It doesn’t depend on the time you spend in the gym, but on the time you spend on effective and targeted training. We often fall into the belief that something good is much better in bulk. And nowhere is this mindset as common as it is in the world of fitness, especially when you factor in the popularity of things like the #NoDaysOff movement.

To prove how much and for how long some people train (because they are so “hardcore”), all you have to do is scroll through your Instagram feed for 30-60 seconds and look at all the posts promoting “epic” hours of workouts. The problem with this way of thinking, however, is that the length of a training session is not the same as an indicator of its effectiveness. In other words, just because a workout lasts two hours doesn’t mean it is better than a 30-minute workout.

Does the length of your workout play an important role? Are Short Workouts Effective ? And how long do you have to train to get good results? The answers to these questions might surprise you …

How long should you train?

Unfortunately there is no single answer to this question. Your ideal duration of exercise and how often you should exercise depends on a number of factors, including:

• Training experience
• aims
• Age
• Time for training
• Training approach; For example, supersets vs. normal sentences, full body vs. Body part split and the intensity techniques you use
• Rest time between sets
• Wasted training time; For example, taking selfies, checking social media and texting
• How busy the gym is

Basically there are simply too many factors involved to make a general recommendation. This applies to exercise programs in general. Not every program (or even every exercise) is suitable for every bodybuilder or athlete.

In addition, the length of time you train reflects the quality of your training. For example: two athletes each need two hours to complete a workout. Lifter A is an elite power lifter whose training usually involves heavy triple groups. As such, he needs long rest periods in order to regain his strength before the next set of work. If you’ve ever deadlifted near your max with heavy loads, you know that it can take up to 10 minutes to fully recover and be ready to try another heavy set. Lifter, on the flip side, is B. He’s an average guy who goes to the gym 3-4 times a week to get fit.

While this is a huge exaggeration, it makes one thing clear. Just because you’ve been in the gym for a long time doesn’t mean you’re training hard or effectively, let alone training efficiently. The truth is, you should worry less about how long your workout is than using that time to work hard and keep improving with each workout. In practice, this can mean that you continuously increase your weights, increase the number of repetitions or reduce the breaks between sets, the only important thing is that you approach your workout in a focused and ambitious way.

The time to worry about the length of your training is at most when you are under extreme time pressure. In this case, you need to maximize every second that you spend in the gym. This requires intensity techniques like supersets, short rest periods and / or circuit training. Does that mean, conversely, that your training can take as long as you want if you have a lot of time left? Of course not! Everything has a cap, and just because you have three hours to exercise doesn’t mean you should make the most of that time. The main goal in weight training is to stimulate (not destroy) the muscles so they have a reason to adapt and get bigger and stronger. No more and no less. So use the rest of your time to rest, relax, work, and spend time with family and friends.

What about cortisol levels during long workouts?

If you’ve ever been told that exercising longer than 60 minutes will affect your results, you have been misinformed. In the meantime, studies have shown that short, intensive training units can increase cortisol levels just as much (and possibly even higher than) longer training units [1,2].

It is not as if your body suddenly realizes that you have been exercising for more than 45-60 minutes and then magically floods your organism with cortisol, which devours all of your valuable muscles. The body just doesn’t work that way. Nevertheless, it should be noted at this point that extremely long workouts have another influence in this regard. After all, after two to three hours, the body had an extremely long time to release cortisol in response to the training stimuli, so that the cortisol release is actually higher during long workouts than during units of short or moderate length.

General tips on the “right” workout length

Regardless of the factors that influence your individual circumstances, training experience and goals, here are some general tips on training duration and frequency:

• If you want to build muscle and improve your body composition, you should lift heavy weights 3-4 times a week for a total of about 5-6 hours.
• If you want to burn unwanted body fat, do another 1-2 hours of cardio in addition to strength training. Remember, fat loss and muscle building ultimately depend on your diet. Calories burned through exercise make up a very small part of your total energy expenditure each day.
• Take at least one full day of rest per week to aid recovery and reduce the likelihood of gym burnout.

Related Post

Bodybuilding: How Many Exercises Per Muscle Group Are Ideal?

Fitness: Are you fit enough for the army?

Stylish sports fashion for yoga, fitness & an active lifestyle