How Many Days a Week Should I Work Out to Build Muscle?
Did you know that in 2019, the health and well-being club and gymnasium industry worldwide made revenue of more than $98.7 billion? In the pursuit of gaining muscle, every person, from beginners to gym freaks, has an all-important question in mind: how many days a week should I work out to build muscle?
But here is a more important question: how many times did you commit to a diet plan or start an exercise in the quest to lose weight only to quit in a few days because you did not know how often you should lift weights to build muscle?
Well, if your answer is countless times or more than three times, you are probably not alone. However, figuring out how often or how many days you should work out can be mysterious and confusing.
This could especially be the case if the time you are putting in exercises and working out does not result in the goals you set. So, whether you are looking to reduce a few pounds or build muscles and gain mass, it is recommended to start the workout three days a week and gradually increase it to five days a week.
It would be best if the workout plan you have created includes a combination of the following exercises:
▪ Cardiovascular Exercise
▪ Strength Training
▪ Core Work
▪ Stretching
A workout plan needs strength training and cardiovascular exercises for extreme and determined results. For example, when you are lifting weights, the lean muscle mass in your body is increased.
As a result, this allows you to intensify your metabolism, improve the digestion process and burn maximum calories, even when you are doing your regular workout. Although cardiac exercises are essential for sustaining good heart health, they have other benefits too. Cardiovascular exercises can:
▪ Decrease risk of diabetes
▪ Boost your mood
▪ Burn calories at a higher rate
▪ Promote other heart-healthy habits
▪ Lower blood pressure
▪ Improve blood flow
▪ Lower cholesterol
Cardiovascular Exercise
Ideally, it would be best if you aim for one of the following:
▪ Moderate-intensity cardio activity for at least 30 minutes. This activity shall be done five days weekly (Approximately 150 minutes per week)
▪ Vigorous aerobic activity for at least 25 minutes. This activity shall be done three days weekly (Approximately 75 minutes per week)
However, if you want to lose weight, you need to perform each of the activities mentioned above for two days. However, you can also opt for High-intensity interval training (HIIT) along with these activities.
Strength Training
It would help if you aimed for strength training three to four days per week. In addition, you need to include full-body exercises that emphasize compound workouts. These moves help grow muscles more than double at a time. For Example:
▪ Pushups (80 – 100 per day)
▪ Plank with a single-arm row.
▪ Dumbbell squats with a shoulder press.
▪ Deadlift with a squat or lean-over row.
▪ Plunges with an adjacent raise.
There are other important exercises that you can include in your strength training plan. These include:
▪ squats
▪ straight leg deadlifts
▪ planks
▪ pushups
▪ pushup dips
▪ exercise ball crunches
▪ overhead presses
▪ pullups
▪ dumbbell rows
▪ bench-presses
▪ Planks
To achieve your goals and make the best of your workouts, you need to follow the guidelines mentioned below:
▪ It would be best if you fluctuated the strength of the workouts.
▪ It would help if you embraced both exercises that are moderated intensely and High-intensity interval training (HIIT).
▪ You need to perform several cardio activities in a week. These can include treadmill running, cycling, and even swimming.
▪ It would be best to take two days of rest at least each week.
How Often Should You Work Out for Muscle Gain?
It is important to find the right balance of strength training and cardio exercise to gain muscles. If you work out too much or risk yourself with overtraining, you might end up losing the muscles you have earned hard. Alternatively, if you do not intensify the workout or give less time to work out, the muscle gain will be noticeable and minimal.
1. Cardiovascular Exercise
It is recommended to stick to at least two and at most three days of cardio every week. In addition, you should focus on quicker, higher-intensity sessions of approximately 25 minutes of High-intensity interval training (HIIT).
2. Strength Training
It would help if you aimed for strength training three to four days per week. However, according to research, it is important to work out at least two days per week to make the most of muscle growth. Therefore, you can consider the following schedule, depending on the days of training and your training level:
▪ Beginner Level
At least 2 to 3 days of strength training every week. (Ideally: Full-body each session)
▪ Intermediate Level
At least 3 to 4 days of strength training every week. (Ideally: Fragment the workout by body part – lower body and upper body)
▪ Advanced Level
At least 4 to 5 days of strength training every week. (Ideally: a progressive exerciser might assemble their week with three days on and one day off)
If you feel that four days of strength training is working for you, contemplate fragmenting your week up into upper body segments such as the chest, arms, abs, etc., and lower body segments such as legs. Here is a detailed workout plan for the entire week:
1. Day 01 – Sunday – Rest or Cardio
Ideally, it is recommended to rest or carry out cardiovascular exercises on Sunday.
▪ Keep your protein intake high
▪ Get at least 8 hours of sleep
▪ Stretching
▪ Walking
▪ Cycling
2. Day 02 - Monday - Upper Body
Preferably, it would be best to carry out the upper body exercises segment on Monday.
▪ Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Military Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Hammer Curls: 2 sets of 12 to 15 each
▪ Overhead Triceps Extensions with Cable Pulley: 2 sets of 12 to 15 each
▪ Medicine Ball Crunches: 2 sets of 12 to 15 each
▪ Burpees: 2 sets of 12 to 15 each
3. Day 03 - Tuesday - Lower Body
It would help to carry out the lower body exercises segment for Tuesday.
▪ Jefferson Squats: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Barbell Squats: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Calf Raises: 2 sets of failure (selecting a heavy enough weight so that struggle to complete the last rep)
▪ Hip Adduction Machine: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Calf Press: 2 sets of failure (selecting a heavy enough weight so that struggle to complete the last rep)
4. Day 04 - Wednesday - Rest or Cardio
Ideally, it is recommended to rest or carry out cardiovascular exercises on Wednesday.
▪ Keep your protein intake high
▪ Get at least 8 hours of sleep
▪ Stretching
▪ Walking
▪ Cycling
5. Day 05 - Thursday - Upper Body
Preferably, it would be best to carry out the upper body exercises segment on Thursday.
▪ Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Military Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Hammer Curls: 2 sets of 12 to 15 each
▪ Overhead Triceps Extensions with Cable Pulley: 2 sets of 12 to 15 each
▪ Medicine Ball Crunches: 2 sets of 12 to 15 each
▪ Burpees: 2 sets of 12 to 15 each
6. Day 06 - Friday - Lower Body
For Friday, it would help to carry out the lower body exercises segment.
▪ Jefferson Squats: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Barbell Squats: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Calf Raises: 2 sets of failure (selecting a heavy enough weight so that struggle to complete the last rep)
▪ Hip Adduction Machine: 3 sets of 8 to 12 each
▪ Calf Press: 2 sets of failure (selecting a heavy enough weight so that struggle to complete the last rep)
7. Day 07 - Saturday - Rest or Cardio
Ideally, it is recommended to rest or carry out cardiovascular exercises on Saturday.
▪ Keep your protein intake high
▪ Get at least 8 hours of sleep
▪ Stretching
▪ Walking
▪ Cycling
If you are not gaining muscle as rapidly as you had planned, you will likely face the feared plateau. To get back to a phase of building muscles, you need to figure out new things. Some different ways to do so are mentioned below:
▪ Exchange your current exercises and substitute them for a fresh set.
▪ Put additional weight into your lifting training.
▪ Alter the number of reps and sets you are currently performing.
▪ By changing the range of the rep, you mix light and heavy loads to provoke a better increase in muscle size and strength. For example, a day with a heavier load may consist of four to five reps. Similarly, a day with a moderate load may have eight to twelve reps, and a day with a lighter weight may consist of fifteen to twenty reps.
Does Gaining Muscle Make You Gain Weight?
Let’s say you have been working out hard at the fitness center and sticking to a healthy diet, and still, you see a higher number when you step up at the weighing scale. You don’t need to panic! Thousands of people have run into the mysterious problem of gaining weight after working out; it is quite common, and you are not alone.
You do not need to be concerned that you might not be practicing the exercises accurately, that the workout does not suit you, or maybe you are at the wrong place. You are not! To answer “does gaining muscle make you gain weight,” there are several factors to reflect on for weight loss, including:
▪ Water Retention
▪ Glycogen Conversion
▪ Hypercaloric Diets
▪ Time
▪ Other Health Issues
▪ Muscle Gains
▪ Supplement Use
Best Exercises for Building Muscle
There are plenty of benefits for building muscle that goes past looking decent and lifting heavy things. Some exercises for building muscles are:
▪ Bench Press
▪ Barbell Pullover
▪ Bent Over BB Row
▪ Deadlift
▪ Pullup
▪ Squat
▪ Leg Press
▪ Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
▪ Upright Row
▪ Dip
Is Working Out 6 Days a Week Too Much?
There is no magic number of days to head to the gym every week. However, it depends on your stamina and body type, the fitness goals you have set, and your plan. There are a few general guidelines mentioned below:
▪ General Fitness: 4 to 5 Days (Per week)
Benefits of 4 to 5 days Workout
A gym schedule for four to five days sets up a composed workout routine. It keeps you energetic and habitual of heading to the gym frequently while still letting your body some time to recuperate between exercises. As a result, numerous people feel better when going to the gym regularly.
▪ Weight Loss: 5 to 6 Days (Per week)
Benefits of 5 to 6 days Workout
The best benefit of heading to the gym five days each week is that it lets you finish your daily workout and exercise plan in one session and provides you access to multiple exercises. In addition, working out five to six days a week is best for losing weight and overall health and helps prevent various diseases.
▪ Muscle building: 3 to 4 Days (Per week)
Benefits of 3 to 4 days Workout
The imbalances in muscles are a major cause of injuries. A workout schedule of three to four days consents for adequate and suitable rest. Muscles do not only build when you are lifting heavyweights in the gym. They also grow as they recuperate and patch up between the workout sessions.
How Many Rest Days Do You Need to Build Muscles?
The days of growth are important to your physical and mental health. When you talk about working out, a good training and exercise plan can boost and enhance endorphins, the happy hormone in the human body, and help you feel excited at the moment.
However, excessive workouts can lead to irritation, sleep deprivation, weakened performance, and reduced appetite. All of these contribute to mental enervation, tiredness, and fatigue. Taking rest for two to three days from penetrating exercise and workout every week while engaging in some dynamic repossession will let you get your tissues to recover and blood flow to help enable muscle repair.
Are 4 Days a Week Enough to Build Muscles?
Whether you are looking to reduce a few pounds or build muscles and gain mass, it is recommended to start the workout three days a week and gradually increase it to five days a week.
It would be best if the workout plan you have created includes a combination of the following exercises:
▪ Cardiovascular Exercise
▪ Strength Training
▪ Core Work
▪ Stretching
How Many Times A Week Should I Work in a Muscle Group?
A few muscle groups can be hard to work on, particularly if you are unaware of certain things, such as how often you should work out. In addition, it can be difficult to identify which muscle groups to prioritize with your exercises or training and develop a split or exercise plan to emphasize several muscle groups.
Muscle groups need at least 48 to 72 hours of repossession after resistance workout or physical activity sessions. Remember that the molecular reply will be enhanced, and the size and strength of the muscle will grow better when exercises of the same muscle group are detached by at least 48 to 72 hours.
Is It Bad to Work out the Same Muscles Every day?
When you work out the same every day or do similar exercises daily, you are working for the same groups of muscles. While you may not face any problems with that temporarily, your body can develop muscle imbalances over time that can lead to serious injuries.
Depending on the workout and exercise type, performing the same workout routine daily can harm your body, muscles, and tissues and can result in muscle growth being minimal to none.
Conclusion
The imbalances in muscles are a major cause of injuries. Therefore, a workout schedule of three to four days consents for adequate and suitable rest. In addition, strength training and cardio exercise both play an important role in losing or reducing weight and increasing or gaining muscle size.
Looking for the right balance of the two exercises will bank on your personal and discrete goals, the timeframe you set to achieve them, and, more importantly, the number of days you commit to working out and training.
