Most gym enthusiasts, especially beginners have confusion that how many exercises should they do in a workout session.
This article will explain to you about the optimal number of exercises you should do in a workout in order to build maximum muscle mass possible.
So let’s start with this common confusion…
How Many Exercises Should I Do Per Workout Session?
The best answer is 3-5 exercises per workout session.
This is the ideal range of exercises you should do in a workout. 3-5 exercises are sufficient to train any muscle group (chest, legs, biceps, etc) in the body.
Doesn’t matter what your goal is, be it muscle gain, fat loss, or just wanna be physically fit.
If you are a newbie, start with the lower number and increase the number of exercises and sets as you progress.
Advanced lifters can go for a higher number of exercises as they need more volume to stimulate their muscles.
Why 3-5 Exercises Are Optimal?
You may have seen people who do a lot of exercises in a session. They do each n every exercise they know for that particular muscle. Well, more exercise doesn’t mean more muscle growth.
If you select appropriate exercises and design your workout schedule smartly, then 3-5 exercises are more than enough.
You just need to make sure that you are hitting all the muscles in that particular muscle group.
For example, your legs include four different muscles:
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Calves
Now you have to include those 3-5 exercises by which you can hit all these four muscles with enough intensity.
In case you do a full-body workout or train in an upper-lower split, then too, 5 exercises are sufficient to train all the major muscles of your body.
Why You Shouldn’t Go For More?
Here’s why doing up to five exercises per workout session is a better strategy…
It may hamper your performance
A handful of exercises are sufficient to annihilate the muscles. You don’t need a variety in every session.
By doing a lot more exercise, you won’t be able to focus on each one of them.
For best results, give your full attention to a limited number of exercises and train with appropriate intensity.
More time consuming
Approximately one hour is enough for an intense workout session. But more exercises take more time to finish your workout.
So be smart and reap more by doing less.
Fatigue
If you train with good intensity, you won’t be left with enough energy after doing the fifth exercise.
In your sixth or seventh exercise, you’ll get too fatigued that there may be no benefit of doing that.
Overtraining
In a long workout session with a lot of exercises of a particular body part, there is a chance of overtraining.
Hence, train smartly. Do fewer exercises but with full focus and intensity.
Choose Your Exercises Smartly
To get the best benefits from your workout, you have to pick your exercises smartly. Let me explain it…
Add Compound Exercises In Your Workout Routine
In a compound exercise, multiple muscles, and joints work simultaneously. Some examples of compound exercises are:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Bench Press
- Barbell bent-over rows
- Barbell overhead press
- Pushups
- Pullups
- Upright rows
These are the basic exercises that you must have to add to your workout routine.
Compound Exercises train your body as a single unit and helps in the overall development of your body.
This is the main reason that they are more beneficial than isolated ones. Some other benefits of compound exercises are:
- Builds more muscle
- More strength and power
- Improves your cardiovascular ability
- Burns more calories
- Improves intramuscular coordination
- Gives more in less time
Read the full article: 7 Compound Exercise Benefits
Do them in the beginning
It would be the best strategy to start your workout session with a compound exercise. Do at least one or two compound exercises at the beginning of your workout.
Why?
Because this is gonna be the hardest and most effective exercise of your session. In this exercise, you’ll be able to lift the maximum weights.
Hence, do it while you have your maximum focus and energy levels.
Things to remember before doing compound exercises…
- Do proper warm-up before the workout. This will make you less prone to injuries.
- Take longer rest periods as your muscles need more time to recover after a compound exercise.
- In order to lift too heavy, make sure to not compromise with your form.
After that, do 2-3 Isolation Exercises
Now jump on some isolation exercises. These are the exercises in which only a single muscle and joint is involved.
For example, dumbbell bicep curls for biceps, leg extension for quads, etc.
These exercises are not as hard as compound exercises that’s why you should do them later. Along with that, it also helps in isolating any weak points you may have.
Now finish your workout with some stretching and cardio if you like.
Summary
Let me give you a quick summary of the article “how many exercises should you do per workout?”
- 3-5 exercises per workout session are sufficient to annihilate any muscle group in your body.
- More exercises don’t necessarily give you more results. It may rather result in:
- Reduced performance
- Fatigue
- Overtraining
- So train smart, not just hard.
- Start your workout with a compound exercise.
- Perform at least one or two compound exercises and rest isolation exercises.
- Finish with some static stretching and you are good to go home.
So this was the simple yet informative article explaining how many exercises you should do per workout session and why.
Thanks for reading so far. Hope you find this helpful. For any query regarding fitness, just leave a comment in the comment section below.
