How Often Should I Train?

‘How often should I train?’ is quite a difficult question to answer. There are so many variables that come with it. When asking how often you should be training you need to first consider what your goal is. Also, consider where you’re currently at on the journey towards it. What is your current level of fitness. There are so many factors that determine how much you should do. Let’s look at some examples to try and break it down. Remember to be honest with yourself about your current fitness level.

How Fit Are You?

So first up let’s assume you have a good standard of fitness for you age. You cycle to work and run regularly, as well as getting to the gym a few times a week. Recently you’ve decided you’d like to run a marathon and have started running more. You’ve been upping the miles and getting plenty of road work in. How often should you train for this?

In this example I would say that 3 or 4 cardio days each week would be your aim. Now the temptation would be to just get the miles in and do 3 long runs. However, we know that varying our cardio program will produce better and more efficient results, with less risk of injury. With this in mind you would probably want to aim at one HIIT session each week. Add to that one moderate intensity run of around 30 – 40 minutes. Finally, throw in a longer endurance run, upping the distance each week by around 10%.

What If You Are New To Fitness?

How often should I train if I’m starting with a below average level of fitness? What if I have a high BMI and my goal is to lose weight and tone up?

This person may fall into the same trap as our marathon runner, albeit for a different reason. It’s easy to assume that getting in as many miles as we can each week is going to benefit us. We hope the effect will enable us to drop the pounds quickly. However, this isn’t the case. For someone who is overweight and has a low level of fitness, 2 or 3 cardio sessions a week would suffice. The danger is going too hard too soon and risking injury.

Is 2 Or 3 days Of Training Enough?

Well it’s a common misconception that cardio training is a good way of burning fat. It isn’t! In fact, the most efficient way to lose weight is by managing nutrition. You need to make sure you have a net negative in calorie intake. Now that’s not to say stop eating. In fact this can lead to some quite serious health problems, as I’m sure you’re aware! To healthily maintain a net calorie deficiency it’s a good idea to calorie count. There are numerous apps that can support you in this. They are all easy to use and most provide you with information on your nutrition as well. Some even include macronutrient (protein/carbs/fats) and micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) intakes. With this you can ensure you are still getting all the essential nutrition you need.

We can look at nutrition and managing calorie intake in greater depth in future articles. For now let’s return to our current example. If cardio isn’t efficient to lose weight do you need to do it?

The simple answer is yes. Cardio training will improve your overall fitness, including your mood! Yes, that’s right you may not like it at the time but keeping fit boosts the production of endorphins. These are essentially our own natural happy chemicals!

Don’t Just Focus On Cardio!

For both examples above I would supplement cardio training with resistance training. For the seasoned runner it will improve overall body strength and muscular endurance. It will also guard against injuries from running. And for the example of someone wanting to lose weight, the effect of resistance/weight training will boost metabolism. It also helps to burn fat more efficiently than cardio. In fact, weight training continues to burn body fat even after you’ve finished working out!

It All Depends On You!

To summarise, how often you train will really depend on your goal and/or current fitness levels. I personally train 6 days a week, focusing on both cardio and resistance (weights/calisthenics). Actually, I should mention that 6 days should really be the limit. It’s essential to get that rest day in, particularly if you’re training hard. Working your body means it needs time to recover and rebuild damaged muscles. Finally, ensure that you get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of fluids and eat well. If you don’t, all of that training will be in vain!

As always guys, for more info be sure to check out our ToughsHIIT workouts on the Workout page. You can also visit us on YouTube to see the full range of workouts. Along with training ideas, tips and advice.

You can also get in touch via our Twitter or Instagram if you want to ask us anything. We are always here to help you on the journey. No Excuses!