Many of the members at our gym are on a three-day/week plan and we advise them on what days to attend classes to get the most out of our programming. Here we break down our answers and the “why.”
First, the answer is always “it depends,” as fitness goals are personal, but, we have two suggestions that we believe everyone with a three-day membership can adhere to and see some significant changes in their body, strength, and quality of life.
Option 1: Attend on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Why? These days are the centerpieces of each of our training phases. We program them first because they are the most important and consist of resistance training and movement quality. EVERYONE, regardless of age, needs resistance training. Not only does it offer a wealth of health benefits, it allows you to gain muscle. A body with more muscle burns more fat at rest. It also makes you more resilient for real life - from carrying the groceries to keeping up with your kids. Lastly, it allows us to correct our members’ movement patterns. We have the opportunity to “get in there” with everyone, suggest modifications, help with the weight to be used, etc. QUALITY is of the utmost importance here and these are the days we see people make the biggest progress on so many levels.
If you attend Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you can always add a day or two of cardio on your own outside the gym for some extra conditioning.
Option 2: Pick two - Monday, Wednesday, Friday AND Pick one - Tuesday or Thursday
If you are someone who wants to break a sweat and attend on one of our cardio days (face it, those days are fun!), then choose Tuesday OR Thursday on any given week, then attend two strength days. Again, the main focus of your workouts should be to improve your movement quality and get stronger. Two days a week of resistance training can make an impact.
What if you’ve been doing it differently?
If you are a cardio junkie and have been choosing Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, start by adding one of the resistance training days (again, Monday, Wednesday or Friday), then once that becomes a habit, swap out another cardio day for a strength workout so you eventually attend two strength workouts per week.
What else makes an impact outside the gym?
Mobility - we do this at each class, regardless of the day, so you become knowledgeable in these drills and can do them on your own. So…do them on your own, too!
NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) - getting activity all day (getting up every hour from your desk, going for long walks, etc.) has a huge effect on your metabolism, so get those steps in.
Sleep - no less than seven hours per night so you can recover, avoid brain fog and you can get a natural hit of human growth hormone.
Hydration - as a rule of thumb, aim for half your body weight in ounces (for example, a 150-pound person would aim for 75 ounces) so you can help avoid infections, keep your joints lubricated, avoid brain fog, keep organs functioning properly, improve sleep quality and more.
Nutrition - focus on mostly whole foods, lots of protein, and a calorie level to support your goals.
You put in the hard work IN the gym, make it count with your habits outside the gym!
Got it? If you need help deciding the days that are best for you or want to take a deeper dive into why, ask a coach!
