Weight Training Frequency Intervals

Don’t train too much. Don’t train too little. So how often should you workout? The YouTube video I have voices one good opinion and I’ll also offer you my wisdom.

The key to weight training is discipline and consistency and not any exact science. If you have the discipline to workout when you should, you’re in the driver’s seat. You can fully listen to your body without wondering about your brain justifying another rest day or possibly even overtraining. If you don’t have discipline, you always have to battle with yourself over whether you’re just trying to get out of working out or you legitimately need the rest.

Generally, you should have at least 48 hours between working the same muscle group. I think the ideal time is 72 hours. The difference being how hard your previous workout was. For example, if you went light and just got your reps in you may only need 48 hours. In contrast, if you went all out, you may need more time to recover.

My feeling is you should always be honest with yourself and your fitness. If you’re being lazy and working out, don’t justify it as another recovery day. Just admit to yourself you’re being lazy. If you honestly feel like you need the rest, then it’s a recovery day. Because we aren’t programmed to any exact wavelength, I usually listen to my body rather than a schedule. However, if you’re looking for a good set of parameters, you can’t go wrong with the advice in this video.