If you're chasing a specific fitness result, you might be wondering whether working out twice a day will help you reach your goal twice as fast. Once a relic of high school sports training, one-day workouts are now all over social media and included in some popular lifestyle programs. But should a day or two be part of your exercise routine? Does exercising twice a day double your profits or double your risks?

Are there any benefits to exercising twice a day?

“Unless you’re an elite athlete, there really isn’t any,” says CSCS’ Trevor Thieme about the benefits of exercising twice a day. “If you have enough fuel to do two workouts each day, you’re likely not working hard enough to optimize your progress toward your goal.”

To be clear, this doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise more than once a day. “If there are days when you’re too busy to complete the entire workout in one sitting, split it up,” says Thieme.

You can also perform moderate-intensity cardio on the same day as strength training, or vice versa. However, if you are serious about improving your endurance and/or strength, it may be better to do them on different days.

But “divide and conquer” is not the only option when time is running out. “You should also consider doing the following: Higher intensity, shorter workouts Rather than splitting something longer into two parts,” suggests Thieme. “When you start right away, exercise density is more important than exercise duration.”

What are the downsides of exercising twice a day?

Unless you split one workout into two parts to fit your schedule, exercising twice a day is more likely to hinder your progress than speed it up.

1. Increased risk of overtraining.

Your body needs enough time to adapt to the training stimulus provided by exercise. recover among them. “If you push yourself too hard and too often, you can go at a fast pace. overtraining“, warns Thieme. “Not only does it put you in danger; stereotypical trainingBut it also increases your risk of injury.”

2. Decreased physical performance

Exhaustion from overtraining includes: Decreased performance during exercise. Worse, overtraining can cause mood swings, insomnia, loss of appetite, etc. that affect your daily life.

3. Negatively affects muscle growth

increase muscle mass The process of inflicting microscopic damage to your muscles, triggering repair and adaptation processes that make them stronger and healthier than before. but Overtraining hinders Muscle recovery, recovery and growth. If you are not able to build muscle effectively, it will be more difficult to achieve your goals.

Should beginners exercise twice a day?

It is generally not recommended for beginners to exercise twice a day. “There’s almost no reason to do it two days a day,” Thieme says. “Plus, most people have a hard time finding time to exercise just once a day, let alone twice.”

When you're just starting out, don't be overzealous and focus on being consistent. Adding a second workout to your day can actually sabotage your goals.

Thieme explains that beginners are at risk of overtraining just like everyone else. Because overtraining “occurs when you push yourself too hard, too often compared to your fitness. fitness levelWhatever that fitness level is. “Regardless of your fitness level, overtraining slows your athletic performance gains and increases your risk of injury.”

3 ways to achieve your goals faster

“When it comes to fitness, more is not necessarily better,” says Thieme. Instead of exercising twice a day, consider these training ideas to help you train smarter, not harder, to reach your goals faster.

1. Focus on the quality of your workout, not the duration

how long Much less important than exercising how You exercise. “If your workouts match your fitness goals and you challenge yourself several times a week, you will most likely achieve them,” he says.

2. Prioritize rest

rest day As important as exercise is, you need to prioritize it. Even if you're already taking a break from the gym, you should keep an eye out for signs of overtraining, including increased fatigue, insomnia, decreased athletic performance, mood changes, and decreased motivation.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should reduce your training volume and intensity and adjust the intensity. recovery after exercise Until your performance returns to normal.

3. Increase your daily activity.

Daily exercise does not balance a sedentary lifestyle. That's why it's important to be more active in general.

“Focus on developing your skills. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)This is all the calories you burn in a day outside of exercise,” says Thieme. “If your goal is to lose weight or improve your overall health, you should pay as much attention to NEAT as you do to exercise.”