How long should you practice strength training every day to achieve the best results?

For the vast majority of ordinary strength training enthusiasts who have no need to prepare for competitions, 40 to 90 minutes is the most cost-effective training time, excluding the pure effective training time of warming up, stretching, waiting for equipment, and fishing. It is enough to accumulate enough training capacity to stimulate muscle and strength growth, but will not cause cortisol to spike due to too long training time, offset the gains in muscle gain or even lose muscle.

Of course, this number is definitely not fixed. People with different training systems have far different perceptions of duration. Most friends who are into powerlifting know that the core of each training is the three main items of squatting, pushing and pulling, plus three or four sets of auxiliary movements. It takes 3 to 5 minutes to rest between the main items to build up strength. The pure training time is basically stuck at 40 to 60 minutes. As long as the linear plan is implemented in place and the strength increases gradually, there is no need to endure the time. It's different for friends who do bodybuilding-style split training. One part needs to be stacked 12 to 16 formal sets, and three or four sets of isolated movements are added to work out the details. The rest between sets is mostly controlled to 60 to 90 seconds. Calculated, 70 to 90 minutes is the norm, and it is completely in line with the training logic. There are even a group of enthusiasts who pursue minimalist training. They do 3 to 4 compound movements each time to beat the capacity, and end the battle in 30 to 40 minutes. This is especially suitable for 996 office workers who cannot squeeze out time. As long as they can ensure progressive overload, after a year and a half of training, the girth will increase no slower than that of people who go to the gym every day.

The biggest pitfall that many novices have encountered before is that they regard "time spent in the gym" as "effective training time". Two years ago, I took care of a child who had just graduated. When he first applied for the card, he worked very hard. He spent two hours every day after get off work. Taking training photos, talking about equipment with his partner, and watching short fitness videos between groups took up almost an hour. After two months of training, his arm circumference did not increase at all, and his bench press was stuck at 40kg and he could not move. Later, I asked him to lock his cell phone in the locker, take a break between sets and watch his watch, and leave after practicing for 50 minutes each time. In the second month, he told me that his arm circumference had increased by 1.5 centimeters and that he could bench press 50 kilograms. To put it bluntly, you are here to train, not to clock in and go to work. No matter how long it takes and you don’t do enough effective movements, it’s all in vain.

Don't be ridiculous, I know there will be people who want to make an argument about Olympians practicing for two hours at a time - let's first understand that the recovery ability, training efficiency and even supply plan of ordinary people and professional players are not in the same dimension at all, and there is no reference. If you are an advanced enthusiast who has been training for more than 3 years, or you need to add a lot of detailed sculpting movements during the preparation period, and the rest between groups is too long, it is absolutely fine to practice for 100 minutes each time. As long as you can keep up with your sleep and diet, there will be no "losing muscle after training for too long" situation, and you don't have to run away after 90 minutes.

There is also the "20-minute high-efficiency strength training" that is very popular on the Internet. It is said to be equivalent to one hour of ordinary training. Is it an IQ tax? In fact, no, the premise is that you have a certain training foundation, all the movement patterns are correct, the rest between groups does not exceed 30 seconds, and you have to speed up even to wipe the sweat during the whole process. For those who are in a hurry, you can indeed make up the basic capacity. But novices should not join in the fun. In 20 minutes, you may just find the right feeling of strength for squatting, and the training is over. There is not enough stimulation, and it is a complete waste of time.

In the final analysis, duration is not the core evaluation criterion of strength training. After you finish the exercise, you feel comfortable all over and are a little tired, but you won’t have to struggle to even lift your arms the next day. Each training session can try to push 2.5 kilograms more than the last time and do two more repetitions. Then, whether you train for 40 minutes or 80 minutes, it will be a good rhythm for you. You really don’t have to stare at the clock to count the time every day. You’re not competing with others on who can stay in the gym longer, right?