How often you should be lifting weights may not be something you previously considered. After all, you can be perfectly happy staying active by going for a run or stretching out with some yoga. But strength training is very important for a wide range of aspects of your health, from bone density to mental well-being, and should be a regular feature of your exercise routine.
In fact, resistance training is just as important as cardio when it comes to working out. But how often you should lift weights will depend on exactly what you’re trying to accomplish once you’ve laced up your shoes. Maybe that’s healthy, sustainable weight loss, or maybe you want to improve your overall fitness levels or increase muscle tone.
As such, we have enlisted personal trainers to share how often you should do strength training depending on your particular health goals, as well as how to make sure you’re exercising your muscles hard enough during workouts at home. They’ll also reveal exactly why picking up gym equipment like dumbbells and barbells as you age is so important to your health, and how it can make you feel more empowered.
How often should you lift weights?
First of all, it’s important to remember that the answer to “how often you should lift weights” will differ from person to person. “A person’s training schedule is subjective for many reasons,” says Rachael Penrose, a personal trainer at f45 paddington (opens in a new tab). “Your current physical ability, previous training experience, age, injuries and health issues are just some of the things that can influence what your training approach should be. Also, technique is vital when it comes to body-based training. in strength, and I’d advise talking to a professional if you’re new to weight training.”
1. How often should you lift weights… to lose weight?
How often: 2-3 times a week
When it comes to healthy, sustainable weight loss, it’s important to compare the energy you consume versus the energy you expend. “Creating a Calorie deficit to lose weight. it’s important,” explains Penrose. “But you also need to remember that you need enough fuel to live and move, so having too much of a deficit can make it harder for you to train. Diverting the focus from ‘burning calories’ is a better, longer-term approach to ensure you don’t plateau.”
Additionally, having enough calories in your system to perform strength training properly can also help you achieve your weight loss goal in a different way. “It can help improve lean muscle mass and decrease body fat,” notes personal trainer Aimee Victoria Long (opens in a new tab). “By increasing your muscle tissue, you actually increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which means you’ll burn more calories at rest.”
But how often should you lift weights to lose weight? “I would suggest doing two to three sessions of strength training a week, combined with mobility work and cardio,” Long recommends. “Start by mastering compound movements like squats, bench presses, and deadlifts, and then incorporate isolation exercises that can help improve his ability to build lean muscle.”
2. How often should you lift weights… to gain muscle?
How often: 3-4 times a week
Strength training is key to building tone. “If you’re looking to gain muscle, then the fastest way to do it is by lifting weights,” says the personal trainer. Chelsea Labadini (opens in a new tab). “For a muscle to grow, it needs to be under enough tension throughout the week. If you really want to see a difference, you need to do at least three full-body workouts a week, or if you have the ability to do more, then two workouts for the lower part.” upper body and two for the lower body are ideal.
You also want to make sure you feel challenged, no matter what weight you’re lifting. “Try to aim for 10 to 12 reps to achieve hypertrophy—the increase and growth of muscle cells,” Long explains. “You’ll also want to do compound lifts that use multiple muscle groups.” Think of squats and weighted deadlifts. Also, make sure you’re lifting heavy enough. “They’re not the lightest weights you can find, and therefore you have to do hundreds of reps,” adds Labadini. “Pick the ones where the last two reps feel pretty tough.” Also, pushing yourself and hitting new PBs is great. workout motivation.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
3. How often should you lift weights… to get in shape?
How often: 1-2 times a week
While it may seem like lifting weights is all about strength, it can also improve other areas of your fitness. “The aforementioned compound movements can help improve your cardiovascular fitness,” explains Long. “You’re using multiple muscle groups, so it takes more effort. After a set of squats, you may notice that you feel a bit short of breath; this takes a toll on your cardiovascular system due to the demands of lifting. That’s why weight training strength really helps.” build strong foundations for everyday life, for things like climbing stairs or carrying groceries.” She recommends that one or two strength sessions a week will give you big benefits if that’s your goal, though try to keep them to strength sessions. full body for full focus.
But to improve your fitness levels in this way, you also need to make sure you’re pushing your body hard enough, so it’s wise to stock up on a selection of the best dumbbells if you exercise at home. “You have to use the principle of progressive overload,” explains Penrose. “That is, gradually increase your total workload by increasing the weight, frequency, or reps in your strength training routine to challenge your musculoskeletal system. The easiest way to do this is to slowly increase the weight you use for certain movements, When you feel it, it becomes too easy, your body has adapted to the workload and you need to increase it to challenge your muscles so they don’t stall.”
4. How often should you lift weights… to improve mental health?
How often: 2-3 times a week
There can be many reasons why you’re struggling with your mental health, so it’s important to seek the advice of a doctor if you’re concerned. However, research has widely found that exercise improves mood, and strength training provides particular benefits. A University of Limerick (opens in a new tab) study found that resistance training significantly reduced depressive symptoms.
“Any form of physical activity improves mental health through neurotransmitters throughout the body, the most common of which are endorphins, which interact with the brain to reduce the perception of pain and trigger a positive feeling,” explains Penrose. “Oxygen supply to your brain is increased, stress levels are reduced, and the after effect of completing a task, in this case a workout, improves your overall self-esteem.”
Strength training in particular can also build confidence. “A lot of women who lift weights report that they feel really empowered,” says Labadini. “In fact, increasing the weight you can lift can be weirdly sexy.” How often should you strength train to experience these psychological benefits? “Aim for two to three full-body sessions a week and work up from there,” Long recommends. Also, don’t neglect the importance of other types of exercise; in fact, improving mental well-being is one of the health benefits of walking.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Why is lifting weights good for you?
While learning how often you should lift weights is helpful, it’s also important to understand why you’re strength training in the first place. “It has a multitude of benefits,” says Penrose. “Using resistance, in this case weight lifting, helps increase bone density, build stronger connective tissue, and increase joint stability.”
However, it becomes particularly important as women go through the perimenopause. “After this, you’re more likely to develop osteoporosis, a condition that causes your bones to weaken and affects half of all women over 50,” explains Michelle Baynham, personal trainer and founder of fit mom (opens in a new tab). “
“Women can lose bone density rapidly in the first few years after menopause because they have less of the hormone estrogen in their bodies. Staying active can help keep your bones healthy and can reduce the chance of them breaking or fracturing if you fall. Studies actually show that strength training can help prevent bone loss and can even help build new bone.”
Also, as mentioned above, lifting weights is also beneficial if you are struggling with aspects of your mental health, such as anxiety symptoms. “Strength training can help improve your mood, allowing you to focus on yourself and give you a real feeling of self-worth,” notes Long.
Finally, it can also help control weight as we age. “There is a reduction in muscle and this can result in a lower functional capacity and a higher percentage of body fat,” adds Labadini. “All of this leads to a slower metabolism, which can contribute to weight gain even if you’re eating the same number of calories as before.”
Which brings us to one of the biggest myths surrounding weightlifting. “Unfortunately, many women still believe that weight training will make them stronger, and this is a huge misconception,” explains Baynham. “However, it’s actually very difficult to become overly muscular due to lower testosterone levels than men. If a woman strength trains regularly with progressive overload and good nutrition, she’ll just build muscle tone and definition.”
