how long should you work out for

[bm1984]

i work out usually for about 40-45 mins 3-4 days a week
w/ less than 1 min rest time between sets. is that enough for size and strength gain?

[TripleX]

That is fine for what you are trying to do. If you have to stay in the gym for long periods of time then you are either over training or not working out hard enough. You have to remember that you grow when you are not at the gym. On single body parts day i can get out of the gym in about 40- 45 mins, but if doing 2 body parts ( bi's & tri's) then i will probally be there about an hour. I dont ever train for more than an hour.

[daf2]

That is fine for what you are trying to do. If you have to stay in the gym for long periods of time then you are either over training or not working out hard enough. You have to remember that you grow when you are not at the gym. On single body parts day i can get out of the gym in about 40- 45 mins, but if doing 2 body parts ( bi's & tri's) then i will probally be there about an hour. I dont ever train for more than an hour.

same here i can finish one bodypart in 45 minutes but on leg day i am always a little longer than usual

[twizzbeats]

right now I am doing a body part a day and 4 excercises per part takes me like 30 minutes

[slipshady]

i usually switch up my routine every month or so sometimes single body parts 5 days a week two days off, EOD, two days on two days off. variety is the key to building muscle and making gains IMO. my workouts usually last about an hour sometimes more. i wouldnt really worry about how long your workouts are though. stick to 3 or 4 days a week dont over do it or youll be wasting time and getting farther away from your goals..keep in mind your body needs rest your muscles need rest even if you dont feel like they do..
ps- if your leaving the gym and your body doesnt feel drained or you dont feel like you couldve done one more rep you need to change your workout

[TripleX]

i usually switch up my routine every month or so sometimes single body parts 5 days a week two days off, EOD, two days on two days off. variety is the key to building muscle and making gains IMO. my workouts usually last about an hour sometimes more. i wouldnt really worry about how long your workouts are though. stick to 3 or 4 days a week dont over do it or youll be wasting time and getting farther away from your goals..keep in mind your body needs rest your muscles need rest even if you dont feel like they do..
ps- if your leaving the gym and your body doesnt feel drained or you dont feel like you couldve done one more rep you need to change your workout

I dont agree that he shouldnt worry about how long he works out. You need to design your workout so that it averages out to be around an hour. If you cant go in the gym and finish within an hour you are not training hard enough. If you have to go in and stay for two hours your training routine needs help. Unless you are training for an hour and then doing cardio. He is trying to bulk so that means he should be doing low rep sets. Atleast 3-4 sets per exercise. Giving him around 12-16 sets. Resting 1min or so between sets. That should easily be accomplished in a single hour. If he was trying to cut it would take him a little longer with the addition of more reps and sets.

[slipshady]

I dont agree that he shouldnt worry about how long he works out. You need to design your workout so that it averages out to be around an hour. If you cant go in the gym and finish within an hour you are not training hard enough. If you have to go in and stay for two hours your training routine needs help. Unless you are training for an hour and then doing cardio. He is trying to bulk so that means he should be doing low rep sets. Atleast 3-4 sets per exercise. Giving him around 12-16 sets. Resting 1min or so between sets. That should easily be accomplished in a single hour. If he was trying to cut it would take him a little longer with the addition of more reps and sets.

im on your side about length but if he is trying to make strengh gains and add mass he should worry about his workout more then the length of time he does it for

[iceberg]

Not counting 15 minutes of warm up and stretching I think 30-40 min for large muscle group and 20-30 min for small muscle group works the best for me. I average about an hour a workout after warm up.

I do believe that the warm up and stretching is very important. I have learned this a little later in life then I should have (38 years old).

Get in a habit of streching and keep you flexability up.

[meat12]

I'm usually done in a little over a half an hour

[pockethercules]

Well I guess I want be finding any workout partners on this page. I'm usually in for an hour and a half counting a 15 min warm-up. Now I do workout more for strength than bodybuilding, but I strain so much during my sets I have to take a couple of min to rest before I can go again.

[BBAddict]

There's definitely a huge difference between a PL and a BB. The sets and time between sets is totally different. However, either way, I think that anytime you're working hard for that extended a period of time, it is best to supplement with some carbs or protein/carbs during the workout. I sip on a dextrose drink during any workout that may go more than 45minutes to make sure that my energy levels don't fall too much.

[bigshawn]

About 1hr per bodypart here except bi,tri's together about 1hr 15min! Just my routine seems to work for me

[coffee-guy]

New studies show that the amount of rest that you take in between sets is not that important. The common belief is that bodybuilders need to have 90 seconds or less between sets to fully benefit from optimum breakdown (and therefore growth) of the muscles. This theory has been dispelled - just have a kickass workout and go with what works for you.

However, it is a fact that any weight lifting session that lasts more than 45-60 minutes should be supplemented with some type of carbohydrate. I go with BBAddict's approach anytime that happens.

[metalmarty]

I don't believe there is any set amount of time that will benefit everyone. Njjuicer and I train for anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half per bodypart, five days a week. We don't bullshit; we just train with high volume- usually over thirty sets per bodypart. And before someone hits me with that overtraining nonsense, I know my body, and this is what works for me. Ronnie does it. Lee Priest does it. Arnold did it. Some people just respond better to high volume. And some- as a matter of fact, most people do better with shorter workouts. My point is that you have to experiment to find your own way of attaining optimal gains.

[Ashop]

i work out usually for about 40-45 mins 3-4 days a week
w/ less than 1 min rest time between sets. is that enough for size and strength gain?

your in the right range.