Pump Up Your Career: Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA) 2025 Practice Exam Challenge!

For general health, performing strength training at least two days per week while targeting all major muscle groups is the recommended approach. This frequency allows for sufficient stimulation of muscle adaptation and growth while providing adequate time for recovery. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests this level of strength training to promote overall health benefits, including improved muscle strength, bone density, functional ability, and reduced risk of injury.

Adhering to this guideline ensures that each major muscle group (such as the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms) is engaged, which further contributes to overall metabolic health and well-being. It also promotes balance and coordination, which are crucial as one ages.

While performing strength training once a week could provide some benefits, it may not be enough to yield substantial results for overall health and strength maintenance. Aiming for three days focuses on different muscle groups could be more intensive and may not be necessary for everyone, especially beginners. Daily training may lead to overtraining unless managed carefully, making recovery a challenging aspect to balance with intensity. Thus, targeting major muscle groups at least twice a week strikes a solid balance between effectiveness and sustainability for general health.