How long is the appropriate amount of time to exercise in the gym

If I just want to talk about the conclusion: For the vast majority of ordinary fitness enthusiasts who do not aim to compete, staying in the gym for 45-90 minutes at a time is the optimal solution that takes into account training effect, physical recovery, and time cost. Of course, this is not an iron-clad rule. Some people can train their whole body in 20 minutes, while others can't see any muscle gain after soaking for 3 hours. There is no absolute standard answer to this matter. It all depends on your training goals, intensity, and current physical condition.

When I first joined the gym two years ago, I always felt that "the longer you stay, the more money you make." After each session, I would wander around for ten minutes looking for equipment. After two sets of exercises, I would sit down and check my friends list for a while. During the break between sets, I would like to read all the hot searches of the day. In between, I would chat with my familiar muscle friends for ten minutes. After the workout, I would have to find an angle to take and retouch my muscles for twenty minutes, which consumes two and a half hours. As a result, after practicing for less than half a month, my bench press weight did not increase. I was so tired after get off work every day that I could not keep my eyes open. I had a fever and cold and lay down for three days on the weekend. The coach laughed when he saw me and said that this was a "check-in fitness". The total effective training time was not as long as the time I spent editing pictures.

If training is really effective, the physiological state of us ordinary people lies here. About 45 minutes into strength training, the level of energy-supplying testosterone in the body begins to decline, and the stress hormone cortisol will gradually increase. If you continue to practice hard, not only will the efficiency of muscle synthesis be compromised, but it will also easily cause movement deformation due to fatigue accumulation. You may injure your waist or knees, which is completely outweighing the gain. Of course, if you pursue the ultimate time efficiency, go for HIIT or circuit training, with 10 minutes of warm-up + 20 minutes of high interval training + 5 minutes of stretching. The whole process is done in 35 minutes. You will still be sweating after the training, and your heart, lungs and strength can be taken care of. Nowadays, many studios that specialize in efficient fitness promote this mode. It is suitable for office workers who cannot squeeze out time. The effect is no worse than practicing for an hour and a half.

Don’t use this length of time to trick everyone. I know a guy who practices powerlifting. Every time he lifts heavy weights, he rests for 5-10 minutes between sets. He slowly polishes the three main items of squatting, pulling, and pushing, plus auxiliary movements. It is common to practice for two hours each time. His goal is to compete, and the requirements for weight breakthrough are much higher than the time cost. Naturally, he cannot use the standard requirements of ordinary enthusiasts. If you are currently stuck in a weight bottleneck period, or you need to adjust your condition in preparation for a competition, it is perfectly fine to occasionally extend the training time to 2 hours. As long as your whole body is not sore when you wake up the next day, which will affect your ability to walk to work, it is not considered overtraining.

To be honest, there is really no need to compete with the duration number. When I train my shoulders now, I do four sets of each of the four movements, with a rest of 1 and a half minutes between sets. I leave after 55 minutes of warm-up and stretching. The efficiency is much higher than the two hours before, and the shoulder lines appear faster than before. If you are not tired from work and are in good condition, practice two more sets of auxiliary movements, and it is normal to extend it to 70 minutes. On the contrary, I have seen many people stuck in time. Even though their condition is extremely poor, their movements are erratic and they still have to wait until 90 minutes to leave. This is just because they can't live with themselves.

Oh, by the way, don’t forget to include the time for warm-up and stretching. Don’t hit heavy weights when you start. Don’t just put on your clothes and run away after practice. The total of these two will take at least 15 minutes. If you save time, you will have to find a rehabilitation therapist sooner or later.

In the final analysis, fitness is for yourself, not for the clock software or gym lockers to see. When you practice, you can find the right feeling of force in each movement, and you don't make blind strokes between groups. After practicing, you will feel a little sore but not to the point where your whole body is falling apart. This length of time is the most suitable for you. We ordinary people don't rely on this to win awards, so we can't compete with ourselves just to stay for half an hour longer. It's comfortable and effective, which is better than anything else.