How Many Times a Week Should You See a Personal Trainer
Working with a personal trainer is the best way to meet your specific fitness goals efficiently. One-on-one, professional-led sessions ensure you’re maximizing your efforts and performing the best workouts to get the results you’re after. Personal trainers also give you the guidance you need to minimize injury risk and eliminate any guesswork when it comes to evolving exercise routines as you get stronger. But if you’re thinking about working with a personal trainer, one question may remain: how often should you meet with them? The short answer: it depends. Read on to find out the right frequency for your needs.
How Many Times a Week Should You Work Out?
Before you determine how many times a week you should see your personal trainer, it makes sense to first consider how often you’ll be working out. Yet, even that isn’t as cut and dry as you might think. Do a quick search for “How many times a week should you go to the gym,” and you’ll likely find some conflicting results from personal training.
Simply put, how many times a week you should work out will depend on your goals. A bodybuilder preparing for a competition or a runner training for a marathon will have different goals than someone who is new or returning to fitness. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the experts recommend for exercise frequency.
According to the CDC, adults should perform a combination of aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activities every week. The frequency and duration, however, can vary depending on the intensity of the aerobic activity. For example, their recommendations call for:
- Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (i.e., brisk walking) for 150 minutes a week, which could work out to be 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week
- Vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (such as running) for 75 minutes a week, which could work out to be 25 minutes a day, 3 days a week
- A mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise two or more days a week
While these variations leave you with several possible combinations, what doesn’t change is their recommendations for muscle-strengthening activities. No matter what type of aerobic exercise you’re doing or how frequently you do it, the CDC advises two or more days per week of muscle-strengthening exercise that works all major muscle groups.
Now, keep in mind that the CDC includes the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms in their list of major muscle groups. If your workout goals include getting stronger — which is almost always the case, since even people who set out to lose weight can benefit from having more lean muscle — you may need more than just two days to work out all of those different groups effectively.
So, how do you know exactly how often to work out? That’s where your personal trainer comes in.
How Many Times a Week Should You See a Personal Trainer?
As with working out in general, how often you should meet with your personal trainer will depend on your fitness goals. The good news is that even if you aren’t sure what your precise fitness goals entail, our trainers can help you define them. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some possible schedules.
The Best Personal Training Schedule for Beginners
Beginners should meet with their personal trainer two to three times per week. This will help you establish a consistent workout routine and master the basics of training. It will also provide the chance to learn new exercises and techniques, and allow you to perfect your form to prevent injuries.
With that in mind, your trainer will also advise you on how many days a week to work out in general. Even if you’re meeting your trainer three times per week, they’ll likely want you to stay active on other days, too. For some people, this may include following a prescribed workout regimen. For others, it may entail low-impact exercise, like walking or cycling, for a set duration.
The Best Personal Training Schedule for Intermediate Athletes
Oftentimes, intermediate athletes hire personal trainers because they’re working towards a specific goal (read more about whether you should hire a PT). Whether it’s weight loss, breaking past a plateau, or training for an event like a 5K, meeting with a trainer one to two times per week may give you enough guidance to refine your exercise strategy to fit your specific goals. On the other hand, some people prefer the accountability and extra oversight they get when they stick to their original schedule of three times per week. In either scenario, intermediate athletes will typically be working out most days of the week.
The Best Personal Training Schedule for Advanced Athletes
It should come as no surprise that even the most advanced athletes can benefit from keeping up with their personal training sessions. Even slight variations in technique, form, and training regimens can yield massive improvements in performance. For this reason, veteran athletes should still consider seeing their trainer at least once per week as they’re working towards more advanced goals. Even during seasons of intense training, which could encompass five or more days of vigorous exercise, the professional guidance from a trainer can be invaluable..
Whether you have specific fitness goals in mind or you’re just looking to become more active, turn to Mobile Trainers for one-on-one, in-home training sessions catered to your needs. Our talented, dedicated trainers are the best of the best according to the Phoenix Review and are here to support you through every stage of your fitness journey. Schedule your free in-home evaluation online now!
