Should I go to the gym every day? Should I go 3 times a week? More? How do I know what is best for me?
Whether you should go to the gym every day or less frequently depends on your fitness goals, current fitness level, overall health, and what kind of training you are doing. As with everything in life, there is not a definite yes or no answer. Sorry- I wish it was that simple!
But, I can walk you through and help you decide what is best for you!
There are some reasons to go to the gym everyday, and there are some reasons that it makes more sense to do 3-5 gym sessions per week.
Read below to see which applies best to you.
Why You Should Not Go to the Gym Everyday
Like I mentioned above, some people’s goals aren’t conducive to going to the gym every day. If you are doing very heavy, or very intense training, you’ll probably want to take some rest days between training days.
If you are doing a less intense workout plan and you don’t rest, you can do a lower intensity workout, active recovery, or other recovery method on some of your exercise days.
If your goal is weight loss, I encourage you to get regular exercise. In this case, you might go 3-6 days a week, and take a rest day.
If your goal is to compete in a specific competition, you’ll probably be training hard. In this case, you’ll want to balance how much effort you can exert while maintaining energy levels needed for training.
Recovery When Going to the Gym Everyday
When you have reached the point where you are lifting very heavy weights, you’ll need more time for recovery and muscle growth between training sessions. Additionally, if you are training aggressively for a competition you’ll most likely be training intensely enough that you should NOT be training 6+ days a week if all sessions are at that intensity.
Without adequate rest, you risk overtraining, which can lead to injuries and burnout. This is especially applicable the more advanced you become as a lifter, and the stronger you are.
Often, overtraining is under recovery. Our bodies can actually handle more than we think, provided we are eating good food in the right amounts, letting and/or facilitating physical recovery, and managing mental and emotional stress as well.
Of course, if you have a coach, speak with your coach. If you would like to do a free consult to see if we would work together for your fitness goals, message me here.
Not allowing for recovery can hinder progress.
Logistically speaking, going to the gym every day might not be sustainable in the long run and could lead to fatigue.
Fun fact, many of my online and hybrid in-person/remote clients actually live in Austin, where I train clients in-person. It’s just hard to fit driving to the gym in many times a week. Many of these clients have built out a home gym or garage gym and meet me once a week or once a month, and then do the rest of their training at their home gym (or wherever they choose to have a gym membership).
Why You Should Go to the Gym Everyday
On the other hand, there are some benefits of going to the gym every day. Going to the gym every day can help build a consistent habit. This is very important for some people who thrive on consistency and routine.
Exercise is also great for mental health, so daily workouts can be ideal for many people’s overall health.
This is also important if you have set a goal for yourself, and you need to keep your word to yourself. If this is the case, I would choose a time frame to commit to. It would be difficult to say you’ll go to the gym every single day forever. For a shorter amount of time, you can do it.
If this is you, and you want to go every day, that’s ok! This just means you should make a smart plan so that you have some workouts that are more intense, and some workouts that are not as tiring.
If you love going to the gym often and love incorporating all the equipment in your training, read here about different barbells and how much they weigh.
What Type of Training Are You Doing?
Like I touched on earlier, what type of training you do every day has a large part in how often you should exercise. Do you do heavy resistance training every day, more general cardiovascular exercise, or hard HIIT workouts?
If you are doing exhausting, full-body workouts or athletic prep, I highly recommend you have at least one day of enough rest.
If you choose to do daily exercise, you can split up your weight training, or do different types of workouts like adding in yoga, Pilates, running, swimming, or other aerobic exercise.
Common splits that hit the major muscle groups include:
- Upper/lower body
- Push/pull/squat style split
- Bodypart specific like chest/arms/back/legs
Getting a variety of exercise types is actually a great way to improve overall health. Whether you use weight machines, free weights, or bodyweight exercises, the combination of resistance training, cardio, and general movement leads to many health and physical fitness benefits. It will help you maintain a healthy heart rate, minimize the risk of high blood pressure, and stave off heart disease. This variety of daily exercise will also help you maintain healthy muscle tone, build lean muscle mass, and keep body fat in a healthy zone.
Cardiovascular Training Physical Activity Guidelines
Real talk, I love lifting. I like strength training sessions much more than doing cardio. However, it feels good to feel good, and cardiovascular training is a crucial way to help you feel great and maintain your general health.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) currently recommends the following exercise guidelines:
- 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity
- Moderate intensity to high intensity resistance training twice a week
This combo is great for those looking to build and maintain general fitness. Of course, if you’re chasing specific fitness goals, you’ll spend more time on those. If you like rock climbing, practice rock climbing. If you are doing a triathlon, then practice running, swimming and biking, and make strength training your supplemental exercise. In this case, you’ll probably be doing enough exercise that you won’t need to count total minutes of exercise or minutes of moderate aerobic activity.
Generally speaking though, for healthy adults, a fitness routine that includes a few days of cardio and 2-3 days of lifting will create a workout schedule that contributes to great heart health, cognitive function, and mental health.
The above guidelines were sourced from The American Heart Association on 6/3/2024.
Training Three – Five Days a Week
Instead of forcing yourself to go to the gym everyday, try a regular workout routine of 3 -5 days a week. There are some great benefits to training and resting on alternating days.
Benefits of training a few days a week include allowing time for your muscles to repair and grow stronger post workout. Three to five days of training per week allows this recovery and growth between, reducing the risk of overtraining and injury. If your main goal is muscle strength or muscle building, you’ll want to have rest days.
The recovery days also allow your central nervous system time to recover. Some types of exercise are more heavy on the nervous system, and some require less. Either way, taking a rest day is great for your muscles, joints and other soft tissue to recover as well.
Other Benefits of Going to the Gym 3-5 Days a Week
Let’s be honest, life is busy! Going to the gym every day is tough on the schedule! Not everybody has that much time to spend. Going to the gym 3-5 days a week on a regular basis is a lot more feasible for many people. If your routine is more sustainable and easier to fit into a busy lifestyle, it will lead to better long-term adherence.
That’s what you want, after all. You want to do this long term! Exercise forever, and you’ll feel great forever.
Incorporating rest days also reduces burnout. Burnout is mental as well, not just physical fatigue. If you can stay mentally fresh and motivated, you’ll enjoy your workouts so much more.
With fewer training days, each session can be more focused and intense, leading to better performance and results. Additionally, emphasizing quality workouts rather than the quantity can lead to more effective and efficient training.
Finally, having a little more time allows you to do more things like keep up your hobbies, spend time with family and friends, and just live a little more balanced lifestyle. A less demanding gym schedule can lead to the right balance of work and play, health benefits and rest, and we could all use a little more balance, I think.
How Many Days Should You Go To The Gym?
Having read through this, what makes the most sense to you? You can probably tell by now that I’m a fan of taking some days off from the gym. Work hard, rest hard is my motto. 🙂
Choose an exercise plan, and commit to it. As you go, listen to your body. Pay attention to how you feel and if your training program is working for you. Do you feel worked, and sleep hard at night? Do you feel overdone, and hate going to the gym, and generally want to quit?
Remember, if you do choose to go to the gym every day, some of your days can be lower intensity, stretching, recovery, etc. Give yourself some variety in your training so that you can have natural highs and lows in training intensity. Some days might be vigorous activity like heavy weights some might be brisk walking, and some might be lower intensity cardio exercise.
Finally, consider working with a fitness professional or coach. Sometimes it’s hard to see the best way in our own path. A coach can create an effective plan for you give your goals, schedule, current fitness level, and gym access.
Ultimately, finding a routine that works for you and is enjoyable is the most important thing in maintaining long-term fitness and health. Practice different styles of physical exercise until you find the balance of progress, enjoyment, and time spend exercising and at the gym.
Work With Me!
If you are looking for a personal trainer in Austin, I’d love to talk with you! If you are not in Austin, Round Rock, or central Texas, let’s talk about online training.
Message me here for a free consult about personal training in Austin, Texas, or here for online personal training, and we’ll discuss your goals, background, equipment availability, schedule, and exercise preferences.
Let’s get you strong and healthy! 💪
About the author
Kathryn Alexander is a strength coach and personal trainer in Austin, Texas. She loves hiking, college football, and the feel of a perfectly knurled barbell. Read more about Kathryn here.
