When it comes to hitting the gym and getting in shape, one question that often comes up is, “How long should a workout be?” The duration of your workout plays a crucial role in achieving your fitness goals. It’s all about finding the right balance between efficiency and effectiveness.
In this article, we will explore what factors to consider when determining the length of your workout and provide optimal workout durations for different exercises and goals.
Importance of Workout Duration: Balancing Efficiency and Effectiveness
As we already mentioned, the most important thing when it comes to the duration of your workout is how to balance efficiency and effectiveness. For example, a short but intense workout might be efficient, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be effective. In other words, you can use your energy wisely but have a harder time achieving your fitness goals.
Likewise, working out for an extended time may drain your energy or use different muscle groups to various degrees. This can be effective for building certain muscle groups but not a very efficient exercise overall because you won’t adequately use your energy.
What to Consider When Determining a Workout Length
To determine your perfect workout length, it’s essential to consider the following factors:
Fitness Level, Goals, and Exercise Intensity
If you’re just starting your fitness journey or have a limited amount of time to dedicate to exercise, shorter workouts may be more suitable. On the other hand, if you’re an experienced fitness enthusiast looking to push your limits or have specific performance goals, longer workouts may be necessary.
Exercise intensity is another aspect to consider. High-intensity workouts require shorter durations because they are more demanding on your body. And low to moderate-intensity workouts can be sustained for a longer period, allowing for extended calorie burn and endurance improvement.
Endurance Improvement
Finding the right workout length is even more important if your goal is to improve your endurance. Steady-state cardio exercises, like jogging or cycling for example, are effective for endurance improvement. In general, you should aim for workout durations ranging from 30 to 60 minutes. This timeframe allows your body to adapt and build stamina over time.
For those training for long-distance events like marathons or triathlons, extended workout durations are necessary. Long-distance training sessions lasting anywhere from 60 to 120 minutes are recommended. These workouts mimic the demands of the event you’re training for, ensuring your body is prepared for the challenge ahead.
Time and Lifestyle
As we all know, time is precious and fitting workouts into a busy lifestyle can be challenging. It’s important to consider how much time you can realistically dedicate to exercise regularly. This way, you’re more likely to stick to your new routine and stay motivated.
Shorter workouts, like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), for instance, can be completed in as little as 20 to 30 minutes, making them an excellent option for those with limited time.
Optimal Workout Lengths for Different Exercises and Goals
As we already mentioned, the recommended workout length will also depend on your goals and the type of exercise you choose.
Weight Loss
If your goal is to lose some weight, you should focus on exercises with a higher impact, as they burn more calories.
HIIT: 20–30 Minutes
HIIT workouts, consisting of short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods, are highly effective for burning calories and shedding fat. Aim for 20 to 30-minute HIIT sessions and include exercises that target multiple muscle groups for maximum efficiency.
Moderate Intensity Cardio: 30–45 Minutes
If you prefer moderate-intensity, cardio exercises like running or using a running machine are great choices. And if you’re wondering how long a cardio workout should last, the right answer is between 30 to 45 minutes because that time frame can sustain a steady calorie burn while improving cardiovascular health.
Cardio and Strength Training Combo: 45–60 Minutes
If you don’t want to choose between strength and cardio, combine them! This way, you’ll get the best of both worlds and a complete workout that uses your whole body. The optimal exercise time here is 45 to 60 minutes, so you can effectively do both types of exercises while not straining your body too much.
Muscle Gain
If your main goal is to build muscle, we recommend you focus on resistance training and splitting your workouts.
Resistance Training: 45–60 Minutes
If your goal is to build muscle, resistance training should be a central part of your workout routine. Aim for 45 to 60-minute sessions focusing on exercises that target multiple muscle groups. This duration allows for enough time for a warm-up, proper form, and a good number of sets and repetitions for muscle growth.
Splitting Workouts: 60–75 Minutes
You can also split your workouts based on muscle groups and do a different set of exercises each day. If you decide to go for split workouts, make sure each session lasts 60 to 75 minutes to allow for enough time to do each exercise properly and rest sufficiently. This duration will also make it easier to build muscle.
Endurance Improvement
And finally, if you want to work on your endurance, long-distance training and cardio are your best friends.
Steady-State Cardio: 30–60 Minutes
For endurance improvement, you should choose steady-state cardio exercises like running. These types of exercises are consistent, and the time frame of 30 to 60 minutes is perfect for building stamina over time.
Long-Distance Training: 60–120 Minutes
Since long-distance events like marathons are more challenging, you should prepare your body with longer workout durations. 60 to 120 minutes is ideal, as it will help you get used to staying active for a long time and show you what you can expect during a marathon or triathlon, for example.
The Optimal Lagree Session: Only 40 Minutes!
We mentioned a lot of different durations for various exercise types, but how long should a full-body workout be? With Lagree, it can be only 40 minutes while still giving you the results you want!
What Is Lagree?
Lagree fitness is a high-intensity, low-impact workout method that combines elements of Pilates, strength training, and cardio. It’s performed on a specially designed machine called the Megaformer. Lagree workouts focus on slow and controlled movements that engage and tone multiple muscle groups simultaneously.
Lagree is a time-efficient workout, with each session lasting only 40 minutes. This short duration doesn’t impact the effectiveness. The Megaformer’s design allows for constant muscle engagement, ensuring you get a full-body workout without spending too much time in the studio.
Why It’s a Great Workout for Everyone
Lagree is perfect for people of all fitness levels. Its low-impact nature makes it gentle on joints, while the intensity of the workout challenges your muscles and cardiovascular system. The slow and controlled movements create a mind-body connection, improving your overall balance and coordination.
Plus, you can adjust the spring resistance, making it harder to hit an exercise plateau or get bored with your routine.
What Can You Achieve With Lagree Fitness?
Lagree helps build lean muscle, increase core strength, and improve flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. The combination of Pilates, strength training, and cardio elements creates an all-around workout that targets multiple aspects of fitness and multiple muscle groups.
On top of that, the short duration of Lagree sessions makes it easier to fit into a busy schedule, ensuring you can stay consistent with your fitness routine.
Conclusion
Determining the duration of your workouts is a very important aspect of your fitness journey. Whether you’re aiming for weight loss, muscle gain, or endurance improvement, tailoring your workouts to suit your goals will maximize your results. And meeting all those goals while having the right balance of efficiency and effectiveness has never been easier with Lagree. In just 40 minutes, you can have it all. Sign up for your first class today, and give Lagre a go!!
