HOW MANY DAYS A WEEK SHOULD WOMEN TRAIN?
Search this question and you’ll usually find a number. Two days. Three days. Maybe more if you have a specific goal.
That answer isn’t necessarily wrong, but it leaves out something important: Can you realistically keep showing up for it?
The CDC recommends that adults do muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days each week. That makes two strength-training days a solid place to begin. But a general recommendation isn’t the same as a personal plan.
At Dropgym, we start with another question:
What does winning look like for you right now?
TWO DAYS A WEEK IS A STRONG PLACE TO START
If two days fit your schedule and budget, start with two days.
You don’t need to commit to five days a week for your training to count. Beginning with a schedule you can maintain gives you a chance to build consistency instead of feeling behind before you’ve even started.
Five days may work beautifully for one woman. For another, two days may be the number she can protect when work gets busy or family life shifts.
The goal is to choose a starting point that allows you to follow through.
NO TWO TRAINING DAYS ARE THE SAME
Training more often at Dropgym doesn’t mean doing the same type of strength workout every day.
Our programming changes throughout the week. Classes may focus on strength, conditioning or different areas of the body. The work also develops over time, so every Monday won’t always look exactly like the Monday before it.
That variety matters when you’re deciding how often you want to train. You aren’t simply repeating one workout several times a week. Each class contributes something different to the larger training process.
A HARD DAY DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN MISSING CLASS
Your available time and your capacity aren’t always the same thing.
You may have room in your schedule to train after a poor night of sleep, but know you aren’t arriving with your usual energy. That doesn’t automatically mean you need to skip the gym.
Dropgym uses a State-Based movement method to help women approach the day’s workout according to what they have available. You still participate in the goal of the class, but your coach can help you make decisions about effort, load and pace.
You still train, but what’s happening in your body shapes your approach that day.
CHOOSE A SCHEDULE YOU CAN WIN AT
Before deciding how many days you should train, ask yourself:
How many days can I realistically protect each week?
What works for me financially?
What can I continue when life gets busy?
Does this schedule give me a chance to recover?
What would make me feel successful right now?
Your answers may lead you to two days, five days or somewhere in between.
The win isn’t in choosing the highest number, but in building a schedule you can return to.
YOUR STARTING POINT ISN’T A LIFETIME COMMITMENT
The number of days you train can change as your life does. You may begin with two days a week and add more once your routine feels established, then scale back during a busier season. What matters is finding a rhythm that keeps strength training a part of your life.
SO, HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU STRENGTH TRAIN?
For general health, at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity each week is a well-supported baseline. Your ideal training schedule will also depend on your goals, experience, recovery and the other kinds of movement included in your week.
At Dropgym, not every class asks the same thing from your body. Strength, conditioning and other areas of training work together across the schedule.
Start with the number of days you can realistically commit to. Give yourself the opportunity to succeed there. You can build from that foundation when you’re ready.
FIND YOUR STARTING POINT
If you’re looking for women’s strength training in Medford, Oregon, our Free 2-Day Pass gives you a chance to experience Dropgym before choosing a membership.
Come meet the coaches, try the classes and see what kind of training schedule feels possible for you.
Source: CDC Adult Activity Guidelines