When individuals start lifting, they typically overdo it. You want to develop muscle fast, so you train five, six, or even seven days a week as you think that the more you do, the faster you\u2019ll be able to see results. However, it doesn\u2019t take long before you learn the hard way about the significance of recovery. You\u2019re sore all the time and your improvements grinds to a halt, obliging you to scale your workouts back so you only hit a muscle once or twice a week. This is the frequency that most of us then stay with indefinitely.<\/p>\n
Studies demonstrate that – in some cases – the number of times per week that you lift weights makes a difference. However, in other studies, it does not.<\/p>\n
In older adults, there is not a lot of difference shown in strength if the person trains either once or twice per week. However, there is a significant growth in strength when the time spent training jumps to three times per week.<\/p>\n
The research points to the direction the \u201csweet spot\u201d of strength training<\/a> which is somewhere between two and three times per week. We typically recommend that most individuals strength train approximately three days per week in order to make sure that they hit that minimum effective dose, particularly if they are not getting any other activity in the week.<\/p>\n You could also consider adding a fourth day if you have a flexible schedule and also have strength or sport-specific goals. In this case, ensure that you deload your training and take a recovery week every month or so.<\/p>\n