The Best Workout Routine: Here’s How Often to Strength Train, Do Cardio, and Rest Each Week

“I would stay with a program for four to six weeks and progressively increase the weight,” says Tamir. “[The week before your last week] I would have a little bit of a drop-off to give your body a little bit of a recovery, and the last week, really push it hard.”

Cardio: 2–3 times each week

Why: As important as it is to strength train, cardio has its place in a balanced workout routine too. “Doing cardio keeps your circulatory system working optimally, helping you to recover faster…[and it] keeps your endurance up,” says Tamir. “It also increases your VO2 max, which helps your body utilize oxygen.”

How: You’ve got a ton of options for cardio: an outdoor jog, a bike ride, the good old elliptical machine—the list goes on. Functional movements, like kettlebell swings, and agility work can also count as cardio, as long as you’re doing enough reps during a certain time frame to keep your heart rate elevated.

“Whether something is cardiovascular depends on where your heart rate is at and how long you’re doing it for,” says Tamir. Target heart rates are different for everyone, but Tamir suggests that a good baseline to aim for during your cardio routines is between 120 and 150 beats per minute for 45 to 60 minutes.

Another option is interval training, where you work hard for a short amount of time and alternate that with recovery periods, says Tamir. The best part? You can do this with pretty much anything—indoor rowing machine, bike, running, functional movements, you name it.

There are also plenty of cardio classes out there that you can try. Heart-pumping examples include indoor cycling, kickboxing, HIIT classes, dance cardio, running classes, rowing classes, and more.

Rest Days: 2 times each week

Why: Taking a break lets your body recover and rebuild—and gives it some time for post-workout muscle soreness to ease up—so you can get back to your workouts refreshed and ready to rock it.

There are few ways to work a rest day. A rest day can be considered active recovery, meaning you don’t have to hit the gym or break a serious sweat, but you still do something.

“It’s not just about the physical recovery—it’s also the mental,” says Tamir. “Doing something that you enjoy that’s active is great for the mind…and it assists in residual fatigue.”

But sometimes the best rest day is a day of actual rest. It’s perfectly OK to do absolutely nothing on your rest day. What’s most important is that you listen to what your body and brain need. Some rest days, that might be doing a light morning stretch routine. Other days, it might be binge-watching Netflix on the couch. Both have a place in your weekly workout routine!

How: Active recovery shouldn’t require a ton of effort like a workout day, but it can get you moving. You can do some stretching, just take a walk, or try a restorative class, like gentle yoga or a relaxed mat Pilates class. It’s also OK, as mentioned, to do nothing physical on your rest day. If you do choose active recovery, aim for 30-60 minutes of really light activity.