Every newcomer athlete asks the same question: how long should a workout be? I’ll try to answer it shortly but constructively. Probably, my thoughts will stand out from articles in sports magazines or from famous YouTube-bloggers’ opinion. But! Everything you’ll read below is based on my 7 years’ training standing. That’s why I hope my recommendations about average workout time will be useful for you.
Thus, let’s back to our main question: how long should a workout be?
Variant #1
- You just started training. You have no workout experience, your body has no endurance, and your muscles are not settled down to regular loads. You have to merge with the training routine little by little.
Your average workout time should be 60 minutes maximum
About 10 minutes is warm-up, up to 35-40 minutes is the main workout and 10-15 minutes are cool-down exercises and stretching.
Variant #2
- You train for about 6-12 months without big breaks. At the same time, the frequency of your workouts is at least 3 per week. Otherwise speaking you already adapted to the training regimen and you can pile up the amount of gym work.
You are free to lengthen your average workout time up to 90 minutes
About 15 minutes is warm-up, up to 60 minutes is the main workout and 15 minutes are cool-down exercises and stretching.
Variant #3
- You are a skilled, experienced athlete. Your athletic standing is 2-3 years and more. You have enough competence to build a training program, varying loads and you perfectly feel when your body needs rest. Moreover, your muscles are not as responsive to stress as they used to be at the outset, and you should make them work harder.
You can quit hold of average workout time and spend in the gym up to 120 minutes
About 15-20 minutes is warm-up, about 80 minutes is the main workout and 15-20 minutes are cool-down exercises and stretching.
When you wonder: “How long should a workout be?” remember an important thing!
When we talk about how long should a workout be, we have to take on our age, our health grounds, our old injuries, and other factors which could affect time spent at the gym.
For example, the length of my training is about 2 hours. But this doesn’t mean that I always train to failure and don’t change the intensity.
Don’t forget! We are humans, not machines. Therefore, always keep an eye on your well-being and vary your average workout time if necessary.
