When we think of bodybuilding, we often imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger-style bodies, with enormous and very defined muscles. Result: many hesitate to open the door of a room, for fear of “exercising” too much or of not having enough time. However, between a life as a bodybuilder and zero training, there is a very accessible happy medium. The real question remains: how many strength training sessions per week for the body to really start to change.
Because “transforming your physique” means for the most part gaining tone, refining your silhouette, feeling stronger and more in shape on a daily basis. This change depends on your level, your goals (aesthetic or health) and the time you can free up. And there’s good news: it’s not necessary to live in the gym, but rather to find a realistic pace… and stick to it.
How many weight training sessions per week when you start
You might think that an isolated session is enough to get started, yet specialists advise establishing a real routine. For a start, aiming for 2 to 3 sessions per week remains the most effective option, with short sessions of 15 to 20 minutes. The idea is to have at least one day of rest between each workout, to give the muscles time to recover.
In these sessions, you can work in “full body” with 3 to 4 exercises covering legs, arms and abs, or target a different area each time. The programs cited generally recommend performing 3 to 5 sets of each exercise, with 5 to 8 repetitions. For overall health and tone, two weekly sessions of multiple joint exercises (squats, deadlifts with weights, etc.) are already enough to strengthen the entire body.
Bodybuilding: how often to really progress and transform your physique
When you have already been practicing muscle strengthening for years, it does not necessarily take a lot of training to maintain what you have learned. One session per week mobilizing the whole body can maintain the muscles, even if the ideal is 2 or 3 sessions. To progress and transform your physique, the recommendations are 3 to 4 sessions of 30 to 60 minutes per week.
Experts point out that it is not so much the duration that counts as the volume: stimulate each muscle group through at least 4 sets of 6 to 15 repetitions per movement, then increase the load or the number of repetitions when the exercise becomes too easy. With this type of rhythm, several specialized articles mention visible changes after a few weeks, provided that you keep rest days to avoid overtraining.
How many sessions in group classes or premium fitness studios
Some people prefer collective motivation. The Atlas Musculation association, for example, is preparing for the start of the school year with a room open all year round and gym classes from September to June. Several group sessions punctuate the week: cardio dance with choreography, muscle strengthening targeted on different areas of the body, Pilates or even circuit training. Here too, doing 2 to 3 strengthening sessions per week already allows you to build a solid base.
Others opt for high-end studios like those of the Monday Sports Club network, which notably operates the intensive cycling courses Dynamo, Punch Boxing or Riise. With 100,000 regular customers, these places rely on the regularity of practitioners. , underlines Alexis Le Prado, general manager of Monday Sports Club, cited by Capital. Whether you train in a premium studio, in an association or at home, the body responds above all to the frequency and consistency of sessions.
FAQ: your questions about frequency in bodybuilding
How many weight training sessions per week for a beginner?
To start, most programs recommend 2 to 3 short sessions per week, of 15 to 20 minutes, with at least one day of rest between each.
2 weight training sessions per week, is that enough to transform your body?
Two well-constructed sessions already improve health and tone, but for a faster transformation of the silhouette, 3 to 4 weekly sessions are generally more effective.
Can you do weight training every day?
Health authorities especially recommend at least two muscle strengthening sessions per week; training every day is not necessary and muscles need to recover to progress.
