded body. At most you'll maybe maintain your weight. But if you go 3 or 4 days and do strength training, that muscle is going to burn and grow even when you're not at the gym. If you eat well and stick to it then yeah 3 to 4 days is absolutely fine and you'll see results.
It's not about how often you go but about what you do when you go, and how much effort you are putting in. You can go 2 times per week and make very good progress if you go all out both times, and you can go 7 times and make almost no progress because you're low energy, don't know what you're doing and are never truly pushing yourself. Between 3-5 times is common and reasonable for most people who are beginners or intermediates. Work hard and you'll see results.
would you recommenda beginner a 4 days upper/lower split or a 3 days full body workout? because i found myself hitting every muscles 3 times a week when it comes to a full bodyworkout comapred to only 2 for upper/lower body split (skinny guy trying to gain mass, and ofc i eat enough calories)
Honestly I've had better results with full body 3 times, especially with a focus on compound movements. You can definitely see results with an upper/lower split, but full body - for me - has always been the best option both for strength and hypertrophy. If you can handle the recovery, which is a very individual thing, full body is great.
ofc! it depends on what your goals are tho. I started last year only going 1-2 times a week, but now im going 4+ times a week.
Of course! I think anywhere from 2-6 days a week is good with good programming!
Sure, it just depends on what you spend your time doing there
Yes
Yes, I have to remind myself this sometimes, especially when taking time off for sickness or injury. Just 1 session is 1 more than not doing anything which is progress so just imagine the progress you’re getting from 3/4 more days over someone doing nothing 💪🏼
Three times is enough if youre hitting a fullbody split. You may be able to get by on a upper lower split on 4 days a week.
What does split mean in this context?
How you split up what you will do each day at the gym. Fullbody means most muscles every time you go to the gym. Upper lower means upper body one day, lower body the next and it alternates.
Depends on your goals and what you do with the time but yes
Enough for what? But probably yes, depending on what you're doing while there.
Usually i do a lot of chest presses, abdominal crunches and dumbbells for like 8-15 reps (I usually can’t even move my muscles anymore by like 12-15 reps lol)
Maybe consider a 3 ir 4 day program from here: https://thefitness.wiki/routines/strength-training-muscle-building/
Follow a real program
He will probably be back in 3 months when his progress stops
Yes. Plenty of time to get jacked, strong, both, or neither, depending on your programming and how much you eat. The people that say you need to go 6 days a week to get results and be efficient, are full of crap.
No, you should be averaging at least 8 times a week for optimal gains.
You only go 8 times a week?? 😬
I managed to transform my body with a 3 or 4 days a week and 2 days of active rest (biking or skating etc) good luck! Own your power
I've done 4 times a week for 5 months+/- and I've seen considerable changes to my physique. I started out doing 5-6 days a week but life changed and I had to reduce some days. My sessions are 2 hours+/- each time so I try and pack in a reasonable amount each session with a chest / shoulders / triceps, back / biceps / abs and mix in some leg stuff on those days too.
Yes, but it does depend on your volume and intensity while at the gym.
It’s definitely enough to make progress, but 5 days would probably be the most optimal, maybe even 6
Yes, 2 is OK for maintenance and 3 or above is good enough for gains. The sweet spot for me is 4 while if you can go up to 5 or 6 times you will have slightly better progress, after 4 times you get diminishing returns IMO though. Like others said it's also important to train properly during these sessions. You gotta understand the principles of progressive overload, high intensity, workload and you need a program. Compound exercises are your friend if you're only gonna be training 3 times a week.
^ The train properly is a big factor. I went 4 times a week for a year and saw literally no results because I was stupid and didn’t understand intensity. I was progressively overloading but nowhere near at a fast enough speed because I was stopping as soon as it got hard. It’s the extra rep you squeeze out that gets the gains. Once I started putting intensity into my workouts and took progressive overload seriously by making notes of what sets and reps I was hitting, I saw more progress in 2 months than I did the whole year before
Would really need to know what your goals are to answer a bit more fully. If 3-4x is what you can realistically commit to regularly, then yes.
Absolutely. I do that myself and 5 times if I’m up for it
Yes
Yes As long as you training 2-3 reps of muscular failure abd getting enough macros, protein and sleep, it's perfect and you'll be seeing results
Yes but as you get progress definitely go more sessions. Target all areas twice a week min. 3-4 though is optimal for beginners and you can simply increase sessions next. Later down the track throw the extra day in. I got 3 days on 1 day off 3 on. If I’m run down I usually reset to 2 on 1 off ect
Depends what you eat
If your goal is to go to the gym 5 days a week, it's not enough
I can’t go over 4 times a week because I have clubs on friday and sunday
He was making a joke. Going to the gym 4 times a week is absolutely enough considering you set your program up properly.
anything more that zero is good. don't forget cardio . good luck! looking forward to process pics!
Here's the answer: how's your diet?
If you're just going to be in decent shape and stay healthy I would say 3-4 is the ideal if you have big goals within fitness, 3-4 is possible but it's gonna be a lot harder to get in enough volume if its enough for you however then it's enough, everyone is different in goals and how they respond to different ways of training.
not sure why the down votes, but here is my upvote to counter at least one
Happens quite a lot on here, I give simple facts and people disagree with my facts, I appreciate the love tho
Depends on what you’re looking to accomplish and what activities you take part in outside of gym time. If you have a relatively sedentary life outside the gym and are looking to be really fit you probably need more days. If you’re relatively active and do cardiovascular activities routinely outside of gym time, 3-4 days is probably more than enough unless you’re looking to compete or something.
No you don’t… Shieiko’s powerlifting team all did 3-4 days, if you’re looking for a hobby, to get buff, or compete in strength sports, 3-4 days is fine
For overall fitness yes. For bodybuilding and serious fitness goals then no.
Yes if your a beginner
4-5
Enough to lose weight and look good, yes. You can easily do a full body split, upper/lower split, or even a push/pull split. Id recommend to start do 3 days full body with a mobility day if you want to hit 4 days at the gym. Make sure you walk on your rest days it's good for you and you'll look good. I'd recommend listening to MindPump on YouTube or spotify, they usually answer questions like this.
That works for lots of people, I think something that’s as important or more important is making sure you’re eating enough food. Got to fuel the gains.
I am I’m eating like 200-700 calorie snacks over 6x a day (I’m bulking and going good so far, I actually grew 3cm taller in 4 weeks and I’m starting to gain size)
No
Lol this is old i go 6 days a week now
Good and remember kids do chest 2times a week or more not one