The strength part of Canada's movement guidelines calls for muscle strengthening activities using the major muscle groups at least twice a week (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, n.d.; Ross et al., 2020). Aerobic activity is a separate part of the guidelines, so this post focuses on strength training days. You might be wondering if two is enough or if you should be coming in more.
Here's what the studies found when people lifted on different numbers of days a week. Then we'll show you how we set up a schedule at our studio in Concord, Vaughan that you can keep.
What the strength studies found
A 2018 meta analysis pooled 22 studies that compared different numbers of strength sessions per week. When the studies matched the total amount of work, the number of sessions made no significant difference to strength gains. Across all 22 studies, groups that trained more often also gained more. The effect sizes were 0.74 for once a week, 0.82 for twice, 0.93 for three times and 1.08 for four or more. The authors concluded that this seems to be driven mainly by training volume, and that more sessions can be used to fit in more of it (Grgic et al., 2018).
A second meta analysis pooled 12 studies. In its comparisons with the weekly workload matched, lifting once a week and lifting three or more times a week gave similar strength gains (Ralston et al., 2018).
What the muscle studies found
A 2019 review pooled 25 studies on muscle size. When training volume was matched, how often a muscle was trained made no significant difference to growth. The authors' advice was that for a given amount of training, you can pick the weekly frequency per muscle group that you prefer (Schoenfeld et al., 2019).
An earlier 2016 review of 10 studies compared groups that trained a muscle group more often with groups that trained it less often. The higher frequency groups had an effect size of 0.49 and the lower frequency groups 0.30 (Schoenfeld et al., 2016). These studies counted how often each muscle group was trained. A class can train several muscle groups, so studio visits and the number of times a muscle is trained are separate counts.
How often should you work out for strength
Plan around the total work you get done over the week, then pick the number of days you'll keep showing up for. Two strength sessions a week meets the strength part of Canada's guidelines, and you can keep getting stronger on two as long as your training gets harder over time. A third session gives you room to add more sets without making each one longer.
There's a health side too. A 2022 review of 16 prospective cohort studies linked muscle strengthening activities to a 10 to 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, total cancer, diabetes and lung cancer (Momma et al., 2022). For all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and total cancer, the biggest risk reduction, about 10 to 20%, showed up at about 30 to 60 minutes a week of muscle strengthening activities.
Use the planner below to see where your week lands.
Plan your lifting week
Tap the days you can get to the studio, then set how many minutes of lifting you'll do each time.
Lifting time per session is
Studio hours are weekdays 5:45 AM to 8 PM, weekends 8:30 AM to 4 PM. The twice a week guideline is the strength part of the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology guidelines. The 30 to 60 minute range comes from Momma et al., 2022 (abstract), a review of prospective cohort studies that links strength training with lower risk. Check the class schedule for actual class times.
How we set up your week at the studio
- Start with two set days. Pick two days that don't move, like Monday and Thursday, and book them for the whole month. We like a day off between them.
- Add a third when two feels steady. Our Habit Forming membership is 2 classes a week at $44 a week (+ HST). Foundation is 3 classes a week at $50 a week (+ HST).
- Let a coach add the work. Our coaches add sets or load when you're ready, so your training keeps getting harder over time.
- Make a fourth day mobility or yoga. If you want to come in more, a mobility or yoga class fits well between lifting days.
If you're trying to fit cardio in as well, read our post on balancing strength training with cardio. To see why new lifters get stronger before they get bigger, read about neural adaptation.
Train at our studio in Concord, Vaughan
Our small group classes cover strength, conditioning, mobility and yoga. They're capped at 16, with a coach running every class. We're open weekdays 5:45 AM to 8 PM and weekends 8:30 AM to 4 PM at 11-411 Confederation Pkwy, 2nd floor, with parking on site.
If you'd rather have a plan designed only for you, look at personal training in Vaughan. We also offer one on one training focused on balance and strength. To get your eating in line with your training, ask about nutrition coaching.
Try the $30 seven day trial (+ HST). Join by day 5 and your $30 is credited toward your membership. Call (289) 536-8066 or email g-squad@innerg.ca, and book your first two classes for next week.
References
- Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. (n.d.). Canadian 24 Hour Movement Guidelines (official title shortened). https://csepguidelines.ca/guidelines/adults-18-64/
- Grgic, J., Schoenfeld, B. J., Davies, T. B., Lazinica, B., Krieger, J. W., & Pedisic, Z. (2018). Effect of resistance training frequency on gains in muscular strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 48(5), 1207-1220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0872-x | PubMed
- Momma, H., Kawakami, R., Honda, T., & Sawada, S. S. (2022). Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 56(13), 755-763. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061 | PubMed
- Ralston, G. W., Kilgore, L., Wyatt, F. B., Buchan, D., & Baker, J. S. (2018). Weekly training frequency effects on strength gain: a meta-analysis. Sports Medicine Open, 4(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-018-0149-9 | PubMed
- Ross, R., Chaput, J. P., Giangregorio, L. M., Janssen, I., Saunders, T. J., Kho, M. E., Poitras, V. J., Tomasone, J. R., El-Kotob, R., McLaughlin, E. C., Duggan, M., Carrier, J., Carson, V., Chastin, S. F., Latimer-Cheung, A. E., Chulak-Bozzer, T., Faulkner, G., Flood, S. M., Gazendam, M. K., ... Tremblay, M. S. (2020). Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines: an integration of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep (official title shortened). Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 45(10 Suppl. 2), S57-S102. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0467 | PubMed
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., & Krieger, J. (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(11), 1286-1295. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906 | PubMed
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 46(11), 1689-1697. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8 | PubMed