Q&A: How Many Times Should I Perform Full Body Workouts Per Week
Not knowing how often you need to train for your training to be effective is frustrating. In this article I provide you with both how many times you should be training per week and the rational behind this advice.
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- Short Answer
- What the Science Says About Frequency
Short Answer
2-3 Sessions per week.
Sessions should range from 45-60 minutes.
What the Science Says About Frequency
The current literature is based around weekly volume per muscle group. This is calculated in the number of working sets you perform within the week on each muscle group. As little as 4 working sets on each muscle group can create adaptations and once you reach 8-12 sets you will be able to provide enough stimulus to ensure progress. Weekly volume is more important than weekly frequency, but obviously the two are highly related. If you train three times you weekly volume would typically be higher than if you trained once per week.
This means that with one session, you would not be able to hit this target of 4 working sets per muscle group, but with two sessions a week you will be able to. One session does however allow you to get strong in some of the key muscle groups and is therefore far better than nothing. However, with two workouts per week that are well designed sessions and that have high enough intensity (they provide a real stimulus) you will be able to see long term results.
Training three times a week really makes a huge difference to the progression you will make but is by no means required to be a healthy individual. If you are training three times a week and therefore performing 8-12 sets on each muscle group / movement pattern the progress you can make with this amount of training volume is substantial.
Training more than three times a week will improve your progression, but eventually you will reach a point of diminishing returns around 4-5 sessions per week and by adding on more volume will start to hinder your recovery and therefore the intensity of your sessions. It can also make training more likely to get monotonous, however this really depends on the individual. Personally I resistance train three times a week and have seen progress year after year. On top of this I run 3 times a week to ensure my cardiovascular system is extremely well developed. If you are just starting your journey in resistance training I suggest training 2 times a week for the first year or so and then consider increasing to three times a week.
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This resource was written by Sean Klein. Sean Richard Klein has thousands of hours of coaching experience and a BSc in Sports Science with Management from Loughborough University. He owns a gym in Bayonne France, CrossFit Essor, which runs group classes and a Personal training studio.
Sean Klein
