It’s a common question for anyone starting something new at the gym: How many exercises per workout are right for me? Whether you’re new to a particular type of exercise, challenging yourself to a new fitness goal, or you’re new to working out altogether, this is one of the most important steps to creating your workout routine. If you’re asking yourself, “How many exercises should I do per workout and how many exercises per muscle?” you’ve come to the right place. 

Understanding Your Fitness Goals and Experience Level

When you’re planning how many exercises per workout, take your experience level into account first so you don’t overdo it or cause injury. Knowing what you should do at your level can help you achieve the gym results you’re after. 

• Experience level: Are you currently working out regularly? Maybe you’re a former athlete but have fallen off your workout schedule. Is this your first time in a gym? No matter where you start, you can reach your fitness goals.
  

• Fitness goals: Your fitness goals largely determine what kind of exercises you should do, as well as how many exercises per workout. It’s often best to set one ultimate goal, with several smaller goals along the way. A fitness coach can guide you.
  

• Physical abilities: Everyone has strengths and limitations. Working with both of those in mind helps you develop a well-rounded workout routine that addresses your goals and keeps you healthy.
  

• Training age: Anyone from eight to 80 can set and reach fitness goals. Your goals just need to take your age into account. Partner with a fitness coach to decide what’s right for you.
  

• Training frequency: How often you work out in the gym plays a big part in deciding how many exercises per workout session are appropriate. Your gym frequency can determine how quickly you’ll see results. 

The Science Behind Exercise Volume and Its Impact

Recent studies show there’s a significant increase in both strength and endurance with low volume (one set per exercise per session), moderate volume (three sets per exercise per session), and high volume exercise (five sets per exercise per session). In fact, the study found no significant differences in the increase in strength and endurance between the differing volumes. That means it’s possible to see a significant impact even with low-volume exercise. One study suggests that just three 13-minute weekly sessions over eight weeks provide similar gains to those achieved with a much bigger time commitment. Great news, right? 

That said, studies also found that if you’re looking to increase muscle size, you will benefit from higher exercise volumes.

Tailoring Your Workout Routine for Optimal Results

Generally speaking, you’ll start low and slow as a beginner, and the more advanced you are, the more reps, exercises, and frequency you’ll add. Some people wonder how many exercises per muscle group to do, but it’s actually easiest to combine them. These are called compound exercises, which are multi-joint exercises that use multiple muscle groups. Compound exercises are more efficient than isolation exercises, allowing you to work out more of your body with fewer exercises and getting more done in a shorter amount of time. 

So, how many compound exercises per workout should you do? Ideally, you’ll partner with a fitness coach to guide you so you know how many different exercises per workout are right for your goals. Spread your exercises across different movement patterns, including bend, carry, core, hinge, lunge, pull, push, and squat. The following is a good guide:

Beginner

A beginner will likely start with one to three exercises per workout, for a total of six different compound exercises. Alternate between resistance training and aerobic exercise.

Intermediate

If you’ve trained for at least a year, you’ll likely do two to four exercises per workout, including one to three reps within each movement pattern. Choose a different exercise focus for each workout, interspersed with aerobic exercise, allowing for proper rest time between workouts.

Advanced

If you’ve been training consistently for four or more years, you can step it up a bit, but you’ll still want to cap the number of exercises per workout at six to eight. Stick to one movement pattern per workout so you can do the higher number of reps without gassing out. 

Remember that all of these numbers are estimates and don’t take into account your unique factors. Partnering with a coach at Jack City Fitness makes all the difference and helps you answer, “How many exercises should I do per workout?” We work with you to tailor your workout to your abilities, needs, and goals. 

Learn more about our 24/7 accessibility, fully customized coaching, training and classes, and result-driven facility by calling us at (208) 999-1111 to schedule your FREE InBody Consultation. As a JFC Partner, there are no memberships—just results.