How often do you need to train a week?

This is a very similar question to “How long is a piece of string?” it all depends on what you want, if you want to put on a bit of muscle and lose a little bit of weight then 1-2 times a week is enough, if you want to lose 5 stone and tone up then more like 4-5 times a week.  What also needs to be considered when talking about building and shaping muscle is that more doesn’t mean more results necessarily, as our body grows on the rest days if you are not getting enough rest you won’t get results.  I personally never train more than 4 times a week as a personal preference as I find my body grows at its optimum on this training regime.  Mike Mentzer a famous bodybuilder 30 years ago, trained each body part for one set and created a great physique showing that less is what is often needed for great results.  For weight loss if you are trying to lose a lot of weight then 4-5 times a week may be appropriate when it comes to cardio, I would always give yourself a full rest day off though or two.

For the average person trying to tone up and lose a bit of weight I would stick to roughly 2-3 times a week this way you should get results you are happy with as long as you stick to your diet and workout hard enough.

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