How Many Days a Week Should I Workout?

“How many days a week should I come to class?” 

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I get asked this question A LOT.  The answer to this question is more questions. How hard are you pushing yourself in class? Are you getting enough sleep?  Are you fueling adequately?  Are you stressed?  What activities are you doing outside of class?  Where are you in your menstrual cycle? Etc. 

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There are MANY things to consider when determining how many times you should workout per week. And much of it depends on what you are doing when you are NOT in the gym.  Instead of telling you what to do, I’ll tell you about me.  Again, everyone is different, but maybe you’ll find my approach helpful or enlightening. 

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Here is what I do:

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I love CrossFit (duh).  I like to go 6 days a week.  Sunday is almost always my rest day or active recovery (golf, walk, yoga, beach, volleyball). 6 days might sound like a lot to some people, so I will explain myself.  

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Coming to class Mon-Sat keeps me in a consistent, habitual routine which is part of why I don’t like skipping days. That does not mean I kill myself in the gym 6 days in a row.  I usually pick 1 or 2 days where I really push myself (8-10/10 effort).  The other days are moderate effort (5-7/10 effort) or skill days (3-4/10 effort, prioritizing technique over load or speed).   And sometimes, if I am feeling particularly beat up or didn’t get enough sleep, I’ll take an additional day off.  

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According to my WHOOP I get about 7:22 hours of sleep a night (definitely room for improvement there).  I try to eat whole foods at most meals, a lot of protein, and we cook at home most nights.  I don’t drink much alcohol these days but I do enjoy a glass of wine or a grapefruit crush once in a while.  I wouldn’t consider myself a stressed out person so I definitely save some energy in that department. 

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All in all, I’d say I have a fairly healthy lifestyle OUTSIDE of the gym.  So I can get away with working out 6 days a week most weeks.  

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“Consistency = Results.”  We hear this all the time.  But, in order to safely and effectively be consistent in the gym, you can’t be eating like garbage, blacking out on the weekends, and surviving off of 5 hours of sleep night after night. 

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Audit your lifestyle outside of the gym.  That will help you determine how many days a week you can and should workout and at what intensity.  

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