How many times should you work out in a week?

The number of times you should work out each week depends on your training goals, current fitness levels, work schedule and personal preferences. Here are some general rules to consider when you're deciding how many times a week to work out.

Cardiovascular exercise

The frequency of your cardiovascular workouts depends on your unique goals and the intensity of your cardio training. Ideally, cardio workouts should be spread out, although this isn't as important as resistance training.

You could realistically perform steady-state cardio at a low intensity every day of the week, provided you don't overdo it. The general adult recommendation for cardio training is a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week, split into a series of 20-minute to 30-minute long sessions.

Resistance training

For weightlifting, bodybuilding, or powerlifting-focused training, where you're lifting heavy weights, you will need to leave at least one full rest day in between your workouts. This rest day is essential for adequate recovery and enables any muscle tissue damage to be repaired before your next workout.

Your workout split will also influence the frequency of your resistance training workouts each week. If you enjoy working out each body part separately, you might work out five times a week, focussing on a different body part each time. However, if you prefer to blitz your upper and lower body in single sessions, you might need to leave 48 hours between each workout so you don't overtrain.

Make sure you're gradually increasing your workout intensity and frequency over time. You don't want to go into the gym and start lifting weights that your body isn't ready for, as this can cause injuries and set you back in terms of progress.