How Often Should You Workout? The Importance of Workout Splits and Rest Days
When it comes to achieving your fitness goals, one of the most common questions I get as a personal trainer in Reading, Berkshire, is: "How often should I work out?" The answer depends on your personal fitness goals, current fitness level, and the type of workouts you’re doing. However, there is one thing all successful fitness plans have in common: balance. This includes finding the right workout split and giving your body the rest it needs to recover and grow stronger.
Understanding Workout Splits
A workout split refers to how you structure your training routine throughout the week. Whether you’re looking to build muscle, improve cardiovascular fitness, or simply stay active, understanding how to break up your workouts is crucial for both effectiveness and recovery.
Common workout splits include:
Full-Body Workouts: You work every major muscle group in each session. This is ideal for beginners or those training 2-3 times a week.
Upper/Lower Split: You focus on the upper body on one day and the lower body on another. This is a good option for those training 4 times a week.
Push/Pull/Legs Split: In this split, you focus on pushing movements (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling movements (back, biceps), and legs. This can be used for 4-6 workouts a week.
Body-Part Split: Each workout targets a specific muscle group (e.g., chest day, back day, leg day). This split is commonly used by bodybuilders training 5-6 times per week.
The key to a successful workout split is variety. Mixing up your training with different splits helps prevent plateaus, reduces the risk of overtraining specific muscles, and keeps things exciting. For example, a combination of a full-body workout on one day and an upper/lower split for the rest of the week is a great way to ensure balanced training.
How Often Should You Workout?
It all depends on your fitness goals and recovery needs. If you’re just getting started, you don’t need to jump into a 6-day-per-week routine. Here’s a general guideline based on goals:
Beginners: 2-3 sessions a week. Focus on learning proper form, building foundational strength, and improving cardiovascular health.
Intermediate Lifters: 3-4 sessions a week. Increase the intensity and add more variety to your workout splits.
Advanced Lifters/Bodybuilders: 5-6 sessions a week. You’ll need a more advanced workout split with enough volume to maximise muscle growth and strength.
Even if you're aiming for more frequent workouts, the quality of each session is far more important than quantity. Overloading your body without proper recovery can lead to burnout or injury.
The Importance of Rest Days
Rest days are a vital part of any training programme. They may seem like time wasted, but they are critical for muscle repair, injury prevention, and overall progress. Here’s why you need them:
Muscle Recovery: When you train, you’re actually creating tiny tears in your muscle fibres. Rest days allow the muscles to repair and grow back stronger.
Prevents Overtraining: Without enough rest, you may experience symptoms of overtraining, such as fatigue, soreness, and a decrease in performance. This can lead to setbacks in your progress.
Mental Health: Constantly pushing yourself can lead to mental burnout. Taking rest days can improve your motivation and enjoyment of your workouts.
Injury Prevention: Without proper rest, your body’s joints, tendons, and ligaments are more susceptible to strain. Taking time off reduces this risk.
How to Incorporate Rest Days?
While everyone’s rest day needs differ, a general recommendation is to take at least 1-2 full rest days a week. Rest doesn’t necessarily mean doing absolutely nothing—active recovery such as walking, light stretching, or yoga can still keep you moving without overloading your body.
If you’re training intensely, consider spacing out your rest days or focusing on different muscle groups each day, so each muscle group gets a break.
Finding Balance: Rest & Workout Splits
The key to fitness success is finding the right balance between pushing yourself in workouts and allowing your body the necessary time to recover. Here's a sample weekly schedule based on different goals:
Beginners:
Monday: Full-Body
Tuesday: Rest/Active Recovery
Wednesday: Full-Body
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Full-Body
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Active Recovery
Intermediate Lifters:
Monday: Upper Body
Tuesday: Lower Body
Wednesday: Rest/Active Recovery
Thursday: Upper Body
Friday: Lower Body
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Active Recovery
Advanced Lifters:
Monday: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
Tuesday: Pull (Back, Biceps)
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Push
Saturday: Pull
Sunday: Rest
Final Thoughts
Everyone’s ideal workout frequency and split will vary, but the most important thing is to listen to your body. As a personal trainer in Reading, I always encourage my clients to maintain consistency, follow a balanced workout split, and make rest a priority. This will help you avoid burnout and continue progressing towards your fitness goals without injury.
If you're unsure about the best workout split for your goals, or you’d like help creating a balanced routine, feel free to get in touch with me. Let’s work together to create a plan that’s just right for you!
Contact details
Website:www.elitefitnessgoals.com
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