How Many Days a Week Should You go to the gym?(And Why the Answer Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All)

“How often should I work out?”

If we had a dollar for every time someone asked this during their free intro at the gym… well, let’s just say the coffee fund would be thriving.

Here’s the thing: there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The right number of workouts per week depends on your lifestyle, experience, and what’s realistic for you. But we’ve helped hundreds of people find their sweet spot, and here’s what we’ve learned:

If You’re Brand New or Getting Back into It: 2 Days a Week

If you’re just starting out (or returning after a long break), two workouts a week is a great place to begin.

It’s manageable. It won’t leave you overly sore. And most importantly, it gives you space to build the habit without feeling like it’s “all or nothing.”

We’ve seen people make real progress training twice a week — especially when those sessions combine strength and conditioning, like we do here.

If You’ve Got Some Consistency Already: 3 Days a Week

Three days a week is our sweet spot for busy adults.
It gives you enough training frequency to build strength, improve endurance, and see changes — without burning out or rearranging your entire life.

A typical week might look like this:

• Day 1: Lower body strength + conditioning
• Day 2: Upper body strength + intervals
• Day 3: Full-body conditioning or moderate aerobic work

It’s a solid, balanced structure — and plenty if you’re also walking, playing sports, or chasing around small children like they’re Olympic sprinters.

If You’ve Got the Time (and Recovery): 4-5 Days a Week

Training four to five days a week is great if:

• You’re consistent with recovery (sleep, food, hydration)
• Your schedule allows it
• You genuinely enjoy being in the gym that often

At Arsenal, we have a lot of members who follow this kind of routine because they love the variety — strength days, interval days, longer aerobic workouts — and it keeps things fun and engaging.

Just don’t make the mistake of thinking “more is always better.” Progress comes from what you can recover from, not how much you can grind.

What’s the Best Weekly Workout Routine?

The best routine is the one you can actually stick to.
Whether that’s 2, 3, or 5 days — consistency will always beat perfection. You don’t need to “start over” every time life gets busy. You just need to keep showing up.

We’ve got members who come twice a week and crush it. Others come five times and use it as their daily reset button. The goal isn’t to do more — it’s to do what works for you.

Not sure where to start?
That’s what we’re here for. Book a free intro and we’ll help you build a plan that fits your life (not the other way around)