Frequency of strength training for beginners - How often should I lift?

When first getting started in your fitness journey, you’ll find there is a LOT of conflicting information out there so it can be very hard to parse out what is correct. One of the first things you might look up is how frequently do I need to train to see the best results. The answer I like to give to that question is, it depends! … I know, not that great of an answer but let me explain why I say that and what might be the best option for you if you’re just getting started.

Looking around the internet, you may think the conventional wisdom as to how to get in shape would be 4+ body bootcamps & 2 running sessions per week. Sounds hard to stick to?? Well that would be because it is, lol. Actually, a big reason people don’t make it past January with their New Year’s resolutions may be that they’re just doing too much to stick to right off the bat.

A great saying by some gentlemen I respect a ton in the fitness industry (Mind Pump - seriously, look them up!), is, “Do as little as possible to illicit the most amount of results”. Now this is not to tell you that you should be doing your bicep curls while lying on the couch (although this would be great), and more to ensure you’re not pushing it too hard that your body can’t recover, adapt and build the muscle you need to progress toward your goal.

Another saying I absolutely love is “the best exercise is the one you’ll stick with/do” and it’s the same with exercise frequency. Especially in the beginning. Rather than burning yourself out 5+ days a week, you can see really amazing results by doing a 2-3 day a week full body workout! 2-3 hours a week sounds pretty workable right?. Now if you really love working out every day, of course you still can but you could use those days to work on other important things such as moblity, flexibility or stability.

However you choose to structure your workouts, I hope you enjoy yourself and you should be proud of yourself for starting! HAPPY LIFTING!!! :)