Even if you are a fan of the gym and like to invest time in it, you need to know the efficiency of strength training. Believing that longer sessions will be better for increasing strength can be a big mistake.
Basically, it will all depend on our lifting history, current fitness level, goals, and how many days a week we train. For example, if we are new to strength training, shorter, lighter sessions may be all we need. Instead, intermediate and advanced lifters may need to spend more time in the gym to keep progressing.
As the human body quickly adapts to something new, the minimum amount of time we need to train to be effective depends largely on our level of experience.
Below we will break down exactly how long a weightlifting workout should be based on based on how often we train this ability per week.
Strength training one day a week
If we do only one strength training session per week, try to reserve 60 to 90 minutes . That amount of time will help you get everything you need.
For example, while experts recommend working all of the body’s major muscle groups at least twice a week, there are studies showing that you can build muscle from just one weekly strength training. The key, the researchers say, is to tie the weekly minimum requirements into a longer strength session.
Experts suggest working each major muscle group for 2 to 4 sets, 2 to 3 times a week. That equates to 4 to 12 sets that focus on the legs, 4 to 12 on the back, etc. It is important to maintain proper form, especially for beginners.
To get everything during a time-efficient session, prioritize exercises like squat variations, dumbbell deadlifts, and push-ups that work multiple muscles at once. The key is to work several muscles at the same time to take advantage of the training time and perform at your best.
Train two or three days a week
Those who lift weights two or three times a week can do their sessions for 45 to 60 minutes . This should allow enough time to hammer a few different muscle groups during each session.
For example, the first day can include upper body movements such as chest presses, lateral pulls, overhead presses, and planks. On the second day you can do exercises for the lower part of the body com
or lunges, squats, glute bridges, deadlifts, and calf raises.
In the case of exercising three days a week, upper body strength training can be divided into pushing (taking the weight away from the body) and pulling (pushing the weight towards the body) movements.
With this frequency of exercise, it is best to focus on compound movements , which work several muscle groups at the same time. You can also save some time in the gym by doing exercises that target different muscle groups, also known as a supersets . For example, you can do a series of squats followed immediately by a series of bicep curls.
Train four or five days a week
One of the most common questions is how long a weight training should last when it is done very frequently. More days in the gym equates to greater flexibility in the duration and structure of the workouts. Although everything varies depending on the goal, 20 to 60 minutes is a good time range.
Try dividing the days by muscle group (for example, chest and triceps one day, back and biceps another day). As we intend to spend many days in the gym, workouts can be structured so that each major muscle group has 48 hours of recovery time before exercising again.
Keep in mind that spending 20 minutes on strength training is sufficient for most new and intermediate lifters who train for overall good health. However, advanced lifters and those who train for strength sports like powerlifting should expect many of their workouts to approach (or exceed) 60 minutes.
Weightlifters, for example, have to take several minutes to rest between sets because a longer rest allows the nervous system to fully recover. That means heavy lifting workouts can take more than an hour, even if the total work time is short.
How long should you lift weights?
There is no set duration for a workout. The time we lift weights per session will depend on the fitness level, goal, and how many days we train per week.
If we are training strength only one day a week, it is recommended to do a session of 60 to 90 minutes; those who train two or three days a week should try 45-60 minute sessions; and sessions of 20 to 60 minutes for people who train four or five days a week. In general, the most common is that strength training last 20 to 90 minutes .
In the case of not being able to do a 20-minute workout, nothing happens. Every workout counts, it doesn’t matter if you do 10 minutes or 60 minutes. If you’re short on time, think quality over quantity and make the most of what you have.
Should we limit ourselves to less than 45 minutes?
None of the above recommendations have prevented some people from saying that there is an ideal duration of training. In fact, it is common to find claims from exercise gurus that we should not lift weights for more than 45 minutes. If we do so, testosterone levels will plummet, cortisol levels will rise, and we will enter a catabolic black hole from which we will never escape.
Legend has it that we should stop training after 45 minutes because some kind of hormonal “tipping point” is reached. This is a nonsense statement . In fact, some workouts lasting more than 90 minutes have been shown to raise testosterone above resting levels for at least two hours after the workout has ended.
What’s more, the idea that short-term hormonal response to training has a major impact on muscle growth has been questioned in recent years. There are scientific studies that analyze the subject, taking as an example 12-week resistance training programs.
If the post-exercise change in testosterone levels were important when it came to building muscle, we would have to see guys with a higher testosterone response after training with higher amounts of muscle; or guys with the lowest testosterone response after training with the least amount of muscle.
However the data reveals that no significant link can be found between exercise-induced increases in testosterone levels and gains in muscle size or strength.
