From beginner to advanced the question always looms, “what should my splits be, should I be working out every day, should I be lifting everyday?” The answer is….it solely depends on what you want your results to be, what is your level of fitness at the moment and how bad do you want that perfect body?
If you are a total beginner and never stepped foot in a gym, your goals are going to be totally different from a seasoned weight lifter who has competed in bodybuilding shows numerous times!
Like stated previously, almost everything about the frequency of your workout schedule depends upon your current fitness level. If you are someone who doesn’t know what a dumbbell is, and only have a treadmill in your place of residence as an extra clothing hanger (no judgement at all), then even something as low as one day a week of moderate exercise will affect your body positively. This is because your body is not used to the stress of any exercise. Now, as you continue to build your body, obviously 4 times a month of physical activity will not show the exact results you desire. So we move onto the next aspect, “What do you want to do, cut or bulk?”
When I ask this question, I’m not asking in regards to one of those meat heads asking his bro…. “hey you cutting or bulking?” I’m more or less inquiring if your goals are to loose weight and or gain muscle and tone?
Putting On Muscle and Your Regiment:
A common misconception in women (especially women commencing their fitness/ weight loss journey) is that if they lift weights, they will look like a man. Now, unless the women in question already have beards, and are currently bench pressing 225 pounds, this claim is absolutely improbable. In order for a woman to not only obtain but sustain that kind of muscle mass, they would have to lift 6 – 7 days a week at a high percentage of their one rep max. They would also have to eat like a teenager that is going through a growth spurt every day! For the general population, 2-3 days of moderate intensity exercise (which includes weight lifting) should be enough to see a sufficient change in their physique. When at the gym, you would want to concentrate on Compound Movements which utilize various muscle groups towards the same goal. Within the 3 days of training a week, scientifically the best muscles to exercise are…..wait for it….All of them! It has been proven that full body exercises, 3 days a week prove to have the most optimal efficiency when putting on/ retaining muscle. For beginners, you should be working out anywhere from 30 min to an hour, which encompasses a solid warm up and cool down.
Cutting Weight and Your Regiment:
First, we are going to have face the harsh reality that we are going to have to put down the pastries and sweets (and alcohol unfortunately) in order to not only successfully cut weight but to keep it off. This does not mean that the rest of your life will be subjected to bland foods and dull Friday nights, lets just get you on the right foot! Once again, as a beginner, 2-3 days with full body Compound Movement exercises still reigns as one of the best regiments overall for one’s body. Nevertheless, depending on your body type you more than likely will have to throw in some Cardiovascular workouts. In my time as a personal trainer, I incorporated this routine with 90% of my clients due to their objective being weight loss. It was a 4-day cycle of something that resembles this:
Monday
Full Body
Tuesday
Rest
Wednesday
Full Body
Thursday
Rest
Friday
Cardio
Saturday
Full Body
Sunday
Rest
This simple, yet effective regiment would utilize many different energy systems and confuse the body, so that it would not get used to the same full body routine 3 days a week. With my clients, I always trained them for an hour, however like stated before, 30 min to an hour would be optimal for someone just starting out.
To summarize, how much you personally workout a week and what you do in the gym is 100% allocated on your desires and goals. If weight loss is your goals, make sure to implement a durable diet (durable meaning you will follow for longer than 5 minutes!) and some cardio accompanied by Compound Movements, In order to get the most from your muscle.
If you want the best exercise program on the market, which utilizes your personal fitness level, your calculated strength and even your biological body type, click the link to find out which program best fits you and begin your journey as a Spartan Warrior!
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