What Should an Ideal Workout Week Look Like?
Like most things in fitness, there is not a one size fits all answer to this question. There are a number of variables that would impact your workout week -- in particular what are your fitness goals. Whether you’re focusing on muscle building, fat loss, cardio endurance, or something else, will have a huge impact on what your workout week will look like.
However if you are relatively new to fitness or have found it challenging to stick to a weekly workout routine, I would recommend the following*:
2-3 days of aerobic exercise (brisk walking, jogging, biking, boxing, swimming, etc.)
2-3 days of full body resistance training
1-2 recovery days
Let’s dive a little deeper into the reasoning behind this recommended schedule.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization, it is recommended each week to get either 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, or some combination of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic exercises. There are numerous benefits to following a regular cardiovascular fitness routine, including strengthening of your heart, prevention of chronic diseases and various health disorders, regulated sleep, improved mood, and much more.
Resistance training also comes with numerous health benefits well beyond attaining that “toned” look. Many of the benefits from a resistance training program include increasing cardiovascular endurance, preventing osteoporosis through the increase of bone density, protecting your joints from injury, reducing back pain, preventing chronic conditions, and much more.
Equally important to sticking to a consistent workout routine is incorporating rest and recovery days each week. Giving all-out workout efforts 7 days a week will ultimately lead to burnout, negatively impact your ability to build muscle, and can increase your probability of a sports-related injury.
So what would an ideal Monday to Sunday schedule look like? As stated previously, this largely depends on where you are in your fitness journey and what your goals are, but here is a possible schedule to follow if you are looking for more consistency in your workouts. If you aren’t able to commit to 5 days of working out, I would recommend prioritizing resistance training over cardio (you can incorporate aerobic exercises within your resistance training.):
Monday: Resistance Training (full body, 30-45 minutes)
Tuesday: 30 minutes vigorous intensity cardio (jogging, cycling, boxing, swimming. etc.)
Wednesday: Recovery Day (i.e.: 20-30 minute low intensity walk, stretching, foam rolling, etc.)
Thursday: Resistance Training (full body, 30-45 minutes)
Friday: 30 minutes vigorous intensity cardio (jogging, cycling, boxing, swimming. etc.)
Saturday: Resistance Training (full body, 30-45 minutes)
Sunday: Recovery Day (i.e.: 20-30 minute low intensity walk, stretching, foam rolling, etc.)
*It is extremely important to consult your physician before starting any new exercise regime.
