How Often Should You Workout?

When you decide to start working out you will come to realize there are so many different programs you can follow that will all equate into great results. The three main routines are going to full-body, upper/lower split, and push/pull/legs. When picking a workout routine you will want to base it off of how many days a week you have to time to spend into the gym.

Let's say that you work full time or go to school full time and you can only commit to 3 days a week to going to the gym. Then you are going to want to go with a full-body routine. Lifting full body for 3 days a week allows for you to account for every muscle group in the body while still leaving time for optimal rest. If you choose to go with a full-body routine you should get your lifts in on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and rest on Tuesday/ Thursday/ Saturday/ Sunday. By committing to this schedule you will find that you are able to make strength gains because you are allowing for optimal rest making it much easier to give a good amount of energy on the days you do go to the gym.

So, you're not really into full-body and you would rather go to the gym 4 times a week. Then you are going to want to look into an upper/lower split workout routine. Upper/lower splits are great for those who are at a more intermediate lifting experience, because of the simple fact that they allow for you to target muscle more specifically so you can focus on improving specific aspects of your physique. However, it does come at a cost. In my opinion most of the time when people choose a upper/lower split routine they won't give as much effort on the leg days. Because lets be honest most people are more into building the beach muscle and legs just are as aesthetically appealing as a big chest or chiseled back. But if you do choose a upper/lower split then your are going to want to split up your workouts so upper is on Monday/Thursday , lower on Tuesday/Friday, and rest days should be taken on Wednesday/Saturday/Sunday. By splitting your workouts like this you allow for at least 48 hours between lifts that use the same muscles. This way you can always give maximum effort on your lifting days, which is the single most important part of any routine.

The last routine is going to be for the gym rat who has a good amount of to spend at the gym. Push/Pull/Legs allows for maximum muscle isolation. When you isolate muscle it can excel the rate at which they have the potential to grow. Simply because of the fact that you will have the ability to maximize the amount of workload you put on your muscles. However, once again the effectiveness of this workout routine will be dependent on your energy in the gym. For myself I have a much harder time getting pumped up for a just legs workout. Therefore, my effort isn't always at 100% during a push/pull/legs program. If you do have the discipline to stick to this routine it can be very hard to split up your lifts. I my experience the best way to split up this routine is to workout 3 days in a row then take the fourth day off and then repeat the cycle. Because of this though you wont be able to stick to workouts on the same day every week.

When it comes down to it whatever routine you pick you have to give 100% and eat a good diet to see the results you want. Weather you decide to go with a full-body,upper/lower, or push/pull/legs they all work great and allow for you to achieve a great physique. In the end it really comes down to how many days a week you want to go to the gym, and your experience level. Personally my favorite is 3-4 full-body workouts per week. For me it feels like I get the most benefit because I always give maximum effort in all my lifts. However, if you feel you've been lifting for many years and have become advanced it may benefit to hit another routine. Because of the fact that killing you whole body every workout can get to a point where you cant make the gains you wish. This is where a split may be better. But, whatever you choose commit to it and give your all and the results will be amazing!