Every New Year we are always incredibly grateful and fortunate to receive a new influx of clients who are interested in working with us. The fresh start of a New Year, means a fresh start for many people who want to better themselves and improve their quality of life. Whether you choose to call it a New Year’s Resolution, or choose to call it nothing at all, the first month of the New Year is and always has been without a doubt, one of our busiest months on record when it comes to gaining new clientele.

I must admit though, that going into 2021, I had my doubts that we would see fewer if any new faces at our Training Facility. Dragging your ass to the gym is already difficult enough for someone who is a “Gym Newbie”. But trying to drag your ass to the gym while living though a Global Pandemic and facing the everyday challenges of working through an Economic Crisis? Well this would make the entire experience seem even more daunting, to even the most experienced Gym Junkies and Iron Addicts.

Suffice to say, I was pleasantly surprised when come January 1st, I noticed 23 new Participants added to our Roster of In-House Clients. Obviously from a Business standpoint, this is always a good sign. However from a personal standpoint, it gave me hope to see that people are perhaps starting to take their own health and wellness more seriously now then they ever did prior to COVID-19.

How Often Should I Workout?

When it comes to resistance training, more workouts does not necessarily equate to better results. Now granted if you are only training with weights once or twice a week, you’re most likely not going to see or feel any real significant change in your body. Sure, you might lose a few inches around your midsection, and yes you might even add on a bit of size and definition to your arms and shoulders.

But as far as expecting to see an entire physique transformation?

I can promise you that’s NOT going to happen if you are training with weights so infrequently.

The general rule of thumb that I recommend to most new clients that come to work with us is to start off on a 3-Day Training Program where they workout with weights every second day and then take two days off in a row, once each week. I feel that this particular Training Split works best for most beginners as it allows their muscles enough time to rest and recover in between sessions, which as we all know is when the muscle building process actually occurs.

After a few weeks/months of training consistently in the gym, I will then advise our clients to increase their training frequency to 4-5x/week in order to achieve even greater results with both their physiques and their health. But even with these clients, I will recommend that every few weeks, they give their body an extra day off from the gym for recovery purposes.

What Type Of Training Program Should I Follow?

I can’t stress the importance of having a proper and well designed Training Program in place, BEFORE you go to the gym. You can’t just simply “wing” your workouts and train the muscle groups you feel like or enjoy training. Not only will this lead to numerous muscular imbalances, but your risk of developing both acute and chronic injuries rises significantly as well. Every single client that I work with has a plan in place to follow throughout each week with their workouts. In my opinion this is absolutely crucial if you are serious about achieving results.

How I structure and design a plan ofcourse is customized for the individual of whom I’m working with. If for example, I’m working with a new client who is only seeing me 3x/week, I might put them on a Training Split such as:

Day 1 – Chest & Back

Day 2 – Shoulders & Arms

Day 3 – Legs & Abs

Again, this can change though based on the client’s level of fitness, physical limitations, potential injuries, target training goals etc. The most important component though is to figure out a Training Split that will work for you, your lifestyle, your training goals, and your level of fitness.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, if you really can only commit yourself to exercising 1x/week than I would agree that this is better than doing nothing at all. After all, mediocre results are better than no results at all. But in my experience, when it comes to building muscle and burning fat, the more fit and active you become, the more workouts your body is able to do. However just like most things in life, it’s important to remember that’s it not always the quantity that matters but more so the quality. And if you are serious about becoming more healthy and fit this year, while taking your physique up to that next level, than it’s absolutely crucial that you ensure the quality of your workouts don’t suffer.

Don’t Overtrain!

Don’t Overeat!

And Don’t Overanalyze!

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance