How Often Should One Work Out to Lose Weight?
While almost everybody wants to lose a few pounds, not everybody has all day to spend in the gym, which is why it's important to maximize your calorie burning during workouts. While everyone's needs are different, here are some general guidelines to help you decide how much you should work out to lose weight steadily.
-
General Recommendations
-
Dr. John Berardi, a Ph.D.-certified biochemist and nutritionist, recommends doing a minimum of five hours of exercise per week to attain your optimal physique. This routine should consist of a blend of resistance training, cardiovascular work and supplemental activities such as yoga and Pilates. Generally speaking, you can accomplish this in four to five workout sessions of an hour to an hour and 15 minutes apiece.
Adjusting for Individual Differences
-
Of course, not everyone is biologically programmed the same. As the goal is to lose weight at a steady pace (roughly one to two pounds per week), your objective is to tailor your exercise routine to meet that expectation. So if you are losing weight too quickly on five hours of training a week, decrease your total training time by an hour or so. Conversely, if you are unable to lose weight while training five hours a week, increase exercise duration by an hour. Assess your progress every two weeks and make subtle adjustments to keep your weight loss constant.
-
Consistency Is the Key
-
Your weight loss results will largely depend on how consistent you are with your diet and exercise plans. Remember that working out for five hours every week for four weeks will always produce superior results than, for instance, 10 hours in one week, no exercise the second and third weeks, and 10 hours the fourth week.
Escalating Intensity
-
If you are not already doing five hours of training weekly, gradually work up to that amount instead of attempting to add it all at once. This will allow you to condition yourself physically and psychologically, and it will make it much less likely that you'll burn out.
Considerations
-
Although you might have been told you can achieve the body you want by exercising for 20 minutes a day three times a week, this is an unrealistic goal offered by people who are just trying to sell you a product. Building an ideal physique takes more effort than that, so the best thing you can do is work hard and let the results speak for themselves.
-
